Does ****** strength and man strength exist?

[Elta]

I am sure we are all familiar with tales of ****** Strength - Here is one I found on a random forum via googling -

i work with the handicapped, so i have experienced "****** strength" first hand. when a ******** person gets mad, they seem to have endless strength. for example, we had an older, maybe 47, 48 year old woman start throwing a fit. she'd skinny and normally unbalanced. but, it took five staff, including 5 staff, including to pretty big guys(me and another guy) to hold her down and even then, she was picking staff up off the ground with her legs while lying down. it was insane. that my friends, is "****** strength"

On to man strength.

Something I am sure all of us males have encountered when trying to put our dads in a full nelson in high school. Here is the definition from Urban Dictionary

Strength a man is bestowed with in his mid 30's that isn't physically apparent to an outside observer. A man needs to do nothing to recieve it other than grow old. Many unsuspecting sons and young males looking to prove them selves "manly" aren't aware of this phenomenon and underestimate the middle aged man.
John, the better athelete, can't win a game of one on one because his Dad has man strength.

When I was playing football in high school, I was strong, ridiculously strong - Benching and squatting 50% more than my dad. Still my dad and Grandpa could manhandle me if we spar.

Now I know there is a kind of strength that a BJJ fighter or Wrestler gets, and you can only get it from time on the mat, not in the weight room. But this is not what I am talking about.

Also, I know that a 30 something year old who has put on a bit of weight is still stronger than he looks because of the fat hiding the muscles.


But I can't help but notice I've been getting a lot stronger recently, I won a grappling match with my dad (for the first time ever ), and it's not like he is slowing down from old age or something, he is as fit as he's ever been. I have a younger cousin who is built like me, playing linebacker for his school on the varsity squad - stronger than I was in high school even - We rolled the other day, it was scary easy .......

He chocked it up too "well you have man strength now" My dad agreed.



The best I can figure is that as your body is fully grown and the same size for some time your movements become more efficient and you are just generally better at moving at that size.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

I chock "****** strength" up to them probably having more adrenaline in their system because they are panicking and probably more truly scared than a non-******** person would be in the situation. Kind of like when a mom goes nuts and lifts a car to save her baby.

 

[emzie]

Never heard of either term. Probably because I don't work with my hands

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

I am sure we are all familiar with tales of ****** Strength - .

I also know of tales of ordinary person strength.

 

[Godwynn]

So, Elta, how strong would you describe yourself as being?

 

[Elta]

Right now?

For my size?

Average, compared to a regular guy, I am decently strong.

I haven't lifted in some time, starting in *January I am going to get back on the horse though.
*I'll have access to a gym on the bottom floor of my dorm. My goal is to get back to hoe I was during football.

As of right now I don't even think I could squat 300 pounds - let alnoe 400 like in high school.

 

[Formaldehyde]

But I can't help but notice I've been getting a lot stronger recently, I won a grappling match with my dad (for the first time ever ), and it's not like he is slowing down from old age or something, he is as fit as he's ever been..

Do you happen to have an aluminum pole which you use in place of traditional Christmas decorations during the holidays? If so, you should be all set for the upcoming feats of strength. I wish you luck.

 

[Tekee]

WAIT!! STOP!
I read stories of demons and possessed people in the Lives of Saints books, of the Catholic and Orthodox churches.
In it describes the great Demonic Strength possessed by the possessed.
so!
****** strength is actually demonic strength! :O:O:O
I wasn't thinking about this for years since I last read the Lives of Saints when I was like 12.

 

[MagisterCultuum]

I've never heard of either term.


I'm pretty sure that I've been stronger than my dad for a couple years even though we are about the same size and I'm not that strong for a 21 year old. That could be explained by "man strength" diminishing around age 70 though, around the time his voice starts getting higher. I haven't actually wrestled with my dad since I was about 8 or 9 though, when he generally let me win.


"****** Strength" could just be less intelligent people thinking less about how they could get hurt by their actions, similar to how martial artists' strength comes mostly from overcoming the subconscious hesitation that comes from natural fears of self injury.

 

[Camikaze]

WAIT!! STOP!
I read stories of demons and possessed people in the Lives of Saints books, of the Catholic and Orthodox churches.
In it describes the great Demonic Strength possessed by the possessed.
so!
****** strength is actually demonic strength! :O:O:O
I wasn't thinking about this for years since I last read the Lives of Saints when I was like 12.

Oh, so they were correct in the middle ages when they put mental illness down to possession by the devil?

Quick, call the exorcists, they've got plenty of 'special schools' to get to!

 

[Anonymoose]

Down here we just say they have a 'strong right arm.' That is why the Incredible Hulk is so damned strong.

 

[PeteAtoms]

I don't call it "man strength," but there definitely is "old man strength."

I experienced just what the OP has, that even though you can out lift your father, he can still open a can of whup-donkey if you're unlucky.

 

[Akka]

I'm pretty certain that "****** strength" is more about unlashing completely your full strength, which is a ALOT more than what you actually use in most case, because of a complete lack of inhibition. Also take into consideration that the said ****** is just pushing around, while the persons trying to pin her down are attempting something more complicated, not unleashing their full strength, and trying not to hurt her.

Man strength, I have no definite idea, but there is a real in military history of "older" troops being more resilient than younger ones. I kind of believe that you get more endurance and "staying power" so to speak, when you're between 30-45, before age wear you down.

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

I'm pretty certain that "****** strength" is more about unlashing completely your full strength, which is a ALOT more than what you actually use in most case, because of a complete lack of inhibition. Also take into consideration that the said ****** is just pushing around, while the persons trying to pin her down are attempting something more complicated, not unleashing their full strength, and trying not to hurt her.

There's that explanation too.

 

[Yared]

I'm pretty certain that "****** strength" is more about unlashing completely your full strength, which is a ALOT more than what you actually use in most case, because of a complete lack of inhibition.

This is what I'd call ****** strength.

 

[holy king]

WAIT!! STOP!
I read stories of demons and possessed people in the Lives of Saints books, of the Catholic and Orthodox churches.
In it describes the great Demonic Strength possessed by the possessed.
so!
****** strength is actually demonic strength! :O:O:O
I wasn't thinking about this for years since I last read the Lives of Saints when I was like 12.

you're as weird as a weird hobo.

 

[Brighteye]

Men bulk out in their twenties. A late teen can bench press a lot, but wait ten years and he'll have put on a bit of weight anyway.
Judicious application of weight can easily mimic strength, so a father, who might be a little heavier than he'd wish, can still out-wrestle his lean, mean son because he can use his weight to help him.

As for ****** strength, it's a joke. It's simply quite hard to restrain someone when that person is about as strong as you, especially when all you want is restraint and not injury.

 

[Steph]

Techniques and experience can help a lot.

I weight 85kg, my Aikido teacher weight 60kg, but he can very easily but me down and hold me there, even if I try to use my superior strength to resist, and he doesn't have to sweat.

Restraining someone as strong as you is not so difficult as you say when you know how to do it.

 

[Akka]

Techniques and experience can help a lot.

I weight 85kg, my Aikido teacher weight 60kg, but he can very easily but me down and hold me there, even if I try to use my superior strength to resist, and he doesn't have to sweat.

Restraining someone as strong as you is not so difficult as you say when you know how to do it.

Don't forget, though, that you don't try to really hurt someone when you spar with them.
A real fight on the ground is VERY messy, and strength plays a large part in it.

 

[Elta]

Yeah, but mat time means a lot.

A 150 pound BJJ black belt my as well be a 400 pounder the way they are in tune with what they need to do.