Push-up Challenge

i disagree with this when we are talking just about push ups. If we are talking over all, like over 10 meter sprint, punching combinations, agility. These are more full body movements, then i would agree.
A push up is very isolated, you arnt using much of your body, just triceps and shoulders mainly, so strength is more a factor then anythihng else..
The video i posted isnt push ups, its bench press but same movement, look how big and explosive that guy is, he is benching his own weight. There is no way i could that that with my body weight. I weigh 72kg, that guy weighs easily 100kg. I guarantee i would be quicker then him at everything else that didnt require strength, like running, agilty, punching combinations. But isolated movements like push ups he would smash me every day. I guarantee a guy that weighed 55kg couldnt bench his own body weight like this guy just did.


[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sN6mryoMCdY[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2QxcmFssuU[/ame]

 

I must say that's a mighty impressive vid. I guess we will continue to disagree though. I still believe that a smaller man, with exactly the same body build up (huge triceps, pecs etc; basically a clone on a smaller scale) would press his body weight easier due to that progression of power and weight with size.

I have of course no proof of this, it's just that the weight lifting records per weight classes seem to indicate it's at least very plausible. I'll see if i can find some more data sometime.

 

Repsaccer is correct. The smaller you are the more likely you are to have a better strength to weight ratio, that's a proven fact. A 55kg guy would be able to bench his own body weight more easily than a 100kg guy all things being equal.

 

Of course size has diminishing returns. I weighed 128 pounds last year, (133 now but out of shape), my warm up bench is always 135 and depending how I feel I either stop at 185 or 225 on the last set, but could sometimes hit the one rep max at 255 without too much strain.

Body weight exercises are fairly easy for me, as this video should show with the one handed pushups, etc. I never see big guys doing this stuff in the gym, and I am not a world class athlete or anything.

http://www.youtube.com/v/BNVQ0yFnE9o

 

Just investigated a bit more and my first post about this was correct. if X is size then weight is proportional to X^3 obviously (height times width times depth), however muscle strength is a quadratic function of size (c)X^2 since strength is proportional to muscle area of a the crosssection, not volume or weight.

See wiki : [ame]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle[/ame]

 

However, everyone has different neuromuscular efficiency so a small man and a large one can be of equal strength depending upon the efficiency of their muscles completely irregardless of the relative size of each man's muscular development (ie - a larger muscle does not necessitate a stronger one across disparate individuals due to individual neuromuscular attributes)

 

True but i stipulated the "all else being equal" in my posts didn't I?

Just to illustrate:

Find the big guy

Of course i am jealous of your one arm pushup prowess aramini. I am one of those big guys. 6"3 and around 215 lbs atm. I've been doing pushups daily for the last 2 yrs alongside my swimming routine but i can never do one arm pushups easilly.

 

Well, at that height its not the weight that is causing you the problem its the length of your arms. At over 6'3'' you are simply at a biomechanical advantage from the leverage point with much more distance to cover for every repetition, you have to do much more work for the motion to be considered a "complete" repetition. It just isn't a fair measure or standard when there are so many variables.

This is why bench press competitions favor extremely stocky and barrel chested guys with very short arms. There is just no distance for the weight to travel. (shorter than me, I am 5'8'', for the most part). If Thomas Hearns could bench press 300 lbs I would be much more impressed than say Mosley doing it. Everyone's build lends them a natural set of abilities, for example, the very little amount of weight I carry in my waist and thighs makes the pullup motion seem for the most part rather effortless, and even though I seem tall for the weight, there is a huge difference from my range of motion on a pull up and yours. however I guarantee you every swimming stroke you make is going to be much more efficient and effortless than mine, probably displacing more water and having a more propulsive effect.

 

or another way of looking at it is the heavier class in only 49kg heavier but can lift an extra 167kg. Thats pretty impressive when you think about it that way.

 

I appreciate your awareness of physics. And yeah I am aware of the mechanics. I do enjoy out-swimming everyone at my pool here even if I'm just an amateur. The average height of the male population here is about 6-9 inches shorter than i am, haha.

 

Yes it is, however their strength to weight ratio is less. The first 56 kg gives you a lot more bang for your buck than the next 49 ++. I'm not saying bigger guys are weaker. They obviously are stronger. Just not compared to their own bodyweight.

 

I'm pretty sure its in Practical Programming that Rippetoe stated its common for lighter guys to be able to knock out 10 pushups/chins etc but common for heavier guys to struggle with 3.

Of course the lighter guys have a higher strength to weight ratio. Look at Olympic lifters.
This however, has no bearing on absolute strength, which is obviously higher in the heavier men.

 

You guys are so smart :nut
Will try the challenge tomorrow, after my soreness will go away.