Do small wrists equal small muscles?
 

My wrist size is 5 inches and my forearm is 7.5 inches. Not very big. I heard from several people that because I'm small-boned I can only hope to build muscle that looks like a cross between Kelly Ripa and Gwyneth Paltrow. Not very encouraging, lol. Although both those women are fit and toned but neither has the type of muscle definition that I am seeking. I'm not saying I want 'he-woman' arms but something more than a small pea as a bicep would suffice. :(

Is there any truth to wrist size being an indicator of how much muscle one could potentially build? I have to admit that the weight lifting portion of my exercise regimen is like a thorn in my side. I'm seeing progess just not the type of progress I thought I would. Maybe I'm expecting too much for a person with my boyish-shape/ruler build and height/weight. Am I naive to think otherwise?

I'm like you. I don't even know what my wrist size is as I have never measured myself but here's what I know....

My bf has self-described "small frame" and he built his muscles HUGE when he was in his 20s. Now that he's in his 50s, he still has huge muscle and the "skinny" part - wrists and ankles - are still "normal", it's just that his muscle is huge.

So, to answer your Q, you can build your muscle over your bone structure but what you get as a small boned person is more differential between the two.

In my book, a good thing. You will look more muscular or more cut than others who are "big boned".

But honestly, I don't speak from science. Just experience as a small boned person.

Originally Posted by fitmom:
My wrist size is 6 inches and my forearm is 8 inches. Not very big. I heard from several people that because I'm small-boned I can only hope to build muscle that looks like a cross between Kelly Ripa and Gwyneth Paltrow. Not very encouraging, lol. Although both those women are fit and toned but neither has the type of muscle definition that I am seeking. I'm not saying I want 'he-woman' arms but something more than a small pea as a bicep would suffice. :(

Is there any truth to wrist size being an indicator of how much muscle one could potentially build? I have to admit that the weight lifting portion of my exercise regimen is like a thorn in my side. I'm seeing progess just not the type of progress I thought I would. Maybe I'm expecting too much for a person with my boyish-shape/ruler build and height/weight. Am I naive to think otherwise?

Actually, 6 is considered medium sized. Anything below it is considered small. I am not sure If I believe if muscle size and wrist/bone size go hand in hand. I only say this because I have 5.5 inch wrists and "bigger" muscles.

Wait, I actually redid my wrists and they were 5 inches. I did the remeasure twice. I'm so bad at tape measures, lol. Numbers were never my thing. Thanks for pointing that out. It's funny b/c my nine year son's wrists are now bigger than mine. LOL.

5" Wrist means you have a tiny frame, especially for your height! I'm much shorter and my wrists are 6" around, which I guess puts me at a medium-large frame for my height. Even at my thinnest I looked more like Kim Kardashian than Gwyneth Paltrow, sometimes that's just the way it is!

I honestly doubt the two are very closely related.

I have 5" wrists, size 4 fingers, teeny ankles. At my ideal weight I'm a size 0/1/2-ish (at 5'2").

I also gain muscle quite easily. Which I love, because I LOVE looking strong. :) You can kinda sorta see a bicep in my current picture, although they're still somewhat hidden by the fat.

Hormones also play a role in your ability to put on muscle, and those have nothing to do with your bone sizes, so maybe that's why they aren't necessarily related.

I'm with mayness. I have small wrists for my height, but build muscle very easily.

Another here who has small wrists and builds muscle easily.

Ooo, I'm so jealous of all you gals who can build muscle like nobody's business, lol. It seriously took me like six months of lifting 15 lb. kettlebells to have the hint and I do mean hint of a bicep starting. Don't get me wrong, my arms are toned but muscular? That's a different story altogether. Yet my upper thighs have become more defined and sleek-looking since running. Maybe it's because there's more muscle in my legs so therefore muscle-building is not that much of a problem. I just don't know.

I have 5.5'' wrists and I have never done lifting in my life. Yet I have well developed biceps, not much definition but I think it's pretty impressive. And the other day I tried doing press ups for the first time in years and I managed 10 proper press ups. I obviously build muscle up very easily. Not sure if that's a good thing.

From where I'm sitting, it's a very good thing, lol.

I'm not sure it is. I'm thinking about doing some lifting but I'm worried that I could end up looking a bit too butch. I already have biceps to rival quite a few of my guy friends.

From everyone else's answers, it seems to be "no".
This girl, Carly, is your height and has 5" wrists. She plays soccer at a very high level, works out everyday, was "unschooled" at home and is quite muscular-beyond what is easily achievable without intense training and time, but she is very inspiring nonetheless.

I too started mid 130's and am aiming for <115, but I am 3" shorter than you, fitmom. I find myself wondering if the one-inch difference in our wrists will compensate...

I guess when all is said and done, genetics does tend to play a part in how muscular we get, lol. My late mom was my size and not very muscular. Granted, she didn't workout like I did but if she did, I'd doubt she would've looked much different from how I do. I'm just happy everything is tightening up. Who needs biceps anyway?!?