5'9" 172ish here. Getting faster every day. (at least I'd like to think so...)

That said I am trying to cut down to 160-165 for race season.

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Strava

I'm 43. 5'10'' 175-180 and I've had some pretty good success with 70.3 and shorter. Won the 40-44 age group at Choo 70.3 and Augusta 70.3. Augusta was cool because I was the 1st amateur to cross the finish line after the pros had started way ahead me. I think I was the 8th wave. I've also won some local races. I finally went under 18 this year and 37 in a 5k/10k, And I've beaten some skinny people, but just like you I'm always thinking if I were just a bit lighter. I'm currently working on that right now.

I think lot of it is going to be dependent on what distance you are racing. If you are competing at the IM distance weight matters. Someone once said that if you watch an IM finish you can see the body comps changing as the time goes on. The leanest people are at the front. My best races I was 6-1 and 178 lbs. I felt if I had been able to loose another 10-15 pounds I would have been in place for a Kona spot. At the 1/2 IM distance this weight didn't hurt me at all though. Much shorter race. It's all about economy.

Can you post a picture of yourself? I'm 6'3" 170 (obviously quite lean, no idea on body fat %), and am trying to picture what that looks like. I'm imagining NCAA running back build or something? Sorry don't really have much to contribute but I'm curious.

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Benjamin Deal - Professional - Instagram - TriRig - Lodi Cyclery
Deals on Wheels - Results, schedule, videos, sponsors

Weight is only half the formula of course.

Also, I dropped 25 lbs this past season and I was amazed at the improvement in heat management. So much so that I think it was equal to or more important than the speed gain due to weight loss.

I’m 6’2” and at 190 lbs I am 15% BF as confirmed by a Dexa scan. I have a very large frame (at 265 no one called me obese). My wrists and ankles are about as big as it gets (the measuring stick for frame type). So extrapolating that down I would think that a similarly built person who is 5’10” and 175 lbs would be well above 10% BF (I think the ratio is around 5 lbs per inch). At 10%BF I would be 180lbs and then subtract 20lbs for the per inch conversion brings it to about 160lbs. Assuming this is right then I think you would feel a world of difference racing 15lbs lighter, assuming it’s not light enough to effect your performance and/or health of course!

I believe that about IM finishes and body composition. I'm yet to race a full but it's high on my to do list. I've got a couple young kiddos so as I know many of you can relate to, training time is somewhat limited. As for what I look like, I'm a former college rugby player and definitely more muscular than lean, despite barely lifting weights. All the fast guys I read about seem to be 160 or below with the one exception (from my knowledge) being Starky who's not much higher than that. I think if I got below 170 my family might schedule an intervention and my performance would probably suffer from being too light for my body type.

are you mega ripped at 175lbs? if not, you're not 10% BF.

When I was lifting heavily had a minor stint at (attempting to) get to <7-8% BF. I am 5'11'' and in my heaviest lifting days (repping 225 bench, etc) I would come in a 173 when I was "fat" and 162 when I got down to ~7% BF.

So unless you're really shredded (calvin klein model), you're probably 15% BF and have a lot of weight you can cut. Just my honest take.

helpful pics: https://bachperformance.com/...ur-percent-body-fat/

At 5"10 and 175 pounds and "lean," I'm picturing a muscular guy with arms and a chest. There are some sub 3 runners who look like that. I was beaten by a crossfit looking dude in a 5k once who must have been 190ish and was quite surprised he stayed ahead of me the whole race. Some of the local Cat 1/2 guys here are 190 ish, but they're all sprinters or do cx. .

What distance and AG? And, what is your expectation of "great?"

I routinely win my AG in Olympics and Sprints at 185 lbs. and 5-10". I am probably around 20% body fat. I can do a half IM in around 5:15 (I came very close to 5 in one race) when things go well. I am a 5:20 - 5:30 finisher when things go average. I am typically in the top 30 AG in an HIM.

That said, this year I am targeting to get myself down to 170 lbs. and probably close to 10% body fat. When I am that low, I expect that I will be routinely top 10 overall in local sprints and Olympics and I should be top 10 in AG for HIM races.

You obviously don’t follow football very closely

I am 5 10 205 and a 46 chest. My run is hopeless. You guys should all be grateful where you are at. I did a reverse sprint tri last time out and I passed 100 people on the bike and swim after my slow run but they were mostly recreational people. My opinion is that you are likely more limited with your gene pool not necessarily your size. Your photo you look pretty muscular I stopped lifting last January but I have added 5lbs(of fat) since then. If I were you I wouldnt look to weight loss to improve time you can really bang your head against a wall trying to go that route. Like wasting a year trying to do it and not getting anywhere and you should just go train and enjoy yourself. Accept your body as is and if the best you can finish is top20% then thats good enough. Myself I am going to stay out of the weight room another year and see if I can drop 10-15lbs and hopefully get in some consistent running without knee pain and if not I will switch to aquabike and masters swim meets.

Alright clearly I undershot the weight by 1 or 2 or 50 pounds, but relative to the tri world that body type wasn't the worst comparison ever.

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Benjamin Deal - Professional - Instagram - TriRig - Lodi Cyclery
Deals on Wheels - Results, schedule, videos, sponsors

No you’re not.

Weight does matter on the run but if you are a good swim/biker you can still do very well

A friend of mine is heavier than you and still runs a 1-18 half and is regularly fighting for the overall win at 70.3

At Ironman , I have seen larger Guys breakdown more quickly at half way on the run and the skinny guys move up

Be careful tryin to lose weight however, if you end up too skinny , you will lose strength and get sick

Unfortunately I'm an awful swimmer but decent biker and runner. I recently ran my first standalone 1/2 and ran a 1:33. My best HIM time is right around 5:30. Goal is to break 5 hrs! As for being under 10%, I really have no way of knowing for sure. I'm not saying I couldn't lose a few lbs and be fine but I just don't think much below 170 is in the cards based on my body type.

There are a lot of wild generalizations and thinly-veiled insults being posted in this thread. But let me say that I believe you. At "racing weight" I'm 5'11" 172 & 11% body fat. I have been as low as 168 pounds but, at that weight, I began to sacrifice power output on the bike. I also don't carry a lot of upper body muscle mass. My arms are skinny and my ribs show. My 6-pack abs aren't due to musculature but because of lack of fat. How then, am I so heavy? My body is thick -- front to back -- and I have big thighs. 34" waist but my chest and abdomen are pretty deep and my thighs are about 32" each. In other words, you can have low percentage bodyfat and still be heavy for a given height. It's all about structure and body makeup.

Now . . . can you ever be great at 175 pounds? On the bike, choose a flat course and you'll be fine. On the run? You're going to have to deal with a lot more than lighter runners will. Pound for pound, you may be great. But it will be extremely difficult (impossible?) to overcome the advantages inherent in carrying 40 less pounds up hills and on the run.

I'm 5'11" 172 & 11% body fat.//

Yes, but he is an inch shorter and 175lbs, and under 10% body fat. What are you so soft???? (-;

Looking at that very tiny pic of him, he looks to be quite loaded up top. I would think there would have to have been a lot of gym time in his past, or just one of the genetic freaks. I'm also 5'10', and when I was 155 I was 9% body fat, racing as a pro. Not saying it is not possible, but I have used all sorts of body fat gizmos, they seem to be +/- 5%, and many dont account for dehydration..

You'll be just fine https://www.triathlete.com/...hris-mccormack_33324

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Chris Thornham
Co-Founder And Previous Owner Of FLO Cycling

Not likely at that combination of height/weight. You can be fully optimized and trained to the razor’s edge at that weight, but you’ll be fighting physics, at least at 70.3 and up, or any race with significant elevation gains.

Your best bets are courses like Florida, where your probable superior bike power isn’t hamstrung by elevation changes.

You are still pretty early on in your tri career. I would focus more on training and less on your (or others’) weight.

With good diet and proper training your weight ends up in an optimal spot (for you) over the long run.

Your body frame is like mine. I'm 5'10, 185 at present. I would love to race at 175, trying. A few years ago, early 40s, I raced at 180 and went sub 5 twice (4:56 and 4:59- it counts!) at vineman 70.3 (easy course). I was still like 25-35 overall in AG tho. So nowhere near the top. I haven't broken 5 hours at any other HIM (all the others I've done were hard, hilly races and/or had sand on the run).

The problem for me, and possibly for you, is I can't get anywhere close to running 7 minute miles or better over distance. That, to me, is the great limiter. The run. In reality, the fast guys at branded HIMs pretty much average 6-6:30 minute miles. I think you have to be in that neighborhood to seriously consider yourself among the contenders.

I used to wonder if anybody 6' 3" could be any good because I never saw anybody my height winning any local races. Then Jan Frodeno comes along and wins everything from the gold freakin' medal in the olympics to twice at Kona. And Macca is the heaviest guy for his height to ever win Kona - 5'11”/171 lbs.

Depends on what you consider great. I’m 5’10, 170lb with 6.7% body fat according to Lifetime Fitness machine. I typically race sub 5 hr half Ironman. I’m Shooting for 4:40 at eagleman and sub 11 at IMMD.

My buddy was the Mountain West 10k T&F champ at 190lbs. All you need is heart.

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USAT Level II- Ironman U Certified Coach