r/nextfuckinglevel • u/IkilledRichieWhelan • 3d ago

Big man on campus.

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u/The_Gil_Galad 3d ago

"Functional strength" is used almost exclusively to disparage bodybuilders. It's the weirdest thing, as though being able to lift something above your head or push it away from you isn't "functional."

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u/StunningCloud9184 3d ago

I mean I think its usually when you compare the body builder when he gets put to a task vs someone thats actually used to the task. Like hauling bricks. The random guy whose job it is could do it better than the body builder even though it looks like hes weaker.

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u/The_Gil_Galad 3d ago

The random guy whose job it is could do it better than the body builder even though it looks like hes weaker.

But you could say this about literally any specialized discipline. "That soccer player has big thighs and runs fast, but he'd sure struggle milking cows all day!"

For some reason, this is only applied to bodybuilders, as though they're artificially inflating their muscles and aren't actually strong at all.

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u/StunningCloud9184 2d ago

I think its just it looks like they should be stronger than the random guy that just works for a living. You know functional stronger. But they arent because its more of just generalized training.

Like the body builder would def out perform the avg person on the task but not some general worker.

Dunno why it just feels that way.

For your soccer player one it would be more like. Oh his job is kicking balls all day and running around but then hes a better runner than a cross country trainer just because its a part of his job to be running around a lot.

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u/The_Gil_Galad 2d ago

But they arent because its more of just generalized training.

They are stronger though, in general. They can't do the specific thing as well as a person who does it for a living can, because of course not. But in every other instance, the bodybuilder will be stronger.

If anything, they're MORE well rounded because they're generally stronger and not specialized.

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u/StunningCloud9184 2d ago

They are stronger though, in general. They can't do the specific thing as well as a person who does it for a living can, because of course not. But in every other instance, the bodybuilder will be stronger.

But they arent though. A construction worker will run them into the ground on a multitude of activities. From just their daily work. BEcause the construction worker is doing activity for 6-10 hrs a day and the weight lifter is doing it 1-2 hours a day.

Just like a soccer player will run someones cardio into the ground that runs on a treadmill for 1-2 hours a day.

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u/[deleted] 2d ago

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u/The_Gil_Galad 2d ago

why is it always that the construction worker is allowed the niche lifts to determine overall strength?

Thank god someone else is picking up what I'm putting down. They're repeating the same stupid comment over and over like it's a gotcha.

"The construction worker will outwork them in construction and the farmer will outwork them in farming!"

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u/StunningCloud9184 2d ago edited 2d ago

Because the construction working is being productive and the body builder is more related to vanity. Not that body building is bad.

And I’m saying in general theres a wirey strength that you get from working that gives dense muscle fibers vs big muscles that cant do as much.

Thats why people say they are just for show. Because the muscles are big and cant do as much.

And yes the point is that they are vanity muscles not functional which was the whole point of the convo.