Body Frame Size
Understand your build. Measure with context.
Your frame estimate
Classification uses the unrounded ratio.
Frame reference spectrum
Frame categories describe relative build. None is inherently healthier than another.
Measuring your wrist
Keep the hand relaxed. Place the tape at the narrowest wrist, just below the wrist bones.
Keep it snug without pressing into the skin.
Reference bands for your inputs
Male · Historical Grant wrist ratio.
| Frame | Height / wrist ratio |
|---|---|
| Small | >10.4 |
| Medium | 9.6–10.4 |
| Large | <9.6 |
Calculation & assumptions
r = standing height ÷ wrist circumference
Your calculation
170 cm ÷ 17 cm = 10.0 → Medium Frame.
Use the same unit for height and wrist circumference. Historical Grant bands: men 9.6–10.4, women 9.9–10.9 for medium frame. Higher ratios indicate a smaller relative wrist. This is not the same system as height-group wrist charts.
View the historical elbow table
Published height includes 2.5 cm footwear. This studio adds that allowance to barefoot height and rounds the adjusted value to the nearest whole centimetre for row selection. It does not interpolate or extrapolate.
| Sex | Table height (cm) | Medium elbow breadth (cm) |
|---|---|---|
| Male | 158–161 | 6.4–7.2 |
| Male | 162–171 | 6.7–7.4 |
| Male | 172–181 | 6.9–7.6 |
| Male | 182–191 | 7.1–7.8 |
| Male | 192–193 | 7.4–8.1 |
| Female | 148–151 | 5.6–6.4 |
| Female | 152–161 | 5.8–6.5 |
| Female | 162–171 | 5.9–6.6 |
| Female | 172–181 | 6.1–6.8 |
| Female | 182–183 | 6.2–6.9 |
Breadth below the lower bound is small; above the upper bound is large. Both bounds are included in medium. Historical reference populations do not represent every individual.
Frequently asked questions
Why can the two methods disagree?
Wrist circumference and elbow breadth measure different features and use different reference systems. They are estimates of relative build, not interchangeable measurements of the entire skeleton.
Is a large frame unhealthy?
No. Frame size is descriptive. It does not diagnose obesity, predict an individual’s health risk or establish bone density.
Why are the female wrist bands different here?
This studio uses the historical Grant ratio bands documented in Merritt’s 1987 study: medium 9.9–10.9 for women and 9.6–10.4 for men. Some online tools use other conventions. Always compare the reference method as well as the result.
Why add 2.5 cm in elbow mode?
The published Metropolitan Life height bands include a footwear allowance of 2.5 cm. Enter barefoot height here; the studio adds the allowance once, then rounds to the nearest whole centimetre for the table lookup. A value outside the listed rows is not classified.
Can I adjust an ideal weight automatically?
A frame category alone does not justify a fixed percentage change to a personal weight target or medication dosing weight. A qualified professional should consider the purpose of the calculation and the full assessment.
Sources & References
Tech
Merritt, 1987 · Grant and Metropolitan methods.
Frisancho & Flegel · NHANES I analysis.
Novascone & Smith · Method comparison.
References inform the calculation; no institutional endorsement. Source names identify the cited research.
Understand your build. Measure with context.