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> > They're not even big. Very few of them are over 200lbs. So the vast majority aren't even carrying around more muscle mass. Sure, they're more shredded and ripped than the average guy, but that doesn't equate to strength, especially if they're in-season. > > Let's look at some actual numbers instead of this hearsay you keep pushing. Grabbing profiles at random from amg-lite. > > Amanda Swallow, max bench is 155. > Brandi Mae curl 45lbs, leg press 500lbs. > Christy Resendes benches 205. > Nadia Nardi max bench 200lbs. > Nicole Ball max bench 180lbs. > Steph Park max bench 170lbs. > > That's your average FBB. This isn't to knock what they've accomplished, first off they're not powerlifters anyway. Most of them will tell you they don't care about their max lifts, it's not what they train for. Still, their numbers for a woman are more than impressive, but the fact is they're simply not moving more weight than the average guy. Yeah you can come back and tell me how much Natalia Trukhina benches, or Collete Guimond, etc. But, again the average FBB does not look like them and does not have their strength. You can't say that FBBs are stronger than men based on the small percentage of high level FBBs who are, you have to look at the average.
well have you worked out with an average FBB? I think if you ever do you will have a different opinion ... of course its hard to compare a 145 lbs FBB again a 220 lbs guy but you need to look at it pound by pound ... how many average guys can benchpress their own bodyweight or more? I go to the gym every day and I see a lot of average 200lbs guys breaking a sweat with not even one 45lbs plate each side. FBBs are obviously not working out for pure strength but it's still a product of the regime. at my gym there is a couple, he average joe 5'10" 185lbs and she is a physique-type BB 5'1" maybe 135lbs. The workout together on weekends and while she curls 30lbs he is doing max. 25lbs and less reps and so on ... that's pretty much on every exercise. She outlifts him on everything, they both worked in with me on lat pulldown, he was at 100lbs and she on 140lbs ...
I have a hard time believing that a 185lb guy can only curl 25lbs, are you sure that's his max? Or am I misreading that? There's no way he can't rep 30 as well.
Whether or not we should judge their strength based on their bodyweight depends on the question we're trying to answer. If the question is whether or not FBBs are stronger than men, then we have to compare them straight up. If the question is if they're strong for their size, then yes, we should do lb for lb strength. So maybe we can both agree that FBBs are incredibly strong for their size, but they lack the mass to be stronger than your average 190lb+ male.
She's strong. Now show me 100 more FBBs who can do this and I'll concede.
well, here is another one ... I wanna see an average guy doing this 190lbs or heavier, that a lot of weight ... she is similar body and strength like my gf and I can tell you she beats 90% of the guys at the gym on each exercise ... and the average guy who works out at the gym is usually stronger then the average dadbod out there you should visit a gym and see hot strong many of these ladies are and admire them for their drive and energy as it took them a long time to build their muscular physique and the strength
i'd be a little more impressed if the reps weren't rubber banding back and forth. doesn't mean she isn't strong but how different is this from using your body to help you curl a db instead of letting the bicep do the work.
the ones i consider strongest in the straight line strength group are TOT trainers like Michaela Aycock or whoever. The woman is tiny (but jacked) but puts up big weight. I think many of us have seen her 100+ squat reps at 135 video and I don't think many bb can pull that off, and are also able to press 90s+ with incredible control.
well, here is another one ... I wanna see an average guy doing this 190lbs or heavier, that a lot of weight ... she is similar body and strength like my gf and I can tell you she beats 90% of the guys at the gym on each exercise ... and the average guy who works out at the gym is usually stronger then the average dadbod out there you should visit a gym and see hot strong many of these ladies are and admire them for their drive and energy as it took them a long time to build their muscular physique and the strength
I get it. There are FBBs who could embarrass me, and most other guys, in the gym. There are FBBs who could overpower me with one arm tied behind their back. Whatever strength metric you want to go by, I get it. I'm aware and fully acknowledging the fact that there are some ridiculously strong FBBs out there. Far stronger than the average guy. Again though, those type of women don't represent the majority of FBBs. The videos you're posting don't represent the majority. To prove me wrong you would need to present some sort of proof that at least 50% of female bodybuilders are capable of moving that type of weight. But, we both know that's just not the case.
The best sample size we have is amg-lite. Just scroll through the profiles there and note their lifts. You'll find a few women who are moving weight that most guys could only dream of. But, for the most part, you're going to see numbers that any active male could match. Thus, some FBBs are certainly much stronger than men, but most are not.
And I do admire what they do! Their strength doesn't take anything away from what they've accomplished. You're starting to make assumptions.
I get it. There are FBBs who could embarrass me, and most other guys, in the gym. There are FBBs who could overpower me with one arm tied behind their back. Whatever strength metric you want to go by, I get it. I'm aware and fully acknowledging the fact that there are some ridiculously strong FBBs out there. Far stronger than the average guy. Again though, those type of women don't represent the majority of FBBs. The videos you're posting don't represent the majority. To prove me wrong you would need to present some sort of proof that at least 50% of female bodybuilders are capable of moving that type of weight. But, we both know that's just not the case.
The best sample size we have is amg-lite. Just scroll through the profiles there and note their lifts. You'll find a few women who are moving weight that most guys could only dream of. But, for the most part, you're going to see numbers that any active male could match. Thus, some FBBs are certainly much stronger than men, but most are not.
And I do admire what they do! Their strength doesn't take anything away from what they've accomplished. You're starting to make assumptions.
I have dates several female bodybuilders from figure class over physique to bodybuilding girls that were around 200lbs in off-season. I agree their goal is not strength but I can tell you they are pound by pound strong that most average guys. it's clear that a 125lbs fbb does not have the same strength at a 240lbs guy but if you compare power by weight you will see the are extremely strong. anyways, go workout with an average FBB and then let us know how it was ...
Stefanie Cohen, Silvia Henry, Lauren Rutan, Suzan Salazar, Stephanie Marie and Camala Rodriguez are a handful of women that not only are pretty muscular but strong as hell. In fact, Lauren might be the best pure physique athlete the world dominant in powerlifting, weightlifting, Crossfit, and in physique competitons). And everyone else (minus Camala) all hold strength records in their home states.
@Tall1 The problem with what you are saying is not that your statements about aleesh young not being an average fbb are incorrect but the assumptions about what an average guy can lift. Most people don't go to the gym and don't lift at all. Their performance in most articles about strength is very unimpressive: https://www.livestrong.com/article/380767-how... What is more, men and women perform differently on lower and upper body exercises. While men perform better on both, women perform better on lower body relative to their upper body strength. Therefore, if you can bench what Amanda Swallow can according to the data you provided, that is 155, which seems to be slightly more than average for an American man, chances are she would blow you out of the water on deadlifts or leg press.
Also I believe it's been proven that women can operate at a higher percentage for longer. For example, If my max is 405 pounds, I may be able to squat 90% of that weight for 3-5 reps, maybe. This is for pretty average lifters. A woman, who may have a max at 250 pounds may be able to squat 90% of that for double the reps or more. Anecdotally I used to train with a woman who would regularly do this. She did not have a big squat--never hit 250. But I've seen her squat 190 15-20 times no problem. At a similar percentage I was only squatting 5-7 reps and regretting it afterward lol. Women have some kind of different muscle endurance than men.
@Tall1 The problem with what you are saying is not that your statements about aleesh young not being an average fbb are incorrect but the assumptions about what an average guy can lift. Most people don't go to the gym and don't lift at all. Their performance in most articles about strength is very unimpressive: https://www.livestrong.com/article/380767-how... What is more, men and women perform differently on lower and upper body exercises. While men perform better on both, women perform better on lower body relative to their upper body strength. Therefore, if you can bench what Amanda Swallow can according to the data you provided, that is 155, which seems to be slightly more than average for an American man, chances are she would blow you out of the water on deadlifts or leg press.
At least we can agree that the average strength of an FBB shouldn't be based on the strongest women in the sport. That type of generalization just wouldn't make any sense and isn't how averages work.
As far as my assumptions about the average guy, here's what I know and how I'm basing things. I know I'm below average in size and strength for a male. I'm 6'2 and probably around 182lbs at the moment. Heaviest I've been is 190lbs. My biceps are 14". Aside from my height, those are small stats for a guy. So in terms of muscle mass it's fair to say I'm below average.
I workout occasionally at best, and often go several months without touching a weight.
Despite being skinny, and not working out as often as I should, it doesn't seem like my lifts are far off from the average FBB.
For example, I can db curl 30lbs for 15 reps and 1 rep max 40lbs. Is the average FBB blowing that out of the water?
I do agree with your other point about their lower body strength though. Basic anatomy dictates that their lower body strength will be far stronger, but upper weaker or the same, on average.
One thing to consider in body weight to strength comparisons is the "cube-square law." Bodyweight is a cubic function, so with equal proportions, if A is 10% taller than B (say, A is 5-foot or 60 inches tall [152.4 cm] and B is 66 inches [167.6 cm] tall. Then B will weigh 1.10³ = 1.331 times or 33% more than A. But strength is a function of the cross-section of a muscle, a square function. B's biceps will only be 1.1² = 1.21 times or 21% stronger than A's. It's a losing proposition. A number of years ago, the University of Georgia women's gymnastics and football teams had a competition. I've found that the average U.S. college gymnast is about 5'2" (157.5 cm). The gymnasts beat the football players on any bodyweight-related exercises, like pull-ups. The football players, being taller, were faster on the track. And of course no 5'2", 120-pound (54.4 kg) gymnast is going to beat a 240-pound (90.7 kg) football player at any kind of weightlifting, like a bench press or barbell curl. The cube-square law applies in comparisons of women to women and also in comparisons of women to men. The "American Ninja Warrior" competition includes a lot of climbing obstacles that require pull-up strength. There's a size limit on the men--a really big guy just can't pull himself up and traverse hand-over-hand as well as smaller competitor. (Likewise, male gymnasts, while both taller and noticeably more muscular in proportion than female gymnasts, are usually quite small as male athletes go.)
if A is 10% taller than B (say, A is 5-foot or 60 inches tall [152.4 cm] and B is 66 inches [167.6 cm] tall.
In your example you say A is taller than B but you also say that B is 66 inches tall and that A is 60 inches tall.
So is A taller than B or is B taller than A?
tell me that she is not strong ... she is 5'1" and much stronger the most guys in a gym, there are not many guys who can do 80lbs shoulder press with db