Strong in weight room means nothing outside of it

MrBiggiesworth
MrBiggiesworth Posts: 846 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I know a certain fellow who is a beast in the weight room, lifting incredible amounts of weight in every lift I've seen him do. Far more weight than I can do in any of these same lifts. Yet when I played a simple game of basketball against said fellow I was surprised to find that I could hold my own against him down in the post. Don't get me wrong he was strong and all but he couldn't budge me from my positioning anymore than I could budge him, we were basically even, except unfortunantly for him I was much more agile in the game and had an advantage there.

It made me wonder what good is all that weight room strength this fellow has if it did nothing for him in real world applications? Furthermore there are many individuals, even some women, who can lift more than me in many lifts yet in real world applications of strength they have nothing on me.

So what good is it to be so strong in the weight room if it doesn't translate over to anything else?
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Replies

  • JSE81
    JSE81 Posts: 114 Member
    I bet when it comes to moving furniture he can probably outdo you. :)
  • Mr_Bad_Example
    Mr_Bad_Example Posts: 2,403 Member
    I know a certain fellow who is a beast in the weight room, lifting incredible amounts of weight in every lift I've seen him do. Far more weight than I can do in any of these same lifts. Yet when I played a simple game of basketball against said fellow I was surprised to find that I could hold my own against him down in the post. Don't get me wrong he was strong and all but he couldn't budge me from my positioning anymore than I could budge him, we were basically even, except unfortunantly for him I was much more agile in the game and had an advantage there.

    It made me wonder what good is all that weight room strength this fellow has if it did nothing for him in real world applications? Furthermore there are many individuals, even some women, who can lift more than me in many lifts yet in real world applications of strength they have nothing on me.

    So what good is it to be so strong in the weight room if it doesn't translate over to anything else?

    I hate to break it to you, but basketball isn't the real world.
  • Iron_Feline
    Iron_Feline Posts: 10,750 Member
    Bored are we? :noway:

    :yawn:
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
    SInce when does basketball = real world application? It is a sport for which being agile has its advantages. There are other sports where your friend's strength would be more beneficial.
  • Wonderob
    Wonderob Posts: 1,372 Member
    That's very specific though - if you play more basketball than him it would make sense that you know how to plant your feet to keep your balance

    My training partner at the gym is an ex pro boxer - MUCH stronger than me in every department. I can hit a golf ball further than him and kick a ball harder than him, and sprint faster than him, and smash a shuttlecock harder than him, and strike a cue ball harder than him. Strength has little to do with those clearly

    It depends what you want your strength for I guess - if it's for a specific sport then you would need to concentrate on that
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
    Forgive a confused Englishman, but in what sense is basketball considered a strength sport?
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    I bet when it comes to moving furniture he can probably outdo you. :)

    Now this is a real world application...basketball eh...not so much. Jealous much?
  • Unknown
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  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,211 Member
    I know this guy who is absolutely mind-blowing in the lab, his knowledge of quantum physics is incredible, but he can't change a clutch in a Datsun. What use is all that science learning, if you can't change the clutch in a Datsun??
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
    I get what the OP is saying though. There are a lot of guys out there (I don't think women are like this, could be wrong) who lift weights or work out really intensely, but never seem to DO anything with it. It's like the old joke, "We're working out just so we can get through our workouts."

    Now you shouldn't judge anyone, any motivation to exercise is a good reason, yada yada. But I know for me I couldn't imagine doing all that work in the gym just to take good selfies. I like to get out and test myself. See if all that time in the gym has really paid off or not. Can I climb a rope? Can I make it up a mountain? That sort of thing.

    I've always wanted whatever strength I had to be functional, and not just for looks.

    Think you're confusing strength training with aesthetics.
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    bump--because there are some great replies on here.
  • Galatea_Stone
    Galatea_Stone Posts: 2,037 Member
    Meh. If we're talking real world applications, how are his gas pumping skills? Is he pretty good with the desk jockeying? Can he drive his kids to school like nobody's business? How are his Walmart navigation skills? Can he eat a burger without getting meat juice all over his tie? Do women talk to him? Does his boss appreciate his job performance?

    We're all a bunch of people interested in fitness in some varying degree or another, from 0 to obsessed. A few of the people here are competitive and develop skills for a specific sport, but the rest of us are just normal people trying to get healthier, and I'm sure it's the same with your "friend." Who cares how we get there?
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    I get what the OP is saying though. There are a lot of guys out there (I don't think women are like this, could be wrong) who lift weights or work out really intensely, but never seem to DO anything with it. It's like the old joke, "We're working out just so we can get through our workouts."

    Now you shouldn't judge anyone, any motivation to exercise is a good reason, yada yada. But I know for me I couldn't imagine doing all that work in the gym just to take good selfies. I like to get out and test myself. See if all that time in the gym has really paid off or not. Can I climb a rope? Can I make it up a mountain? That sort of thing.

    I've always wanted whatever strength I had to be functional, and not just for looks.

    I don't still...these people (woman included) who lift massive amounts of weight in the gym but never seem to DO anything with it...how do you know what they do with it?

    I lift heavy and it makes it easier for me to hand till my garden rows, or carry the groceries in or change my tire or move my sofa...or take my 20 year old son down...well maybe not down but I give him a good go around...

    Being strong makes life in general easier...people have no idea how other people apply their workouts in "real life"
  • albionjen
    albionjen Posts: 86 Member
    I started lifting weights as I heard it helped reduce losing muscle as you lose weight. But, I have noticed a lot of "real world" benefits. I found I was much better a chopping wood for my stove - split logs easier, did not get tired and sore afterwards. I don't get sore any more from digging in my garden or bending over weeding etc. I also think the increased strength has helped my running, since I have taken 6 minutes off my 5k time since last autumn. But it is hard to tell whether that improvement is just because I have been running for longer or because of other work outs I have been doing.

    More obviously related to the training, I have found I am much stronger for lifting objects outside of the gym. This is a major benefit for trips to the garden centre. I can now lift up heavy bags of compost for gardening and put them over my shoulder and carry for 30m+ It used to be a real trial dragging along them along since I have to go though the house to get to the garden.

    Clearly weight training (alone) is not the optimal method to improve at basketball. I would have though basketball practice would be needed for that...
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    I'm not even saying "real world application"- because neither of the things you are comparing includes opening a stuck jar of pickles.

    But if you train for playing basketball- you're going to be better at it than someone who doesn't.

    How good of a dancer are you? I bet you lift more than I do but I can out dance you- why because I spend 10-15 hours a week training for it.

    It's like apples to sheetrock.

    Have some coffee and go pick up a hobby and stop trying to make yourself feel better.
  • Ryderod
    Ryderod Posts: 103 Member
    I know this guy who is absolutely mind-blowing in the lab, his knowledge of quantum physics is incredible, but he can't change a clutch in a Datsun. What use is all that science learning, if you can't change the clutch in a Datsun??

    :laugh: :laugh:
  • martyqueen52
    martyqueen52 Posts: 1,120 Member
    It's all about making one trip when carrying groceries brah...... wtf is wrong with you?!


    I enjoy running carbine courses from a local retired special ops. outfit but I don't plan on joining the Marines, Army, or going to Iraq. It's a hobby, maybe he enjoys it.
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
    So what good is it to be so strong in the weight room if it doesn't translate over to anything else?

    I think the topic being strength training is where people are getting hung up. If we were talking about someone who spent all their time at the gym doing cardio but can't carry more than one bag of groceries, would it be trolling to question what the point is of spending all that time in the gym if the results aren't improving real-world functionality? I think that is all the OP is getting at.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    The OP is ELITE on his basketball court!

    For the record, I play basketball a lot more often than I move furniture.
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
    The OP is ELITE on his basketball court!

    For the record, I play basketball a lot more often than I move furniture.

    So what percentage of people who lift can win 5 games of HORSE?
  • Cryptonomnomicon
    Cryptonomnomicon Posts: 848 Member
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  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    Forgive a confused Englishman, but in what sense is basketball considered a strength sport?

    To be fair, strength gives a player a tremendous advantage on the basketball court. For me it meant I always dominated the boards because I'd always have position, I could take a tremendous amount of punishment in the paint and still control the ball to get my shot up, and I could defend much taller players by not letting them get position. Strength makes a huge difference in the half court game.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    I'm not even saying "real world application"- because neither of the things you are comparing includes opening a stuck jar of pickles.

    But if you train for playing basketball- you're going to be better at it than someone who doesn't.

    How good of a dancer are you? I bet you lift more than I do but I can out dance you- why because I spend 10-15 hours a week training for it.

    It's like apples to sheetrock.

    Have some coffee and go pick up a hobby and stop trying to make yourself feel better.

    The OP does not lift more than you do. But I have no idea how your dancing skill compares to his so I'll take your word on that one
  • belgerian
    belgerian Posts: 1,059 Member
    I know this guy who is absolutely mind-blowing in the lab, his knowledge of quantum physics is incredible, but he can't change a clutch in a Datsun. What use is all that science learning, if you can't change the clutch in a Datsun??

    Why would you want to change a clutch in a Datsun
    cute-dachshund-dog-grass-Favim.com-113324.jpg
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,021 Member
    Did you both whip it out and measure each other, too?
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
    Forgive a confused Englishman, but in what sense is basketball considered a strength sport?

    To be fair, strength gives a player a tremendous advantage on the basketball court. For me it meant I always dominated the boards because I'd always have position, I could take a tremendous amount of punishment in the paint and still control the ball to get my shot up, and I could defend much taller players by not letting them get position. Strength makes a huge difference in the half court game.

    In a sense a stronger athlete is a better athlete in almost any arena. But there are limits beyond which training for extra strength does little to improve your performance and actually detracts from the sports-specific stuff you need to get done to get on ahead.

    But I appreciate what you're saying. (apart from the fact that terms like "in the paint" mean virtually nothing to me...)
  • lamps1303
    lamps1303 Posts: 432 Member
    As others have said basketball =/= real world.

    It's called vanity IMO! Also for bragging rights. "I can lift 1000lbs - can you?!"
  • DeadliftAddict
    DeadliftAddict Posts: 746 Member
    This guy may not have any clue about positioning when it comes to basketball. So that minimizes his strength. A lot of people know little about post defense. That part aside, basketball has nothing to do with other real work applications. You sound like you are jealous in the weight room and just needed a reason to feel better than this guy.
  • 43mmmgoody21
    43mmmgoody21 Posts: 146 Member

    So what good is it to be so strong in the weight room if it doesn't translate over to anything else?

    I'm thinking a game of tackle football may end a little bit differently. But your point is well taken. I would rather have a balance of strength and function
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    The OP is ELITE on his basketball court!

    For the record, I play basketball a lot more often than I move furniture.

    So what percentage of people who lift can win 5 games of HORSE?

    All I know is that I NEVER win at horse. It's a rare day when I win at 21. I'm terrible

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