The average waist size for lifters is 89 cm for men and 78 cm for women. Compare your unflexed waist size by gender and height below.
Overall Waist Size Standards (cm)
| Rating | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Very Small | 71 | 60 |
| Small | 79 | 68 |
| Medium | 89 | 78 |
| Large | 101 | 89 |
| Very Large | 113 | 101 |
What is the average waist size?
Men
89 cm
Women
78 cm
The average waist size for lifters across all heights is 89 cm for men and 78 cm for women.
What waist size is large? A waist size of 101 cm for men or 89 cm for women is large. A very large waist size is 113 cm for men or 101 cm for women.
What waist size is small? A waist size of 79 cm for men or 68 cm for women is small. A very small waist size is 71 cm for men or 60 cm for women.
Male Waist Size Standards by Height (cm)
| Height | XS | S | M | L | XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 165 cm | 67 | 75 | 84 | 95 | 106 |
| 170 cm | 68 | 76 | 86 | 97 | 108 |
| 175 cm | 69 | 78 | 87 | 98 | 110 |
| 180 cm | 71 | 79 | 89 | 100 | 112 |
| 185 cm | 72 | 81 | 91 | 102 | 114 |
| 190 cm | 73 | 82 | 92 | 104 | 116 |
| 195 cm | 74 | 83 | 94 | 105 | 118 |
Female Waist Size Standards by Height (cm)
| Height | XS | S | M | L | XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 150 cm | 55 | 63 | 72 | 82 | 93 |
| 155 cm | 56 | 64 | 73 | 83 | 94 |
| 160 cm | 57 | 65 | 74 | 85 | 96 |
| 165 cm | 58 | 66 | 76 | 86 | 98 |
| 170 cm | 59 | 67 | 77 | 88 | 99 |
| 175 cm | 60 | 68 | 78 | 89 | 101 |
| 180 cm | 61 | 69 | 79 | 90 | 102 |
| 185 cm | 62 | 70 | 80 | 92 | 104 |
What do the standards mean?
| Very Small (XS) | Higher than 5% of users. |
|---|---|
| Small (S) | Higher than 20% of users. |
| Medium (M) | Higher than 50% of users. |
| Large (L) | Higher than 80% of users. |
| Very Large (XL) | Higher than 95% of users. |
How to Measure Waist Size
For the closest comparison, measure your waist unflexed with a flexible tape on bare skin or light clothing. Stand naturally and measure horizontally around the narrowest point of your torso, normally above the navel. Read the tape at the end of a normal exhale. Keep the tape flat and snug without compressing the skin, and use the same method each time. Community measurements are self-reported, so individual technique may vary.
Is waist size the same as trouser size?
No. Clothing labels vary by brand and can include ease or vanity sizing. Use a tape measurement of your body, taken at the same anatomical point each time.
Data behind the waist size standards
Strength Level analysed 3,774 qualifying results from 109,154 community measurements to produce our waist size standards. We will continue to update them as more community data becomes available. See our standards timeline.
| Total results | 109,154 |
|---|---|
| Qualifying results | 3,774 |
| Male results | 2,917 |
| Female results | 857 |
| Results with height | 3,759 |
| Data start | |
| Data cutoff |
Each qualifying result represents one user's unflexed waist measurement after quality checks. Height comparisons use results with a supported height.
More Body Size Standards
Waist
Men 89 cm Women 78 cm
Waist Size Standards (cm) (this page)
3,774 user measurements 2022–2026
More Body Standards
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