<div>
(jvroig @ Jul. 23 2006,23:17)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Aaron, who's the strongest guy in the planet right now? I don't know what strongman contest determines that, but I know you do.</div>
Depends...
do you mean powerlifting (multiple feds), strongman (multiple feds) or olympic lifting?
<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">I bet the guy is rather fat (like those I see in strongman contests) instead of ripped... which is actually my question. How come it's not some ultra-ripped, muscularly obese guy like, say, Coleman who join strongman contests and are able to deadlift or bench 1000 pounds? How come it's the fat dudes who lift the most weight? What role does having fat, as opposed to being ultra-ripped with like only 5% bf, have in being able to perform those incredbile strength feats?
Is it possible for someone to remain ultra-ripped, yet outlift those strongmen?</div>
If you take the Worlds strongest man, the current champion is ripped. But WSM is strength endurance, not absolute strength so excess fat will not aid them directly. If you take something like the Arnold strongmna competition, it favours absolute strength, so fatter people succeed there.
In powerlifting/oly, at least at the higher levels, lighter weight classes are generally quite muscular, not bbr muscular, but muscular, they are usually quite short as well. once you get into the bigger weight classes ~275lb + then people start getting fatter, as there is no reason to minimise mass. Absolute strength will favour the fat as it provides leverage advantage, especially in movements taht involve holding a weight on your back (squat) or overhead (snatch/clean and jerk). In powerlifting being fat is usually advantageous in squat and bench, but usually it mucks up deadlifts. Being thick as hell from muscle can be just as good, but unlikely for most people unless they are on massive volumes of drugs.
If the person is drugged, then its entirely possible to maintain an extreemly low BF and remain competitive. In 'natural' competitions, lifters are fatter, and when they drop weight their performance starts to suffer
Someone like Ronnie would do extremely well at powerlifting, as he already performes these movmenets, however risking a huge amount of money to lift in a meet that nets you $0.00 is something different.
Ronnie could also probably do semi-ok in strongman, but he is probably a little old to pick up the movments and do well at it. Hes also short so that doesnt help him. having excess muscle may not do him any advantages in the more endurance focussed events.
Olympic lifting ronnie could not perform at the highest level, its an extremely technical sport that requires years upon years of obsessive lifting to attain the technical parameters required.
)
