Standard Form vs. Tall Form

Lou Smith
Feb 24
3 min read

Why Your Height Changes Everything

It’s not a specific "magic" exercise. It’s not a secret high-volume program. It’s the deep understanding of your own body mechanics, and mastering it might save you from the injuries that changed everything for me.

The "Standard" Advice Trap

I started personal training in 2010. I spent years studying, learning from veterans, and grinding through trial and error. I was always tall and athletic, but I didn't break 200lbs until I turned 30.

Looking back, the plateau wasn't about effort; it was about physics. Nobody told me that "standard" form cues and "universal" exercises are designed for the average-sized body. When your limbs are longer, the torque on your joints and the range of motion of every lift shifts completely. I had to learn that the hard way.

Two Injuries, Six Weeks, and One Hard Lesson

In 2015, the "standard" approach finally caught up with me. While chasing a one-rep max on the bench press, I tore my right pec major. Less than 45 days later—before I could even get the repair—I ruptured my left patellar tendon.

Two major surgeries in six weeks.

I believe those injuries were connected. Years of hammering my quads without giving the same attention to my posterior chain (glutes and hamstrings) created massive imbalances. When the pec tear happened, the shift in my body's mechanics likely overloaded a knee that was already at its limit. Those injuries ended my "ego lifting" days for good. I realized that for a tall guy, a one-rep max isn't a badge of honor—it's an unnecessary risk.

The Shift: Levers Over Ego

The single most important adjustment you can make is this: Stop accepting standard exercise prescriptions as gospel. You have to learn what actually engages your muscles given your specific levers.

Here is how I’ve adapted my training to stay in the "Long Game":

Chest

I’ve almost entirely replaced the barbell with dumbbells and cables. For guys with long arms, the fixed bar path and the extreme stretch at the bottom of a barbell press put the shoulder joint and pec tendons in a high-risk position. Cables allow me to find the path that fits my wingspan.

Lower Body

I’ve moved to a wider stance on squats to account for my long femurs. I’ve also found that high foot placement on the leg press builds the "outer sweep" of my quads more effectively than leg extensions ever did—while taking the sheer tension off my knees.

Arms: A wider grip on curls eliminated the chronic elbow pain I used to get from the "standard" close-grip EZ bar. On preacher curls, I often find machines are too small for my arms, so I opt for incline dumbbell curls to ensure a full, safe range of motion.
Calves: I’ll be honest—I’m still trying to crack the code on 6'6" calves. If you've found the secret, hit reply and let me know.

Training for the Decades

Recovering from patellar surgery sparked an obsession in me to rebuild my legs stronger than they were before. Leg training became my "runner’s high"—a test of will that tells you a lot about a person’s character.

But that obsession is now tempered by wisdom. The goal isn't to max out for a single rep today; it’s to build a body that performs for decades. That means respecting your body’s signals, training in balance, and being willing to adapt the how so you can keep doing the what.

That’s the Long Game.

Want more deep dives into tall-guy training mechanics?

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