The average waist size for lifters is 35 in for men and 31 in for women. Compare your unflexed waist size by gender and height below.
Overall Waist Size Standards (in)
| Rating | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Very Small | 28 | 24 |
| Small | 31 | 27 |
| Medium | 35 | 31 |
| Large | 40 | 35 |
| Very Large | 45 | 40 |
What is the average waist size?
Men
35 in
Women
31 in
The average waist size for lifters across all heights is 35 in for men and 31 in for women.
What waist size is large? A waist size of 40 in for men or 35 in for women is large. A very large waist size is 45 in for men or 40 in for women.
What waist size is small? A waist size of 31 in for men or 27 in for women is small. A very small waist size is 28 in for men or 24 in for women.
Male Waist Size Standards by Height (in)
| Height | XS | S | M | L | XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 3 in | 26 | 29 | 33 | 37 | 41 |
| 5 ft 4 in | 26 | 29 | 33 | 37 | 41 |
| 5 ft 5 in | 26 | 29 | 33 | 37 | 42 |
| 5 ft 6 in | 27 | 30 | 33 | 38 | 42 |
| 5 ft 7 in | 27 | 30 | 34 | 38 | 43 |
| 5 ft 8 in | 27 | 30 | 34 | 38 | 43 |
| 5 ft 9 in | 27 | 31 | 34 | 39 | 43 |
| 5 ft 10 in | 28 | 31 | 35 | 39 | 44 |
| 5 ft 11 in | 28 | 31 | 35 | 39 | 44 |
| 6 ft 0 in | 28 | 31 | 35 | 40 | 45 |
| 6 ft 1 in | 28 | 32 | 36 | 40 | 45 |
| 6 ft 2 in | 29 | 32 | 36 | 41 | 45 |
| 6 ft 3 in | 29 | 32 | 36 | 41 | 46 |
| 6 ft 4 in | 29 | 33 | 37 | 41 | 46 |
| 6 ft 5 in | 29 | 33 | 37 | 42 | 47 |
Female Waist Size Standards by Height (in)
| Height | XS | S | M | L | XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 0 in | 22 | 25 | 28 | 33 | 37 |
| 5 ft 1 in | 22 | 25 | 29 | 33 | 37 |
| 5 ft 2 in | 22 | 25 | 29 | 33 | 38 |
| 5 ft 3 in | 23 | 26 | 29 | 33 | 38 |
| 5 ft 4 in | 23 | 26 | 30 | 34 | 38 |
| 5 ft 5 in | 23 | 26 | 30 | 34 | 38 |
| 5 ft 6 in | 23 | 26 | 30 | 34 | 39 |
| 5 ft 7 in | 23 | 27 | 30 | 35 | 39 |
| 5 ft 8 in | 24 | 27 | 30 | 35 | 39 |
| 5 ft 9 in | 24 | 27 | 31 | 35 | 40 |
| 5 ft 10 in | 24 | 27 | 31 | 35 | 40 |
| 5 ft 11 in | 24 | 27 | 31 | 36 | 40 |
| 6 ft 0 in | 24 | 28 | 31 | 36 | 41 |
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 35 in Women 31 in
Waist Size Standards (in) (this page)
3,774 user measurements 2022–2026
More Body Standards
Compare bodyweight, body fat percentage and body size measurements with other lifters.