Super strength vs. strength

[broberfett]

We all watch these shows where some guy is tossing around a car or ripping doors off the hinges or throwing people around like they are nothing. Clearly those scifi guys have super strength, but what is the peak of normal human strength? How strong can a guy really get? Is it based on non-fat body weight? Did Andre' the giant ever get tested for a maximum?

 

[Infern0]

I'm not sure but here is the worlds strongest man.

http://www.criticalbench.com/images/strongman/pudzianowski.jpg

Own records:
- Bench Press 605 lbs
- Squat 792 lbs
- Deadlift 896 lbs


NO JOKE

 

[Trekker4747]

I'm not sure but here is the worlds strongest man.

Own records:
- Bench Press 605 lbs
- Squat 792 lbs
- Deadlift 896 lbs


NO JOKE

He looks like a (heavily) shaved, bulked up and younger Robin Williams.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Infern0, please don't post inline images from webspace that isn't yours.

 

[matthunter]

I'm not sure but here is the worlds strongest man.



Own records:
- Bench Press 605 lbs
- Squat 792 lbs
- Deadlift 896 lbs


NO JOKE

Captain America and others listed as "Peak Human Strength" have lifts of ~800-1000lbs, so this would seem to fit.

 

[FordSVT]

I'm not sure but here is the worlds strongest man.

http://www.criticalbench.com/images/strongman/pudzianowski.jpg

Own records:
- Bench Press 605 lbs
- Squat 792 lbs
- Deadlift 896 lbs


NO JOKE

That's the difference between strength straining and body building. Most body builders that appear larger than him couldn't lift half as much. Not that he isn't a big lad.

 

[RoJoHen]

I'm not sure but here is the worlds strongest man.

http://www.criticalbench.com/images/strongman/pudzianowski.jpg

Own records:
- Bench Press 605 lbs
- Squat 792 lbs
- Deadlift 896 lbs


NO JOKE

That's the difference between strength straining and body building. Most body builders that appear larger than him couldn't lift half as much. Not that he isn't a big lad.

Indeed. Powerlifters have completely different training strategies than bodybuilders. A lot of powerlifters are fat asses.

 

[Hermiod]

A lot of powerlifters are fat asses.

He ain't lyin'.

 

[Christopher]

Hm. Makes the Kingpin more credible.

 

[Hermiod]

Hm. Makes the Kingpin more credible.

Henry is billed as the "world's strongest man", which may or not be true. He is legitimately extremely strong. He does, however, have an eating problem. The solution to this was to have him travel with Tony Atlas who at the age of 55 looks after himself better than a lot of others in the industry. Having a good influence around him has worked wonders for Henry.

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

I can't even bench as much as my neighbor's daughtr

 

[The Boy Who Cried Worf]

I'm not sure but here is the worlds strongest man.

http://www.criticalbench.com/images/strongman/pudzianowski.jpg

Own records:
- Bench Press 605 lbs
- Squat 792 lbs
- Deadlift 896 lbs


NO JOKE

The world records for different lifts are

Bench Press 715 lbs
Squat 939 lbs
Deadlift 948 lbs
Press 564 lbs

You might see higher numbers than these, but those are with the help of special equipment. Most powerlifters train heavily in one lift so these numbers are the peak that any man can do, not that one man could do all of these numbers.

 

[T'Girl]

In martial arts there is something sometimes called hysterical strength, people have pulled muscle away from tendons. Women lifting cars off babies. soldiers in combat moving over a thousand pounds, jumping or dropping large distances.

 

[Christopher]

^But not without causing oneself injury. That's the thing that tends to get overlooked when hysterical strength is mentioned in fiction. You can push yourself past your tolerances if you're able to ignore the pain, whether due to an adrenaline rush or a meditative state or the influence of drugs like PCP, but you damage yourself in the process.

 

[T'Girl]

^ That would be the pulling muscle away from tendon part.