Shoulder to Waist Ratio Calculator

Evaluates overall shape and level of muscularity, also known as Adonis Index.

You can read more about the shoulder-waist ratio, the Golden ratio and body shape ratios of attractiveness in the text below the tool.

The shoulder to waist ratio is determined by dividing the shoulder circumference to the waist circumference and the ideal number for men in 1.6, a derivative of the Golden Ratio. This is also known as Adonis Index and is the most important ratio for the overall look of the body.

Male & Female Ideal Body Shape Ratios

Body shape indicator	Men	Women
Shoulder to waist ratio	1.6	1.4
Waist to height ratio	0.447	0.4
Waist to hip ratio	< 0.9	< 0.8

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Steps on how to print your input & results:

1. Fill in the calculator/tool with your values and/or your answer choices and press Calculate.

2. Then you can click on the Print button to open a PDF in a separate window with the inputs and results. You can further save the PDF or print it.

Please note that once you have closed the PDF you need to click on the Calculate button before you try opening it again, otherwise the input and/or results may not appear in the pdf.

Shoulder to Waist Ratio Explained

The shoulder to waist ratio is determined by dividing the shoulder circumference to the waist circumference and the ideal number for men in 1.6, a derivative of the Golden Ratio, the key to human perception of beauty and attraction. This is also known as Adonis Index and is the most important ratio for the overall look of the body.

A shoulder to waist ratio of 1.6 means that the shoulder circumference is 1.6 bigger than the waist circumference. In women, the ideal ratio is considered to be 1.4.

The study by Horvath et al. found that the shoulder-to-waist ratio is the most powerful and immediate representation of one’s overall shape and women from all cultures repeatedly choose 1:1.6 as being the most attractive (where the man has a V taper and a slim waist).

Advice for taking the measurements:

Measure the circumference of the shoulders at their widest point, typically found halfway between collarbone and nipples.
Measure the circumference of the waist at navel level.

It is important to note however, that even if the proportion of 1.6 is respected, waist should ideally be no more than 45% of height.

Male vs Female Ideal Shapes

Ideal body shapes for both women and men are heavily reliant on genetical inheritance of their fat deposits and their skeletal proportions. Male somatotype is ectomorph, mesomorph and endomorph. Female bone structure and fat deposits lead to: pear shaped, apple shaped, rectangular and hourglass figures.

Body shape indicator	Men	Women
Shoulder to waist ratio	1.6	1.4
Waist to height ratio	0.447	0.4
Waist to hip ratio	< 0.9	< 0.8

Additionally, for men there are several other ratios:

Chest to waist ratio: 1.35;
Bicep to forearm: 1.2;
Chest to hip: 1.1;
Hips to thighs: 1.65.

References

Horvath T. Physical attractiveness: The influence of selected torso parameters. Archives of Sexual Behavior. 1981; volume 10, pages21–24.

Fan J, Dai W, Liu F, Wu J. Visual perception of male body attractiveness. Proc Biol Sci. 2005; 272(1560): 219–226.

Dixon BJ et al. Eye-Tracking of Men’s Preferences for Waist-to-Hip Ratio and Breast Size in Women. Arch Sex Behav. 2009.

Specialty: Fitness

Article By: Denise Nedea

Published On: June 8, 2020 · 12:00 AM

Last Checked: June 8, 2020