# Arnold Schwarzenegger is only 5''10?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenegger-is-only-510/315124
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [August 1, 2005, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenegger-is-only-510/315124 "2005-08-01T12:39:41Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@MadderMitch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadderMitch)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2005, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenegger-is-only-510/315124/1 "2005-08-01T12:39:41Z")
According to [this](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/campaigns/wh2000/stories/tall080399.htm), the governator is only 5-10.
Which shocked the heck out of me, as I’d never heard it before. I’d always assumed the standard schlock was true; that is, he’s 6 foot 1(inches)+ a little bit more for good measure.
I always thought it’d be pretty pointless for him to lie, since most of his competitors from his bodybuilding days would surely know the truth anyway. I mean he _looked_ real tall next to the other competitors anyhow (yeah I know most pro-bodybuilders are short-asses, but still).
And I’ve seen a docu which showed one of his tailors (some Italian dude who does suits for “Stalloni”), and he showed a pair of Arnie’s trousers. His legs appeared to be _very_ long, which indicates to me that he’s 6 foot over - however I’m crap at judging distances so maybe it was an illusion. On top of which, let’s face it, the guys built like a small horse. Maybe it distorts the exact picture of how long his legs are. Many pro-builders seem taller than they really are - just cause they’re so huge.
Then I found [this](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_Schwarzenegger) which only adds fuel to the speculation.
> [@](#):
>
> While Arnold Schwarzenegger’s height was always believed to be 6 feet, 2 inches (1.88 m), a July 2002 article in US Weekly magazine speculated that Schwarzenegger was actually closer to 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m). During his campaign for governorship it was noted that Schwarzenegger was considerably shorter than many expected, with others putting his height at around 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m), exactly as reported in US Weekly. His spokespeople now give his height as 6 ft even (1.83 m). In photographs of Schwarzenegger standing next to George W. Bush in Ohio in October 2004, the Governor is one inch shorter than the 5 ft 11 in President.
So, what’s the truth here?
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### Author:  [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2005, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenegger-is-only-510/315124/2 "2005-08-01T12:50:41Z")
Dunno, the Wikipedia article saying that they compared photos of him to others with known heights seems viable (of course it will depend on camera angle and what the person looking at the photo wants to see.) You could try doing the same.
5’10" is tall, but hell if someone who could pick me up and throw me without much thought says that he’s 6’1", I’m ready to accept what he says without much fuss.
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### Author:  [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2005, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenegger-is-only-510/315124/3 "2005-08-01T13:49:44Z")
So I’m the same height as the Terminator but shorter than the US Pres’ 🙂
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### Author:  [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2005, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenegger-is-only-510/315124/4 "2005-08-01T13:54:43Z")
Bodybuilders are as prone to exaggerate their height and weight as are pro wrestlers. A guy I used to train with met Arnold at a seminar. He estimated Arnold’s height at 5’11". This was in the early 1970s. It’s perfectly reasonable that a man Arnold’s age may have since lost an inch (or more) in height.
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### Author:  [@MadderMitch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadderMitch)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2005, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenegger-is-only-510/315124/5 "2005-08-01T15:06:48Z")
> [@Sage Rat](#):
>
> Dunno, the Wikipedia article saying that they compared photos of him to others with known heights seems viable (of course it will depend on camera angle and what the person looking at the photo wants to see.) You could try doing the same.
> 5’10" is tall, but hell if someone who could pick me up and throw me without much thought says that he’s 6’1", I’m ready to accept what he says without much fuss.
5’'10 is _tall_?
At 6"1, I must be a GIANT!!!
But yeah, basically I wouldn’t argue this to his face _either_
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### Author:  [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2005, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenegger-is-only-510/315124/6 "2005-08-01T15:10:07Z")
Schwartzenegger has been on the Tonight Show quite a few times, and he looks to me to be noticeably taller than Jay Leno, who is listed as 5’11".
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### Author:  [@MadderMitch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadderMitch)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2005, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenegger-is-only-510/315124/7 "2005-08-01T15:25:47Z")
Could he have been wearing lifted shoes?
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### Author:  [@MadderMitch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadderMitch)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2005, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenegger-is-only-510/315124/8 "2005-08-01T15:27:22Z")
Could _Leno_ also be another who exaggerates his height?
Jeez with these guys you can’t seem to be too sure
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### Author:  [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2005, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenegger-is-only-510/315124/9 "2005-08-01T15:45:44Z")
Why would a comedian who routinely makes fun of his own appearance pretend to be… five-eleven? If you’re going to lie about your height at least say you’re six feet.
I mean, maybe he does, but it doesn’t make any sense. Unless someone has some EVIDENCE Schwartzenegger isn’t as tall as he claims to be, this is kind of pointless.
Note that one eyewitness saying “I think he’s 5’10” means nothing. I once knew a guy who swore up and down after meeting me once that I could not possibly be taller than 5"8". I’m 6’1" - no, really, as measured by doctors.
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### Author:  [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2005, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenegger-is-only-510/315124/10 "2005-08-01T15:59:57Z")
Of course, had he been able to match Lou Ferrigno’s reported 6’5", maybe Arnold would’ve been cast as the Incredible Hulk and the entire American political and cultural landscape would’ve been different.
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### Author:  [@MadderMitch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadderMitch)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2005, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenegger-is-only-510/315124/11 "2005-08-01T16:46:11Z")
> [@RickJay](#):
>
> I once knew a guy who swore up and down after meeting me once that I could not possibly be taller than 5"8". I’m 6’1" - no, really, as measured by doctors.
See I get the opposite effect. One guy swears that I am at _least_ 6"4. He reckons he (himself) is 6"0.
Yeah, six foot with his grandmothers ass stuck on his head.
And my guess would be most stars would rather embellish thier height than seek conservative estimates.
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### Author:  [@Cynical\_Optimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cynical_Optimist)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2005, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenegger-is-only-510/315124/12 "2005-08-01T17:20:27Z")
Oh great, now there’s another measurement we’ll have to argue about. 😃
Forget his muscles, if I had that kind of money I wouldn’t give a flying fsck about my height.
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### Author:  [@SpartanDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpartanDC)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2005, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenegger-is-only-510/315124/13 "2005-08-01T17:57:10Z")
I am 6’2", and he is significantly shorter than me. I know this for a fact, since I stood rather close to him when he did a press conference at the Capitol here.
5’10" sounds about right, based on my sense of perspective.
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### Author:  [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2005, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenegger-is-only-510/315124/14 "2005-08-01T18:42:50Z")
> [@MadderMitch](#):
>
> 5’'10 is _tall_?
> At 6"1, I must be a GIANT!!!
5’10" is short then? :dubious:
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### Author:  [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2005, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenegger-is-only-510/315124/15 "2005-08-01T19:15:01Z")
> [@MadderMitch](#):
>
> 5’'10 is tall?[/SIZE]
A tad taller than average, which is 5’ 9.2".
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### Author:  [@MadderMitch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadderMitch)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2005, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenegger-is-only-510/315124/16 "2005-08-01T20:29:34Z")
> [@Sage Rat](#):
>
> 5’10" is short then? :dubious:
For a male I wouldn’t describe it as “tall”. I would say it hovers nicely on the average (though I know statistically it would probably be classified as “tall”).
I never considered myself particularly tall, so I can’t really describe 5"10 as “tall”.
But I guess perspectives differ.
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### Author:  [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2005, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenegger-is-only-510/315124/17 "2005-08-01T20:38:02Z")
I once saw Arnold standing next to Madden (several years ago)and several other ex football celebrities at a half time segment, and was struck by how short he was next to them.
Recently I saw an unflattering pic of him on tv in a bathing suit at some private pool. If that pic was legitimate, let me tell you that I’m no longer envious of his body.
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### Author:  [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2005, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenegger-is-only-510/315124/18 "2005-08-01T21:12:42Z")
Those pics (if we’re remembering the same ones) were taken when he was temporarily out of shape from inactivity following his open-heart surgery.
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### Author:  [@Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnac_the_Magnificent)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2005, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenegger-is-only-510/315124/19 "2005-08-02T01:31:03Z")
> [@](#):
>
> In photographs of Schwarzenegger standing next to George W. Bush in Ohio in October 2004, the Governor is one inch shorter than the 5 ft 11 in President.
After studying this for many years, I’m convinced many presidents, senators and reps, and there ilk all wear lifts, from time to time.
Bill Clinton is reportedly 6 feet 2 inches tall. Bush senior is supposed to be 6 feet one inch. Yet though both wear dress shoes, Clinton is sometimes an inch taller than Bush and sometimes an inch shorter. And remember, Bush senior is 80 years old or so, meaning he’s really probably down to about 5 feet 11 inches.
Again, from the Reagan administration, one minute Bush the elder is clearly taller than Reager, the next photo, Reagan is a good inch taller than Bush. Ditto Dole. In the political arena, height is a big plus.
I’ve seen Schwarzenegger on the Tonight Show and it’s obvious he’s wearing major, major lifts–maybe three inches–just from the awkward way he’s walking.
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### Author:  [@1maddd2mackxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/1maddd2mackxxx)
#### Post date: [August 31, 2014, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenegger-is-only-510/315124/20 "2014-08-31T21:30:42Z")
I have seen 5foot 8 Sylvester Stallone in the 1st Expendables, Shortzenegger should be towering over Sly if that was correct now wouldn’t he?
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