[quote]Skinny Guy wrote:
my question is why if your fat and out of shape and treat your body like shit can you then put up 300lbs on a bench press. Just seems odd[/quote]
Like people said before, there are many factors involved. Different people have different ratios of fast and slow twitch muscle fibers as a result of their genetics. The more fast twitch you have, the heavier weight youll be able to lift naturally, though youll have less endurance. Could also be he carries most of his muscle mass in his upper body where you might have proportionally more in your legs. He could also have shorter arms than you/a bigger gut than you, both of which reduce range of motion. His form could be more powerlifting style (arched back, tucked elbows, lots of leg drive) where yours is more bodybuilding style with elbows flared. Even if he hasn’t been consisent, hes probably been benching since middle school.
Unless you’re powerlifting, how much you bench doesn’t really matter. Of course you aren’t going to get bigger without getting stronger, but instead of worrying about your max get big and let your chest speak for itself. [/quote]
OP That is just the way it is, some people are stronger, and BTW it probably doesnt have that much to do with fibre make up, the muscle attachment and other mechanicle/leverage differences are far more important.
But yeah, this guy is a fair bit heavier than you and obvioulsy its not all fat.
Maybe he only trains once a week for long periods of time but he benches everytime he goes. He might have been doing it longer or just have better form.
Just focus on you cause that is what you can control, increase the weight you use for all your exercises and you will bet bigger and look better than the guys who only have a strong bench.
[quote]BONEZ217 wrote:
This is an interesting bodybuilding subject. [/quote]
X2. I’d like to see an open discussion about this if only for the fact that it would minimize the amount of people raving about relative strength levels.
CC proposed talking about maximizing leverages for lifting in his latest thread. It’s certainly a topic that hasn’t been given the coverage it deserves. [/quote]
I was sort of joking, this has nothing to do with bodybuilding. [/quote]
I wasn’t. I was referring to the part about how higher bodyweight plays a part in being able to lift more weight. Certainly in a movement like bench press, extra bodyweight has a mechanical carry over to the pressing motion from the extra stability from a heavier torso and legs (stronger foundation).
You wouldn’t think so, because just looking at the pressing motion alone would lead you to believe that body mass wouldn’t affect it that much. I shouldn’t have to explain how “non-functional” (hate that word) weight like fat and water can allow a trainee to progress faster in their lifts (assuming diet and training is in order) and facilitate faster gains in muscle mass. Structural changes from extra mass also factor into being able to lifting more over time.
I brought that up primarily in anticipation of the next time somebody (troll or serious) turns up trumpeting about how they’ve stopped eating to preserve relative strength.
On the other hand i have a buddy who…partys and drinks all the time and he can bench 300 for a couple like its nothing…rarely goes to the gym and eats crap all the time.[/quote]
[quote]BONEZ217 wrote:
This is an interesting bodybuilding subject. [/quote]
X2. I’d like to see an open discussion about this if only for the fact that it would minimize the amount of people raving about relative strength levels.
CC proposed talking about maximizing leverages for lifting in his latest thread. It’s certainly a topic that hasn’t been given the coverage it deserves. [/quote]
I was sort of joking, this has nothing to do with bodybuilding. [/quote]
I wasn’t. I was referring to the part about how higher bodyweight plays a part in being able to lift more weight. Certainly in a movement like bench press, extra bodyweight has a mechanical carry over to the pressing motion from the extra stability from a heavier torso and legs (stronger foundation).
You wouldn’t think so, because just looking at the pressing motion alone would lead you to believe that body mass wouldn’t affect it that much. I shouldn’t have to explain how “non-functional” (hate that word) weight like fat and water can allow a trainee to progress faster in their lifts (assuming diet and training is in order) and facilitate faster gains in muscle mass. Structural changes from extra mass also factor into being able to lifting more over time.
I brought that up primarily in anticipation of the next time somebody (troll or serious) turns up trumpeting about how they’ve stopped eating to preserve relative strength.
[/quote]
powerlifting brah.
Knowing your target audience is just as important as the substance of your words. In all aspects of life.
[quote]BONEZ217 wrote:
Knowing your target audience is just as important as the substance of your words. In all aspects of life. [/quote]
As an afterthought, the likes of Matt Furey, Casey Butt, Alan Aragon (who has literally bitten the hand that once fed him, and continues to chew on it - possibly because of a falling-out; possibly because of a shift in loyalties) and Lyle MacDonald (who’s treatment of people who pirate his stuff is downright merciless), all know their target audience.
The substance of their words is responsible for the majority of trolls and /or internet martyrs coming here to cause a kerfuffle, so philosophical life-lessons here rank a distant second to plain old “knowing one pile of shit from another”.
1)good chance your buddy got chubby when he started drinking and partying all the time, in otherwords he wasn’t always like that. Getting strong at a younger age sticks with you alot longer then getting strong later.
You didn’t say who’s been lifting longer. Less days a week with more calories gives more time for recovery and strength. If all he cares about is how much he lifts, and you care about who looks better who do you th ink is going to be stronger?
In general size has always been the best predictor of overall strength. I’m not talking Max’s in one lift but just how strong and what a guy is going to be able to do. 30 more pounds = more muscle fat nutrients and everything else.
Get a better bench pressing program if it bothers you that much. Or get a partner that’s significantly stronger. People tend to lift alot more when the person they are with is lifting alot more.
[quote]Skinny Guy wrote:
kinda chubby is weighing 210-220 of mostly fat at 6ft 1. Why does weighing more help lift a weight if it is not muscle.[/quote]
Mostly fat? So he is 51% body fat. That’s pretty unhealthy.
CC proposed talking about maximizing leverages for lifting in his latest thread. It’s certainly a topic that hasn’t been given the coverage it deserves. [/quote]
Just post your thoughts/questions on that in the thread I made and we’ll discuss it.
CC proposed talking about maximizing leverages for lifting in his latest thread. It’s certainly a topic that hasn’t been given the coverage it deserves. [/quote]
Just post your thoughts/questions on that in the thread I made and we’ll discuss it.
[/quote]
Well, I already posted the gist of my POV earlier, but was told in no uncertain terms that it had nothing to do with bodybuilding. Still, the general topic is interesting to me, so I’d like to read more than one perspective on this.
[quote]Skinny Guy wrote:
thats the thing tho, he has never been consistent. He at most could string together a month at a time. I’m not worried about what he can bench. Just wondering why some people seem to be naturally way stronger.[/quote]
Life’s not fair, some people are just strong, some people can gain muscle without gaining fat, and some people have shit genetics. That’s just the way it is.
He trains for power, he doesn’t care about how he looks he just lifts and don’t care much that’s the key.
maybe you will not believe this but Oly lifters party a lot, doesn’t get enough sleep all the time, eate garbage, do stupid stunts every now and then and still can lift 220+ kg over their heads with an 85kg bodyweight.
the key for us is just hard work in the gym, perfect the technique don’t care too much and get new PRs almost every week.
In fact one of the athletes at my gym that is in the 77kg cat. (same as me) missed like 8 workouts in this 3 weeks and made a 115kg snatch and 135kg Clean and jerk yesterday.
[quote]RAHULKDEATHMETAL wrote:
He trains for power, he doesn’t care about how he looks he just lifts and don’t care much that’s the key.
maybe you will not believe this but Oly lifters party a lot, doesn’t get enough sleep all the time, eate garbage, do stupid stunts every now and then and still can lift 220+ kg over their heads with an 85kg bodyweight.
the key for us is just hard work in the gym, perfect the technique don’t care too much and get new PRs almost every week.
In fact one of the athletes at my gym that is in the 77kg cat. (same as me) missed like 8 workouts in this 3 weeks and made a 115kg snatch and 135kg Clean and jerk yesterday.[/quote]
[quote]Skinny Guy wrote:
What is the difference between benching 185 for a couple reps or 300 for a couple reps. I am 6ft 1 180 and i am at 10% body fat, i can bench 185 for a couple reps and it is pretty hard for me. I train 4-5 times a week and try to follow a consistent diet i have been 0n and off for 2 years.
On the other hand i have a buddy who is 6ft 1 210lbs(kinda chubby) and partys and drinks all the time and he can bench 300 for a couple like its nothing. He rarely goes to the gym and eats crap all the time. I just dont understand why he can bench so much more, do i have some underdeveloped muscle or stabilizers that are holding me back or are some people just naturally stronger.[/quote]
He eats more than you (calories, not volume). It really is that simple.
OP i think the title of your thread indicates that your entire thought process on the situation is wrong.
Your friend weighs at least 30 lbs more than you do, what makes you think you have more muscle than he does?.. Because you can see your abs and he can’t ?
Does a guy who weighs 170 lbs with 8% bf have more muscle mass than a guy of equal height who wieghs 220 lbs with 14% bf ?
It seems like you’re under the impression that his additional 30 lbs are completely fat.
And there’s always the “take a 2 lb. cut of beef and think about how you’d look with that much more meat on your arms/chest/shoulders”.
A 10 lb increase in bodyweight can easily come with, say, a 75 lb increase in a lift.
[quote]RAHULKDEATHMETAL wrote:
He trains for power, he doesn’t care about how he looks he just lifts and don’t care much that’s the key.
maybe you will not believe this but Oly lifters party a lot, doesn’t get enough sleep all the time, eate garbage, do stupid stunts every now and then and still can lift 220+ kg over their heads with an 85kg bodyweight.
the key for us is just hard work in the gym, perfect the technique don’t care too much and get new PRs almost every week.
In fact one of the athletes at my gym that is in the 77kg cat. (same as me) missed like 8 workouts in this 3 weeks and made a 115kg snatch and 135kg Clean and jerk yesterday.[/quote]
This post is a mess.
Sounds like you’re insinuating that consistency and work outside of the weightroom has little to do with progress.
Also I would love to see a list of Oly competitors who “doesn’t get enough sleep all the time, eate garbage, do stupid stunts every now and then and still can lift 220+ kg over their heads with an 85kg bodyweight,” since you believe this to be the way to greatness.
OP: Ignore your buddy’s numbers and train with consistent intensity while getting adequate sleep and eating like a man.
[quote]Skinny Guy wrote:
kinda chubby is weighing 210-220 of mostly fat at 6ft 1. Why does weighing more help lift a weight if it is not muscle.[/quote]
Mostly fat? So he is 51% body fat. That’s pretty unhealthy.
[/quote]
Kinda chubby and mostly fat doesnt make sense to me…