how can muscles be big but not strong, like body builders vs rock climbers?
In: Biology
Is it cause of that one video? Lol
Also. it is not just about muscle strength…in fact it could be argued that tendon strength is more important than muscle.
I have worked with guys that are big and been relatively weak for their size, and on the flip side. Worked with some guys who were 5’5 130 pounds who were absolute beasts, just manhandling anything they could get a grip off. For some big is just their body type.
Edit: You want to see strong, find that 60 y/o farmer who has been doing it their whole life. That is a different level of strength, right up there with Gorillas. And if you have limp weak hand shake, do not shake theirs for your own safety.
There is some ridiculous narrative going around at the moment about gym strength vs real strength. It’s just copioum from people who think they have ‘real strength’
This video on grip strength immediately popped into my mind:
A climber attends a strong man grip strength event.
He breaks a world record for his weight class along the way, wins the the pound-for-pound award, and there’s a ridiculous part near the end where he lifts 2x150kg for a ridiculous amount of time for his size.
Muscles move stuff. Bigger ones move more stuff. Big muscles are therefore desirable. But muscles are also difficult for humans to grow and require a lot of effort. So some humans have found it less effort to just say that bigger muscles do not move more stuff than small muscles and therefore big muscles are not desirable.
One aspect of strength is neurological. It’s like, how much voltage you can apply to the circuits that squeeze your muscles.
Even small people can have strong muscles if they train for it.
But strength generally also scales with muscle size.
Handwaving here a bit, but strongmen have both kinds of strength, bodybuilders primarily just the strength from muscle size, and climbers primarily just the neurological strength.
The muscles used for body building and rock climbing are **very** different.
Also, technique is also important for rock climbing. Take a look at Magnus Mitbo and Jujimufu’s collaboration (I am sorry if I butchered their names) when they tested grip strength. Juji is visibly miles bigger than Magnus, but finger/grip strength isn’t something that’s important to body builders.
Put them both in front of a bench press or a deadlift though? No competition.
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