Relative strength rant

Enrique Billington · 03-03-2009, 01:13 PM

What's sad is that most people only regard one aspect of relative strength, bodyweight-to-weight lifted ratio. People at a lighter bodyweight are often at an advantage has they have less bodymass to move with and typically a shorter height necessary to lift the barbell. Hossein Rezazadeh could never CJ triple bodyweight however when you factor in his bodymass of over 135kg, a lot of which is bodyfat, his achievements are just as impressive. Another form of relative strength is weight lifted-to-height. Suleymanoglu only has to pull the bar to Hossein's lower thigh to clean it. The Bulgarian SHW snatching +200kg at Athens, at a height of 6'9" is more impressive than a triple bodyweight CJ. Think about it, he has to take that barbell from the floor to more than eight feet in the air in less than one second, and at such a massive bodyweight. Yet no one takes in to account this relative strength.

So that's my rant.

Patrick Yeung · 03-03-2009, 04:08 PM

Are you tall?

glennpendlay · 03-03-2009, 04:30 PM

Not sure if hes tall, but im fat, and think that the whole concept of "relative strength" is an evil conspiracy.

Brian DeGennaro · 03-03-2009, 04:58 PM

Just some plot to make sure people appreciate the smaller/"weaker" guys, Glenn? Lol.

Arien Malec · 03-03-2009, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glennpendlay

Not sure if hes tall, but im fat, and think that the whole concept of "relative strength" is an evil conspiracy.

I think I'd take you, rather than Suleymanoglu, to a fight.

Enrique Billington · 03-03-2009, 05:21 PM

I'm short and skinny, 5'7" 140ibs.

Enrique Billington · 03-03-2009, 05:27 PM

I'd like to add, when they get around to fixing the sad sport of weightlifting, such as decriminalizing oscilation of the bar in the jerk, the press-out rule and the elbow touch, I hope they will also reform the sinclair system, tie on bodyweight, as well as the weighing system, so that they all take in to account not just weight but height, limb length and cross-sectional area of the muscle. Then people could talk about relative strength, rather than this affirmative action.

Kevin Perry · 03-03-2009, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Enrique Billington

I'm short and skinny, 5'7" 140ibs.

If you're short than Brian and I are midgets. Although Brian is a rather strong Midget at that.

Enrique Billington · 03-03-2009, 06:21 PM

A ha ha, I'm being somewhat sarcastic, we're all tall by Olympic lifting standards. :P

Steven Low · 03-03-2009, 06:22 PM

Who cares?

Both are impressive.

You won't really find any biases against one or the other here.... although most people have their preferences on which one they like better.