Leverages also have a lot to do with greater apparent strength in shorter athletes, though that varies by lift.<p>For bench press, short arms are an advantage, as well as where specifically the muscle anchors in the limb. Similarly for squats.<p>For deadlifts, the situation&#x27;s slightly different: long arms help in that the bar needs to be moved a shorter distance, though femur length still benefits by being short. There&#x27;s also femur-shin ratio, and how that plays with angles.<p>But yes, volume vs. cross section matters a lot.