Have I stopped growing at 16?

diusmr8a504cvk

Well lads, I'm 16 and with the past few years I haven't really grown much but the last two there's been sweet f*ck all growing going on. I'm 5'6½, my mother's about 5'6 and my father is probably 5'7. I'd say I must have hit puberty at around 11 years of age.

I've been sure as sh*t that I've stopped growing but it's really f*cking depressing to be that small. At 5'6, I have zero chances of going anywhere in sport which I realised about a year ago also. It's fine being small and fast but I was tall when I was younger and had a big and strong frame so I didn't need to be Speedy Gonzalez but as people around me have grown I've stayed the same so I'm too small to be be a strong guy and too heavy (I'm not fat) to be fast , if you get me (a good analogy is if anyone here has seen Beyond The Mat, where the trainer says that Mike Modest is too small to be a Heavyweight and too big to be a Cruiserweight).

I apologise if this is just a load of rabble and about the unnecessary foul language even if it is censored but I just felt like talking and didn't know where to turn so I decided to use the internet as a stage.

RedXIV

Camila Elegant Matchmaker wrote: »

Well lads, I'm 16 and with the past few years I haven't really grown much but the last two there's been sweet f*ck all growing going on. I'm 5'6½, my mother's about 5'6 and my father is probably 5'7. I'd say I must have hit puberty at around 11 years of age.

I've been sure as sh*t that I've stopped growing but it's really f*cking depressing to be that small. At 5'6, I have zero chances of going anywhere in sport which I realised about a year ago also. It's fine being small and fast but I was tall when I was younger and had a big and strong frame so I didn't need to be Speedy Gonzalez but as people around me have grown I've stayed the same so I'm too small to be be a strong guy and too heavy (I'm not fat) to be fast , if you get me.

I apologise if this is just a load of rabble and about the unnecessary foul language even if it is censored but I just felt like talking and didn't know where to turn so I decided to use the internet as a stage.

You could be, but on the other hand, I remember a wee lad in my school and dunno wtf happened when he turned 18, he grew nearly 2 feet. Weirdest thing ever.

Genes are probably against you too with your parent's height but never say never.

Nunu

Why do you say you have zero chance of going anywhere in sport? Bit of a strange conclusion to make. If you're good at a chosen discipline height doesn't come into it.

jimmii

Just because you are 5'6" doesn't mean you can't be successful at sport. I doubt Messi has ever worried about it and he just happens to be the exact same height. Much like if you are good enough you are old enough if you are good enough you are tall enough. Unless you want to join the NBA you have no chance of that I don't think! You could always have a late spurt but height isn't something you should worry about its not that important.

diusmr8a504cvk

I think the biggest factor here for me is the height:weight ratio. I'm 5'6 and about 11st last time I checked.

thelad95

Are you seriously suggesting you can't excel in sport because you're small? Small players can be fantastic athletes, low centre of gravity can make them very hard to stop. Look at the likes of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Paul Scholes, Michael Owen, Robbie Keane all well under 6ft.

I'm not sure if you've see seen the Guinness ad with Shane Williams but I suggest you give it a watch if you haven't.

Digital Solitude

I went from the tall one in our group for 4 years to the shortest now. I stopped growing at 15, one of my friends is 19, he stopped growing for a long time and has recently sprung up again.

Don't resign yourself to feeling small, you might grow further yet, and it won't impact your sport if you know how to use your size effectively. Sure you might never become an intercounty player but hundreds of 6" 4 guys don't either

Nunu

Would that not be the average healthy weight of a 5' 6' male?

diusmr8a504cvk

Nunu wrote: »

Would that not be the average healthy weight of a 5' 6' male?

Just checked it, normal weight for my height is 118-148lbs, I weigh 154lbs which they deem to be 1lb less than overweight.

Nunu

So 10 stone is probably on the money

Digital Solitude

You can't base your build off something like a BMI, which may be how you're doing it, or something similar. Anyone who has done some weightlifting will be much heavier than what's deemed as "normal"

If rugby is your sport, then you're going to be heavy, but lean. I know overweight doesn't mean fat, but being a stone over what someone online says is normal isn't very much at all

diusmr8a504cvk

Digital Solitude wrote: »

You can't base your build off something like a BMI, which may be how you're doing it, or something similar. Anyone who has done some weightlifting will be much heavier than what's deemed as "normal"

If rugby is your sport, then you're going to be heavy, but lean. I know overweight doesn't mean fat, but being a stone over what someone online says is normal isn't very much at all

Thanks for the advice, I play football and soccer by the way.

Digital Solitude

Just look after yourself and hope you'll stretch another bit is all anyone can say really. If you're fat you're fat, what of it, you're still very young so with two sports you won't have any issues shedding a bit if you eat healthily.

Short sprints with quick turns work wonders for improving speed, do it on grass.

Pat Mustard

Diego Maradona: 5'5'' tall, 70kg or 11st at age 26.

Peter Stringer: 5'6''

Barry McGuigan: 5'6''

EDIT: I've only just realised that I quoted Maradona's stats from a Pro Evo Soccer site.:pac: In any case, I think that the height and weight is correct.

pug_

I wouldn't worry too much about it just yet. I'm 6' and both my parents are around 5'6" I didn't stop growing until I was about 18 so there is still hope for you. Either way as others have said your height is no reason not to pursue sport if that's what you want to do.

awec

This post has been deleted.

Jimmy Iovine

You could be the next Dennis Rodman (height wise, not personality wise or anything else!!!!!!):

He was 5'6 in high school. Then at the age of 19, he went from 5'9 to 6'8!

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=128571061

Don't give up yet.

Seanf999

Shane Williams. Guinness advert.
That is all.

But honestly men don't stop growing until their early 20s,
I'm 5'8/9 and I was 5'7 for 2 years until a couple of months ago and I started to slowly stretch.

JaseBelleVie

Most guys don't stop growing until they're 21. You'll be fine.

Plus, a friend of mine once posted up a photo of him and his folks before he went to his debs. He towered over both his parents. He's like 6' 3". His father is 5' 8" and his mother is only like 5' 6". So that doesn't count for much.

Plus plus, I got the honour of commenting on the photo: "Damn, you must have had a really tall milkman!"

jimmii

I stopped growing at 16 too sure good thing is you can start buying proper clothes earlier as you don't need to worry about growing out of them so at least you'll be the best dressed!

MightyMandarin

I was tiny at 16, 5'2 to be exact. In one year I grew to about 5'7, which isn't tall by any means but at least I'm not abnormally small. I still think I'll grow another 1-2 inches as my dad did when he was in his early 20's so there's still hope.

You shouldn't worry about excelling in sport; the examples above say it all really. As long as you work hard, have some talent and a bit of luck you can certainly do well. Just try to use your height to an advantage; even in a sport like rugby Shane williams did well because he was so hard to tackle.

Dravokivich

Won't be worth worrying about really. In general most people while stop growing in their early 20's. Rate of growth varies though.

diusmr8a504cvk

Well lads, my apologies for the late reply. I've decided to try and change myself drastically, I went to the gym this weekend for the first time in months because the guy I go with is busy a lot, we're going to start going again every weekend and most days throughout Easter break. I get Easter break this Friday, I'm going to really try and go running my local GAA pitch most mornings during the break also with the occasional break.
Also I might add I'm slim but have a bit too much belly fat, I realise we're kinda crossing into health and fitness territory here but once the break is up I won't have time to exercise every day, will the weight come back?

Pat Mustard

Camila Elegant Matchmaker wrote: »

Also I might add I'm slim but have a bit too much belly fat, I realise we're kinda crossing into health and fitness territory here but once the break is up I won't have time to exercise every day, will the weight come back?

I'd guess that you could probably still exercise every second day. Exercise requires some time but it makes people mentally sharper and more motivated for the purposes of work, study and otherwise.

If you had been exercising and maintaining a consistent weight and if you reduce your exercise routine subsequently but continue eat similarly to when you had been exercising, you know that mathematically, you can expect to gain weight. If people consume more than their calorific requirements, the excess is stored as fat.

What you need to do is to examine your diet and exercise regimen and ask for advice on a system that you will be able to maintain in accordance with your current lifestyle. In that regard, I would suggest that you wander over to the Heath & Fitness and Nutrition & Diet forums. You will get good advice on those forums as opposed to some of the nonsense that is peddled on other corners of the web.

MightyMandarin

Camila Elegant Matchmaker wrote: »

Also I might add I'm slim but have a bit too much belly fat, I realise we're kinda crossing into health and fitness territory here but once the break is up I won't have time to exercise every day, will the weight come back?

Just make a routine of it, 2 weeks Easter break won't change much even if you go everyday, but 3-4 times a week for a year will change a lot. I was a lot like you at 16; short, skinny but a little flabby. I started lifting about a year and a half ago and have gained about 15kg, but I'm a lot leaner than before. It might seem odd, but getting on a good weights program and eating more (preferably healthy) food will make you look a lot better, just give yourself time.

Start a thread in H&F and you'll get great advice there.

diusmr8a504cvk

MightyMandarin wrote: »

Just make a routine of it, 2 weeks Easter break won't change much even if you go everyday, but 3-4 times a week for a year will change a lot. I was a lot like you at 16; short, skinny but a little flabby. I started lifting about a year and a half ago and have gained about 15kg, but I'm a lot leaner than before. It might seem odd, but getting on a good weights program and eating more (preferably healthy) food will make you look a lot better, just give yourself time.

Start a thread in H&F and you'll get great advice there.

Sound, I'll take the advice on board but unless I have training during the week I don't know if I can make time for exercise.

MightyMandarin

Camila Elegant Matchmaker wrote: »

Sound, I'll take the advice on board but unless I have training during the week I don't know if I can make time for exercise.

You have to find a time which suits and make a routine. If for example tuesday is a busy day, then work around it and train another day but make sure you're training 3-4 times each week consistently.

Personally, I train late, usually 9-10:30 when my gym closes. When I was in school it suited me as I would get all my work done and then go train. Some people went straight after school or in the mornings, but there's no way I was getting up early to train.

Faith+1

I didn't stop growing until I was 21/22. I was 5 '6 when I was 17 and then took a giant spurt! I'm 6'1 now!

akura

I'm a few weeks away from 22 and I've grown close to an inch in the last year. I'm now 6'4" but built like Peter Crouch

Seanf999

Do we (lads) have two growth spurts?
A teacher of mine commented that I've shot up I was 5'8 or so 2 weeks ago (I **** you not) and now I'm closer to 5'10..

Like most shorter fellas it was my legs that caused the lack of height but it seems I've stretched..

SureYWouldntYa

Seanf999 wrote: »

Do we (lads) have two growth spurts?
A teacher of mine commented that I've shot up I was 5'8 or so 2 weeks ago (I **** you not) and now I'm closer to 5'10..

Like most shorter fellas it was my legs that caused the lack of height but it seems I've stretched..

some of us barely have one. i was 5'10 when i was 12/13, unfortunately for me my family always grows early so im that height still at 20

_Redzer_

Both my parents are 5'6, and although I was taller at 16 (think I was 5'9), I didn't really start shooting up until 17 onwards. I'm 20 now and 6'1 and my growth has slowed down substantially, but I'm still ticking along and people comment on it from time to time.

You're only 16, you've many years of growth left in you, and you could have a late spurt like I had. Even if you don't and you grow only a few few more inches, it's been made clear that it's not a hindrance if you can work it to your advantage.