Do you care more about size or strength?
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Do you care more about size or strength? - 1/14/2008 7:46:10 AM
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ScubaSteve31
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Personally I would rather look like I can bench 350, then actually being able to do it. I don't go to the gym to impress anyone by my lifting abilities, I would rather have my muscles speak for themselves outside the gym...thoughts?
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[Deleted] - 1/14/2008 7:47:41 AM
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[Deleted by Admins]
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RE: Do you care more about size or strength? - 1/14/2008 8:01:34 AM
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Good Riddance
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Someone's quote use to be...
"Girls don't look at the weight your lifting, they look at what your lifting it with."
I think that's one way of putting it. I'd personally rather get the size before strength simply because of how thin I am. BUT, it's also nice to have people look at you like your crazy when you say you can lift x amount of weight simply because of your size and then you prove em wrong. So strength before size also has advantages.
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RE: Do you care more about size or strength? - 1/14/2008 8:05:42 AM
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smoundzou
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Personally, i don't think there's any reason you can't have both.. But if i had to choose, Strength.. this is assuming I don't look like if a wind comes along it would blow me away..
quote:
ORIGINAL: ScubaSteve31
Personally I would rather look like I can bench 350, then actually being able to do it. I don't go to the gym to impress anyone by my lifting abilities, I would rather have my muscles speak for themselves outside the gym...thoughts?
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RE: Do you care more about size or strength? - 1/14/2008 8:08:52 AM
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_Virtuoso_
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I'm building for size and that is my goal, but ofc when I am in the gym my goal is to get stronger so I can lift that next weight next week, but ultimately that is so I will gain even more size.
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RE: Do you care more about size or strength? - 1/14/2008 8:14:30 AM
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jheft
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I care very little about strength... The problem is, its easer to track progress with strength, so it's easy to get caught up in the strength game, even though that's not a major focus of mine. I only care about strength insofar as it is necessary for achieving my aesthetic goals. I never want to look like a powerlifter.
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RE: Do you care more about size or strength? - 1/14/2008 8:25:59 AM
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brihead301
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If you are very strong, and you eat properly, it will show in your physique.
I'd much rather look like I'm really strong and actually be as strong as I look. Otherwise, it's just a facade.
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RE: Do you care more about size or strength? - 1/14/2008 8:40:56 AM
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jheft
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I'm perfectly happy with a facade, and I'm already strong enough to impress non-lifters with my couch-hauling abilities.
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Journal: Jheft's Heftorium, Progress Photos (new as of 2008-03-08), My Stack
Current stats: 5'11", 189.4 lbs - currently cutting
2008 Results: +23.0 lbs bulk, -6.8 lbs cut, 2nd Place Discussbodybuilding.com Transformation Contest
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RE: Do you care more about size or strength? - 1/14/2008 8:49:35 AM
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footballcraze
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quote:
ORIGINAL: ScubaSteve31
Personally I would rather look like I can bench 350, then actually being able to do it. I don't go to the gym to impress anyone by my lifting abilities, I would rather have my muscles speak for themselves outside the gym...thoughts?
I concur!
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RE: Do you care more about size or strength? - 1/14/2008 8:55:14 AM
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Wyrms
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I'm a big seeker of strength but personally I'd rather size than strength.
Even when it comes down to a fight, you'd still have enough strength/power to knock a guy out but in the end it comes to technique and skill... Although that kinda 350lbs Bench Press, 600lbs Deadlift strength is pretty desirable.
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RE: Do you care more about size or strength? - 1/14/2008 9:14:16 AM
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IBendBarbells
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I would like a bit more size.. say 20 - 30lbs.. But I sure as hell do like strength hahaha! I love strength! I have always had this thing for getting stronger.. It makes me feel good as hell when more weight starts going up.. That way atleast if I am not getting bigger I am getting stronger so I am non stop making progress.
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With the way things are going Ill be 240 by March 2010
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RE: Do you care more about size or strength? - 1/14/2008 9:28:48 AM
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StockJockey
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Most def size. I think most bodybuilders look stronger than they really are. Its more of a powerlifter thing to be stronger than you actually look. I dont see the point in that unless you have a profession which requires you to use your strength. I push buttons all day....I wanna look good.
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RE: Do you care more about size or strength? - 1/14/2008 9:48:28 AM
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brihead301
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Strength is not just a powerlifting thing. There's a lot more to being strong then just being able to put up big numbers in the big 3. Strength = healthy body. Your joints, bones, tendons, and ligaments are better protected by the surrounding muscle. You become faster and more athletic all around. You don't "age" as quickly (as far as natural muscle degeneration goes - the old "use it or lose it" principle). You look better. The list goes on....
It makes no sense to me why someone wouldn't want to be strong. Why wouldn't everyone want to have the ablity to use all the muscles in their body to perform lifes' daily activities more easily?
Basically a stronger body should be everyone's goal on here, even if your only goal is to look better. Train for strength, and I guarantee you that your physique will improve on a daily basis.
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RE: Do you care more about size or strength? - 1/14/2008 10:01:39 AM
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Nic
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neither, I prefer being happy when I see myself in the mirror, this is purely egoist.
I don't need to be really big since I train to keep my hockey game the same or better, but having size is something a must.
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RE: Do you care more about size or strength? - 1/14/2008 10:06:33 AM
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Gottabefit
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I rather be a small and have a lot of strengh than being big and not being able to squat 200lbs..
By small I mean 6'0'' at 180lbs
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RE: Do you care more about size or strength? - 1/14/2008 10:07:30 AM
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jheft
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A bodybuilder who only trains for hypertrophy (and isn't juicing or adding such huge amounts of mass that it becomes a detriment to health) is going to be much stronger and healthier than someone who doesn't engage in serious weight training. They'll be more than strong enough to handle modern life, and they'll be plenty busy helping their friends move furniture.
Sure, if you train for strength, size is going to come along for the ride. But somebody who's training exclusively for strength is going to have a different looking physique than a bodybuilder. I don't think anyone would disagree that's the case. A lot of people would rather look like a bodybuilder or an underwear model than look like a strongman or a powerlifter.
I was watching WSM last night, and I noticed that there were fewer fat looking guys than in previous years. A lot of the strongest ones actually had pretty low body fat and impressive six packs. But they all had huge, thick torsos. That's an adaptation to the kind of sport they're in - they need core mass to be able to compete at that level of strength sports. Someone more interested in aesthetics may want to keep a narrow waist, even if it means less development of functional strength.
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Journal: Jheft's Heftorium, Progress Photos (new as of 2008-03-08), My Stack
Current stats: 5'11", 189.4 lbs - currently cutting
2008 Results: +23.0 lbs bulk, -6.8 lbs cut, 2nd Place Discussbodybuilding.com Transformation Contest
"I will veto every single beer!"
-- John McCain
(in reply to brihead301)
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RE: Do you care more about size or strength? - 1/14/2008 10:16:17 AM
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Godzmarine
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I would rather have more strength. Being stronger than other people in my weight class would help me more than going up in weight.
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RE: Do you care more about size or strength? - 1/14/2008 10:29:31 AM
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brihead301
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I agree with you Jheft. When I say that I train for strength, that doesn't mean that I want to get fat. Besides, how fat you are is completly dependent on your diet. I still care about what I look like even though my main focus is strength. And you are 100% right in saying that bodybuilders that train for hypertrophy naturally will develop functional strength. There's just simply no way around it. If you train hard enough to build muscle, then you are most likely using compound lifts at a heavy enough weight that will give you bigger muscles. If you are not doing heavy compound lifts then I would bet that you are probably not gaining much muscular weight.
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RE: Do you care more about size or strength? - 1/14/2008 10:43:08 AM
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bryphil1
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Proportioned size...strength is important but secondary.
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RE: Do you care more about size or strength? - 1/14/2008 10:46:37 AM
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IBendBarbells
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Look at scuba steve.. Body builder physique at only 190lbs pretty lean guy. I don't believe he has told us what his 3RM or 1RM is? if he even knows? Or what weight he uses for his 10R
He has a solid looking physique just judging on looks alone I am going to say he is probably fairly strong and possibly way stronger then alot of the other 190lbers at his height.
What I have noticed is body builders are still strong lol.. The only difference I see is a different lifting style between power lifters and body builders.. Isolated movements are more of a body builder type of thing.
The majority of the body builders I know are strong.. They may not seem strong because they are all about slow controlled reps.. They may never do under 8 reps or 6.. But for the most part when you see them lift they are burnt out before they even hit that last set on the bench squats shoulder press barbell curls etc.. Powerlifters generally shoot for power their form is a bit different.. Not to mention alot of the time they don't strive for that many reps just lots of weight.. They aren't burnt out before they put up the big weights.. Sometimes they may only do rep ranges of 5 or less.. Maybe even 1 increasing the weight every set and striving for max out put.
Scuba what kind of weights do you work out with when your doing your compound lifts?
_____________________________
--Ninja spy of the Emancipation Detoxification.--
"Man.. It feels good when alot of losers are around. "
Every man has his strong points.
In a party full of average fish the sharks really stand out.
With the way things are going Ill be 240 by March 2010
Short term goal - 215lbs 10% BF
New Scale weight - coming soon.
(in reply to brihead301)
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