# Arnold Schwarzenegger is only 5''10? **URL:** \ **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:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Mr.Nylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Mr.Nylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Nylock)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2014, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenegger-is-only-510/315124/41 "2014-09-01T19:14:59Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > They can. > > Shrinking an inch as you age (and remember, Arnold is in his late 60’s now) is nothing unusual. If you’re talking about going from 6’ 1" to 5’ 11" that’s two inches (about 5 cm for you metric types) which is a bit more than typical but not unheard of. If a person suffers from osteoporosis and their spine is affected (leading to “Dowager’s hump”, for example) the loss of height can be even more significant. While osteoporosis is generally considered a woman’s disease it most certainly does affect men, too. > > Which is all just wild speculation, I hasten to add. It’s a possible reason for height loss over time. > > Yes, it’s _possible_ he’s shrunk 2-3 inches over time. It’s also possible his height was exaggerated, he wears/wore lifts in his shoes, and even some combination of the above. I think i have figured out the arnold height equation: In prime Height(6’1") + exaggeration(1") - aging(2 inches) - shortness exagerration(1") = 5’10" (or thereabouts) or for current height only: actual height(5’11") - shortness exaggeration(1") = 5’10" ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2014, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenegger-is-only-510/315124/42 "2014-09-01T21:38:15Z")
A person can certain shrink 2" in height or more over time. My father at one time was 6’1" and he eventually shrunk down to around 5’10", and at sixty-five, I am now a solid 5’9" where at one time I was 5’10 3/4". ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2014, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenegger-is-only-510/315124/43 "2014-09-02T01:30:48Z")
He towered over other bodybuilders because he was always competing against guys like Franco Columbu and Chris Dickerson. Most of the “taller” BBers of the era were 5’8-5’9. Also, just based on my observations, I feel like I am the only man in the world who doesn’t add height. I am exactly 6’ and (at least since senior year in HS) I have always been one of the tallest in most of my groups of friends. People like say I’m taller than that because it makes them look taller. It’s funny when someone insists he is 5’11 or 6’ and comes up to my nose. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Nylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Mr.Nylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Nylock)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2014, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenegger-is-only-510/315124/44 "2014-09-02T01:44:07Z")
> [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](#): > > He towered over other bodybuilders because he was always competing against guys like Franco Columbu and Chris Dickerson. Most of the “taller” BBers of the era were 5’8-5’9. > > Also, just based on my observations, I feel like I am the only man in the world who doesn’t add height. I am exactly 6’ and (at least since senior year in HS) I have always been one of the tallest in most of my groups of friends. People like say I’m taller than that because it makes them look taller. It’s funny when someone insists he is 5’11 or 6’ and comes up to my nose. Based upon my experience in retail bicycle sizing, I think you are right about the frequency of height exaggeration. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2014, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenegger-is-only-510/315124/45 "2014-09-02T09:51:34Z")
> [@Mr.Nylock](#): > > The only thing I wonder is, “do people really shrink that much as they age?” My grandfather was 1’86m when he started his military service; by the time he died (96yo), my 1’78m brothers had half a head on him. He lost more than 10cm/4", despite never developing a noticeable hump. His widow has, so she’s also lost even more height. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2014, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenegger-is-only-510/315124/46 "2014-09-03T22:17:06Z")
> [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](#): > > People like say I’m taller than that because it makes them look taller. It’s funny when someone insists he is 5’11 or 6’ and comes up to my nose. I agree with this. One guy I worked with told me that I was full of shit when I said that I was 6’2", because he was six feet tall, and I had at least 6 inches on him. Even more amusing, was the fact that I am 6’2" when I kind of stretch/stand up straight,straight,straight (albeit, not getting on tippytoe.) To the point, tho, I can’t even guess on Arnold’s height. (When I stand next to my brother, sometimes I think I tower over him, and other times I think that he is taller than me.) Perspectives can be distorted without a good rhyme or reason. Wasn’t Arnold only about 2 or three inches shorter than Ferrigno, tho? And, isn’t it universally agreed that Ferrigno is 6’5"? (IIRC) ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2014, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenegger-is-only-510/315124/47 "2014-09-03T22:58:53Z")
[QUOTE=Mr. Nylock] The only thing I wonder is, “do people really shrink that much as they age?” [/QUOTE] Yes. The cartilage disks between your vertebrae lose height with age. Mine are particularly bad and I shrank nearly three inches over the past 20 years, which works out to about a tenth of an inch per disk. No hump or slumping needed. ---
**Author:** ![rlmb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b5ac83/32.png) [@rlmb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rlmb)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenegger-is-only-510/315124/48 "2015-09-28T02:19:36Z")
I’ve been following Arnold’s career for the last 49 years, and I can tell you without a doubt that he is exactly 6’ 2". I don’t care what some magazine said. Although, as people grow older, they do sometimes lose a few inches of height. Therefore, because he is now 68 years old, he may have lost a couple of inches. But I really doubt that he is now only 5’ 10". If you look at pictures of Arnold standing next to Sylvester Stallone, who is just 5’ 10" tall, you’ll see that Arnold is taller, by about 2-4 inches. And, when he stands next to Dwyane “the rock” Johnson, who is 6’ 4" tall, he is shorter by just 2-3 inches. So, I would have to say he is still 6’ 2" tall. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenegger-is-only-510/315124/49 "2015-09-28T02:41:09Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > at one time I was 5’10 3/4 My god, man. ---
**Author:** ![rlmb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b5ac83/32.png) [@rlmb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rlmb)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenegger-is-only-510/315124/50 "2015-09-28T02:41:29Z")
Lou Ferrignot is 2 inches taller than Arnold. He’s 6’ 4" tall. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenegger-is-only-510/315124/51 "2015-09-28T03:30:56Z")
I know; zombie thread. But what I’ve heard is that there can actually be an advantage to being short in the movie business. It’s easy for filmmakers to shoot an actor so the audience has no frame of reference to judge their height. So you can add or subtract inches from an actor’s apparent height just by using tricks of camera placement, props, and editing. Look at _The Lord of the Rings_ for an admittedly extreme example. They cast John Rhys-Davies, a 6’1" man, to play a dwarf and made it look convincing. He was even to play scenes with Viggo Mortenson and Orlando Bloom, both of whom are shorter than him in real life. Or for another example of movie magic, consider Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn. They’ve made several movies together and played scenes together. But did you know that Vaughn is a full ten inches taller than Stiller? Probably not because directors shoot them so they appear roughly the same height. But why would they bother? Because a man who’s 5’8" will often have the same width as a man who’s 6’4". And if you film them in a way that makes them appear to both be the same height, the result if that the tall man will look thin while the short man will look broad-chested and muscular. So ironically it can be easier to make a short actor look big and brawny on camera than a tall actor. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenegger-is-only-510/315124/52 "2015-09-28T12:34:02Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > I have a former friend, a restauranteur who was born in Groz around the time Arnold was. He has a photo of the two together at the restaurant. (Massimo’s in Walnut Creek if anyone cares it is on the wall). They are both about the same height in the picture, and Massimo is about 5’10" according to himself and my estimate, I’m a lot taller than he is at a mere 6’2". No way is AS 6’2" as claimed. Arnie’s 5’10 or so, period. I’ve had friends I trust meet him numerous times over the years that say so, and there are hundreds of such mentions on the internet. Only his PR says different. In the opening of Twins when he’s towering over everyone at the airport, all the people in th foreground are Asian. He gets away with seeming taller because by both leading man and bodybuilding standards, he **is** tall. To get the look needed for the sport in the post-Zane era, you can’t be much more than 6’, which is part of what made Ferrigno so impressive. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenegger-is-only-510/315124/53 "2015-09-28T17:58:00Z")
> [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](#): > > Also, just based on my observations, I feel like I am the only man in the world who doesn’t add height. I am exactly 6’ and (at least since senior year in HS) I have always been one of the tallest in most of my groups of friends. People like say I’m taller than that because it makes them look taller. It’s funny when someone insists he is 5’11 or 6’ and comes up to my nose. Indeed. If you look at mens’ self-reported heights in America, there’s a funny double peak on the bell curve, at 5’10" and at 6’, because many men who are 5’11" self-report at 6’ even. ---
**Author:** ![Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enter_the_Flagon)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2015, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenegger-is-only-510/315124/54 "2015-09-29T03:28:23Z")
Here’s a photo of Arnold standing barefoot with Lou Ferrigno and another bodybuilder. If Ferrigno is 6’4", then Arnold was 6’1" or 6’2". Edit: oh, the photo: [https://ixquick-proxy.com/do/show\_picture.pl?l=english&rais=1&oiu=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.got-big.de%2FBlog%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F08%2FArnold\_Schwarzenegger\_Mr.Olympia.jpg&sp=1a6c3b6c16281fb3b4767b2dbc2db846](https://ixquick-proxy.com/do/show_picture.pl?l=english&rais=1&oiu=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.got-big.de%2FBlog%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F08%2FArnold_Schwarzenegger_Mr.Olympia.jpg&sp=1a6c3b6c16281fb3b4767b2dbc2db846) . ---
**Author:** ![JustinC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justinc/32/8083_2.png) [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2015, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenegger-is-only-510/315124/55 "2015-09-29T13:10:30Z")
It actually makes sense for Arnie to add a few inches if shorter actors do the same. If he was standing next to Stallone and was two inches taller than him, then Stallone would be 5’8" if Arnie was 5’10", or if Arnie was believed to be 6’2" then Stallone ‘must’ be 6’. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2015, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenegger-is-only-510/315124/56 "2015-09-29T23:07:29Z")
Arnold was born in Austria in July, 1947 a mere two years after WWII ended. I’m sure there are some 70ish Austrian males that are 6’2" but I imagine at the time lots of children had shortages of food and health care. Besides, what kind of people were drawn to body-building back then? I imagine they didn’t get the cream of athletes (most stick and ball athletes avoided weights then for fear of becoming muscle-bound). My understanding of body building is you develop muscles to build an eye pleasing symmetry and my wild guess is that may be harder for a taller person. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenegger-is-only-510/315124/57 "2015-09-30T04:20:53Z")
Arnold is only 6’2" when he’s got muscles under his heels. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenegger-is-only-510/315124/58 "2015-09-30T10:34:15Z")
> [@Jim\_s\_Son](#): > > Arnold was born in Austria in July, 1947 a mere two years after WWII ended. I’m sure there are some 70ish Austrian males that are 6’2" but I imagine at the time lots of children had shortages of food and health care. Besides, what kind of people were drawn to body-building back then? I imagine they didn’t get the cream of athletes (most stick and ball athletes avoided weights then for fear of becoming muscle-bound). My understanding of body building is you develop muscles to build an eye pleasing symmetry and my wild guess is that may be harder for a taller person. In the book “Pumping Iron”, Arnold was quoted as having had some success at cross country skiing and Olympic-style lifting, the latter of which his height prevented him from going further at. Arnold was tall for a bodybuilder - and in general, shorter physiques are better suited to building large muscles - but he was proportioned right. In Olympic lifting, he would have been hampered not just by his height, but by having a narrow waist and hips (which was a plus for bodybuilding). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenegger-is-only-510/315124.md?page=2)