Dex·Frame
Shoulder-to-waist ratio
Community canon
The V-taper. Wide shoulders, narrow waist, the most universally praised body silhouette in the looksmax canon. Forums quote a circumference ratio of 1.55 to 1.65 for elite male shape, sometimes called the Adonis index after a golden-ratio variant.
Clinical canon
Two distinct metrics. Biacromial-to-waist ratio (bone-to-circumference) lands at 0.55 to 0.65 in lean athletic males. Shoulder-to-waist circumference ratio sits at 1.55 to 1.65 male, lower in females. Both predict perceived strength and youth on opposite-sex ratings.
- Ideal
- biacromial/waist 0.55–0.65
- Acceptable
- circumference shoulder/waist 1.55–1.65 male (V-taper)
Live target from metrics config
shoulder_waist_ratio · ratio
- Ideal · Male
- 1.55 – 1.65
- Acceptable · Male
- 1.45 – 1.75
- Ideal · Female
- 1.35 – 1.5
- Acceptable · Female
- 1.25 – 1.6
How it's measured
Tape measure. Shoulder circumference around the widest point of the deltoids, arms relaxed. Waist at the narrowest point, usually just above the navel. Divide shoulder by waist.
Perceptual effect
The strongest body-silhouette predictor of male attractiveness in cross-cultural studies. Even small ratio improvements move ratings more than absolute size does.
Improvement paths
Compound lifts that load the upper back: overhead press, weighted pull-ups, rows. Lateral and rear delt isolation. Waist work: lose subcutaneous fat, train core for thickness not width, avoid heavy oblique loading that thickens the waist.
Interacts with