Here’s an explanation from Rock and Ice Magazine of why shorter people have an advantage in climbing (or any sport where gravity is a primary obstacle). I’m not sure their logic is 100% correct because it assumes that taller people are also thicker, but it’s pretty clear that taller people will tend to have lower strength-to-weight ratios.
KD,
I had a similar discussion with a physics prof at Texas who was vertically challenged and worked-out like a fiend.
His argument (from what I can recall) was one of force… for example with benching if I had to exert x-energy to bench 200lbs a n-distance up, he’d have to exert y-energy to push that same 200lbs m-distance, where n>m and thus x>y. So for him to exert x-energy, he could lift more than 200 lbs that m-distance, comparatively.
I know I messed-up terminology, or something, but I think the gist is in there.
Similar argument for people who run outside versus on a treadmill. As long as you up the incline on a treadmill about 3-5%, you get the effect of actually running outdoors.
IMO.