Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below I dont know the exact reason for this so bare with me. I am trying to figure out why your average big guy is stronger than your average small guy. Lets say they both DONT go to the gym and dont do anything that would get them stronger besides your every day tasks. When I FIRST went under the bench EVER in 9th grade I was benching 75lbs 5-10x. I remember my friend doing 90 and gaining a lot faster. He was a lil chubby but that was his first time ever at the gym. Why? Why are bigger guys naturally stronger and progress faster?
Bigger=stronger?
- Thread starter Eric1987
- Start date
That doesn't mean his relative strength is greater than yours, if you being smaller were able to lift the same weight or a little less the weight he can handle it would mean that in relation to size you are stronger than him, so bigger doesn't mean stronger. Now usually this big guys you mention, mesomorphs and endomorphs are people with genetic predisposition, bone structure stuff like that to lift heavy and the extra fat they carry actually helps to handle more weight (inercia), that's why some super heavy weight powerlifters just don't give a bloody fuck about their diets, now I ask you what do you find more impressive as a feat of strength? A olympic lifter weighting 180lbs squatting 700lbs with just a belt and knee bands going ass to the floor, or a +300plus powerlifter with a squat suit, knee wraps, belt and etc doing 800-900 even 1000lbs SUMO style squats?
So you're saying bigger guys have more naturals in their body to help them lift more? Or their bone structure is designed for it better?
Naturals? What do you mean by that?
It's not like a single factor thing, for example their leverage is greater when doing most barbell and dumbell exercises, but then when it's time to do bodyweight exercises like dips and chin-ups their leverage becomes meaningless and the extra "flab" it's counterproductive.
If you can't I'm so sorry, you should take biomechanics lessons.
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How are you even USING leverage while weight lifting? I thought you use muscle and you DONT want to use leverage because it takes away from strain on muscles.
redsamurai
Banned
maybe "biomechanics" would have been a better suggestion, cause I don't remember anything about fat adding pounds to your bench and squat during physics 1 or 2. Is this some differential equation theory? Fat being able to bear more load or something?
But how do they get more muscle mass? Just because they are bigger or what? So a bigger body=more muscle=stronger?
Genetics
People are born with more muscle fibers, allowing them to lift heavier. Everyone is different.
But those people usually have a hard time losing fat. I have never not had a 6 pack and my diet has been all over the place/
bigger guys usually have more muscle fibers, more mass,
But those people usually have a hard time losing fat. I have never not had a 6 pack and my diet has been all over the place/
bigger guys usually have more muscle fibers, more mass,
Yes biomechanics it's correct, there you go I changed my post. A fat guy is used to carry around more extra weight during is everyday tasks which is his own bodyweight, that by itself builds more muscle, unless he spends all day long seated on his ass, he will have bigger calves, stronger core muscle, thicker back etc though it's not aesthetically pleasing but it really is like that! So it's pretty obvious that when going to the gym he will be able to do well according to "normal" trainees.
At Eric depending on the weightlifting discipline, you would want to make use or not of leverage, acceleration etc For bodybuilding purposes the bench press it's just an exercise for building pecs mass, for powerlifters it's a fullbody exercise, because they use lowerbody and core strength too to be able to lift more.
Im not an expert but I would expect a naturally skinny guy like 120lbs who the only exercise he does is team sports like soccer would have less muscle than a 175lb guy who is fatter and does the same sports just because of the fact that carrying a 175lb frame everywere you go and trying to walk, run, jump with that much extra weight would just result in being stronger.
Before I started lifting I was 145lbs, at school there is a 8 storey building and walking up it to the top most days at school I didnt struggle with, but put that 145lb frame on some skinny dude thr same age as me who is normally 110lbs and he will struggle to walk up all of those stairs even though neither of us did strength specific sports. Get what I mean?
Edit: Ah Korin posted kinda the same point as me while I was writing that out...
Before I started lifting I was 145lbs, at school there is a 8 storey building and walking up it to the top most days at school I didnt struggle with, but put that 145lb frame on some skinny dude thr same age as me who is normally 110lbs and he will struggle to walk up all of those stairs even though neither of us did strength specific sports. Get what I mean?
Edit: Ah Korin posted kinda the same point as me while I was writing that out...
I think powerlifting is so stupid because you lift JUST to lift, thats your only goal. You dont care that you look like shit?
I like bodybuilding in the fact that you lift to get strong, but also to look good, which is really the only reason i care about. But with this beautiful face you cant have a fat body haha jk
But really i respect powerlifters since their determination is probably a lot greater than mine and they have different goals. Sorry for the rant
I like bodybuilding in the fact that you lift to get strong, but also to look good, which is really the only reason i care about. But with this beautiful face you cant have a fat body haha jk
But really i respect powerlifters since their determination is probably a lot greater than mine and they have different goals. Sorry for the rant
LOL, the same vice-versa thing could be said for BB'ers bro.
"Oh, you body builders are so prissy always so concerned about how you look. You're more concerned about how you look than girls are."
And, many powerlifters look good. The top guys are almost all heavy, but some of your average local competitors are ripped to shreds and strong as crap.
LOL good point dabuff.
LOL thats true too
LOL thats true too
There are exceptions to the bigger = stronger thing though... check this he's probably around the same age as me, 68lbs lighter and deadlifts 60lbs more 
YouTube - High School Nationals - Michael Hess Deadlift
YouTube - High School Nationals - Michael Hess Deadlift
But my dad was big time into weight training. Not like some records but he was able to bench 350 a few times and he was ripped to shreds. Does that mean I have good genetics? I seem to be able to lift more than my friend who we started at the same time.
My dads naturally skinny but the first time I tryed deads I pulled 132lbs at a bodyweight of 145lbs, I pulled that for 10 reps, not very good form but still. so what does that mean?
There are exceptions to the bigger = stronger thing though... check this he's probably around the same age as me, 68lbs lighter and deadlifts 60lbs more
YouTube - High School Nationals - Michael Hess Deadlift
WTF kind of deadlift is that? He looks like he was trying to be spiderman or something.
lol. Its called a sumo deadlift.
bblazer
Banned
It is actually my preferred way to DL. But I am a competing PLer, not a BBer.
In short, sumo style incorporates more of the quads, inner hams and traps. It also allows for more erect back posture during the lift.
Here is a short explanation between the two versions.
B-
Wow I might try those thanks man. Can anyone explain to me why my friend who has only been going to the gym for 5 months has nearly caught me in weight we lift? He IS a bigger guy he weighs like 210 and hes 5'11" versus me 170 and 5'9". I used to be 140 before the gym though. Why is he gaining so fast? We both are taking creatine we both dont eat healthy.
Jocques Straap
New member
Neurological gains happen quickly, especially in beginners.
Since he is much bigger than you, he most likely has more muscle mass than you. Mass gives you the potential to be strong. But your muscles aren't going to contract without, energy, and a electrical signal. Since we are discussing max strength, I'm not going to mention energy systems. What's happening is, his nervous system is probably responding to the workout, and adapting. His nerves, are activating more motor units, and his body is now recruiting all his fibers for activation.
He has a much greater potential for rapid strength gains, due to his greater muscle mass, and untrained nervous system.
Since he is much bigger than you, he most likely has more muscle mass than you. Mass gives you the potential to be strong. But your muscles aren't going to contract without, energy, and a electrical signal. Since we are discussing max strength, I'm not going to mention energy systems. What's happening is, his nervous system is probably responding to the workout, and adapting. His nerves, are activating more motor units, and his body is now recruiting all his fibers for activation.
He has a much greater potential for rapid strength gains, due to his greater muscle mass, and untrained nervous system.
Oh I get it now. I see how it works now. He doesnt have the STRENGTH of me yet but he has more muscle mass so it allows him to gain strength quicker than me. And since my body is adapted to working out I wont gain as fast as I did when I first started...I see now. Thank you.
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