4 ms·

You do realize that the bulked up guys probably weigh a lot more than you do so the number of achieved pull-ups is not an interesting measure? The really bulke

by mzl 16y ago

You do realize that the bulked up guys probably weigh a lot more than you do so the number of achieved pull-ups is not an interesting measure? The really bulked-up ones most likely train for muscle mass, not for any useful activity.

jules 16y ago
Sure, they do weigh a lot more than I do. Isn't that part of the fair comparison? You don't give a cyclist or runner a backpack with weights in it because it's "unfair" that he weighs less than the other cyclist/runner. These guys were probably training pull ups every week at least, so it's on their home territory. Yet their training is less effective than running & cycling. For the vast majority of activities, performance relative to body weight is the interesting measure, not absolute weight lifted. I'm just saying that if lifting weights is so much better than other forms of training, why weren't they able to do pull ups much better? My second point is that yes, this is an anecdote. So is the article. Don't take either as a scientific inquiry.
- scott_s 16y ago
  You also arbitrarily decided that number of pull-ups was going to be your metric for determining who was more fit.
- tensor 16y ago
  And in a rock lifting competition they would win easily. I don't see your point. You pick an arbitrary metric that you happen to be good at and declare victory. As it stands, all you've done is point out that there are different tasks and depending on your target task the ideal body composition and training routine differs. If you want to be good at pullups you should probably let all your leg muscles atrophy and just build lats and biceps.
  - jules 16y ago
    If you should do that then I am certainly doing it wrong by running and cycling and letting my arm muscles atrophy. Sure, they'd win a rock lifting competition. And if weight lifting is so good, then they should win a pull-up competition, since that's also what they're training for and it's not what I'm training for by virtually only using my legs. My point being: take this article with a huge grain of salt and train for real fitness not for how much kg you can lift. The easiest way to improve that is to become very fat.

by mzl 16y ago

jules 16y ago

Sure, they do weigh a lot more than I do. Isn't that part of the fair comparison? You don't give a cyclist or runner a backpack with weights in it because it's "unfair" that he weighs less than the other cyclist/runner. These guys were probably training pull ups every week at least, so it's on their home territory. Yet their training is less effective than running & cycling. For the vast majority of activities, performance relative to body weight is the interesting measure, not absolute weight lifted. I'm just saying that if lifting weights is so much better than other forms of training, why weren't they able to do pull ups much better? My second point is that yes, this is an anecdote. So is the article. Don't take either as a scientific inquiry.

scott_s 16y ago
You also arbitrarily decided that number of pull-ups was going to be your metric for determining who was more fit.
tensor 16y ago
And in a rock lifting competition they would win easily. I don't see your point. You pick an arbitrary metric that you happen to be good at and declare victory. As it stands, all you've done is point out that there are different tasks and depending on your target task the ideal body composition and training routine differs. If you want to be good at pullups you should probably let all your leg muscles atrophy and just build lats and biceps.
- jules 16y ago
  If you should do that then I am certainly doing it wrong by running and cycling and letting my arm muscles atrophy. Sure, they'd win a rock lifting competition. And if weight lifting is so good, then they should win a pull-up competition, since that's also what they're training for and it's not what I'm training for by virtually only using my legs. My point being: take this article with a huge grain of salt and train for real fitness not for how much kg you can lift. The easiest way to improve that is to become very fat.