Because they’re tall…
Could a 5’10" guy put on anything close to Hafthor’s mass? The taller you are, the heavier/stronger you can get, no?
It’s also a big coincidence that everyone keeps referencing the most elite people in a strength field. By that logic I could take anyone in this forum and tell them that the best basketball, football, baseball, rugby, soccer player is their exact size and there’s no reason they aren’t awesome other than the fact that they’ve failed to put in the work.
I stand by my opinion that if you looked at proportions of recreational lifters that reach what’s considered “good numbers” in the gym then you’d see that most of them are in the average height or short category.
Just like Jim Wendler says in his books; you aren’t strong until you can deadlift/squat/(enter favorite lift here) ______. There’s a stigma around lifting whether it’s hitting a certain weight or a ratio of your weight (double body weight pull, for example). And those generic numbers never consider height (or body fat).
The thing about those world record holders and current champions is that they were probably tall and thick as 16 year olds…which makes them the exception instead of the rule. If it was as simple as height allowing more weight which leads to incredible strength then we could turn out dozens of strongman competitors every few years by simply training the awkward teens at any high school.
EDIT Steroids also help add mass and weight to the bar. I’m sure I’d have no problem reaching my goals with some help. And if you think the best of the best aren’t or haven’t used then you’re in denial.
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Confession: Sometimes I sit back and wish that people smarter than I would give a tongue lashing to people that deserve it, as I always fear I’ll never be able to do it the justice that it rightly deserves.
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LOL! That’s why yelling at strangers on the internet is the perfect environment. You get to type it and read it a couple times and make changes before hitting the REPLY or SEND button. Although in these environments it doesn’t really matter what you say regardless of how awesome it is.
I think tongue lashings really only work in the setting of parenting, coaching or mentoring. Outside of that people are generally just being an ass to make themselves feel better. Think about it in the office setting… do you think the person on the receiving end actually corrects their behavior after receiving a good lashing? Doubtful.
In fairness, Jim also was not able to hit many of the numbers he listed there. It included something like a 500lb squat and 315 bench for 20 reps.
We could…if strongman had ANY amount of pull to it. It’s a freakshow sport; not anythign anyone really aspires to compete in, especially when those tall awkward kids could get a full ride scholarship or professional career investing their time and height into basketball.
One of the primary reasons we rarely see the best genetics go into strength sports in the states is that there is no reason to do so. Strength sports are where you end up AFTER you’re done playing real sports. But, consequently, it’s also why Thor and Shaw were basketball players before getting into strongman. Jesse Marunde was a track and field star as well.
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You have to be tall AND have a big bone structure. I’m almost 6’2" but I have 6"1/2 wrist circumference.
So it’s hard for me for being big and strong but it is really easy to run.
But running is so boring lol!
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You’re dead right there… even with track and field. Imagine Lebron James doing the long jump! Why would anyone want to pursue track or weight lifting when you get a whopping $25K for getting a gold medal at the Olympics? Lebron signed a $90+ million contract with Nike right out of high school and before ever playing an NBA game.
My wife did the heptathlon for five years in college and it opened my eyes to the missed opportunities for me and a lot of others. I could’ve done a variety of things in track and received more scholarship money than I got with baseball. But I was chasing the illusions of the big leagues… because I was special. 6’5" and throwing in the low 90’s. I realized when I got to college that I was not unique. Every freshman pitcher on the team was nearly identical on paper (height and velocity). One was drafted in the 1st round and he was left handed. The rest of us either quit early or managed to graduate and join the work force.
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Dense bone/joint structure is a huge positive for sure. But it’s one of those, if you have a short person with dense bone structure and a tall person with dense bone structure, the advantage typically goes to the taller one.
EDIT: Really hate to be that guy, but here’s a great case in point.
World Record squat at 52kg of 300.5kg by someone “gifted” in being short
6’9 lifter squating that weight for reps
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If you look at proportions of any group of people that does practically anything you’d see that most of them are in the average height category. That’s how averages work.
I’m not professing to be any sort of expert but my understanding was that taller people have more potential to build muscle, gain weight and increase strength than their shorter counterparts. You seem to be under the impression that I’m saying “all tall people should be strong” which I’m not intending.
Given that I’m 6’3" and very weak I’d actually be pretty happy to be proven wrong and have an excuse!
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As the old saying goes.
“A good biggun’ will always beat a good littlun’”
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I think this is huge. It’s easy to comment on the height of these strongmen, and fail to discuss their other skeletal dimensions. Weightlifting leverages aren’t a factor of height, they are a factor of proportion. The build of these guys really isn’t comparable to most people of the same height. The latest pictures of Terry Hollands lean are a prime example of this.
If a man who is 5’8" and a man who is 6’8" have the same proportions, it is clear that the taller man will have the potential to lift far more weight. If the shorter man has a stockier build and the taller man has relatively narrow hips and shoulders for his height, the taller man will no longer have this advantage. I reckon the second scenario is far more common.
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So, if you endeavor to be strong, striving to be slender is WRONG.
If you want to be tall, and you are Strong, you must be Thick.
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Jim also has the worst taste in music ever. Who cares?
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Paul Anderson, notable strong human and one of the Earth’s moons once wrote “The man with the biggest butt is the strongest”
It’s cool now to see all these super strong dudes with single digit bodyfat, but historically it’s never been that way.
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I think you hit the nail on the head. I’m 6’5". That makes me 10% taller than a guy who’s 5’10". Unfortunately that doesn’t mean I’m 10% wider, thicker, etc. I’m pretty much just a stretched out version of a shorter guy.
I try to compare myself to other tall guys but I think I picked my role model incorrectly. The Rock is my height but I saw a photo of him in high school and he was bigger than I am now. We didn’t start out on the same playing field.
I must confess I’m slightly affected by the arbitrary standards set forth by random people in the industry. Dan John had an article on here a coupe days ago outlining 10 things you should be able to do if you have a penis. I often find that I usually don’t live up to those standards. I shouldn’t care but it gets me a little bit.
It’s frustrating seeing a misguided high school kid on a bad program moving my goal PRs like it’s nothing. I know it’s genetics, levers, tendon insertions and all that but it still sucks.
I’ll have to settle for being the awesome 60 year old who still benches 225 for reps.
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Can you link said article? The last thing I see he posted on here was in May of last year.
If a 5’10" guy gains 10% body weight, LOOK OUT!
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This is where I would disagree unless you are talking about that gifted kid who’s probably part of the 1% in terms of genetics.
If not, I would question what I’m doing instead.
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This mostly applies to squats. I’m terrible.
I’m built very poorly for squats. Long limbs and short torso. Only real way I can move big weight is with a very low bar position, and then the internet explodes because “OMG UR POOR BACK”
I’ll never have a pretty looking squat.
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