What is strength?

[Gardamorg]

I know that your ability to bench press a heavy weight is different from your ability to punch really hard, but why?

Is it because a long steady weak muscle twitch providing the weight with a constant pressure allows you to lift more than a quick and powerful muscle twitch? Are punches different because they require a quick muscle twitch, that releases all the pressure quickly?

[ronthepon]

You muscles consist of a bunch of fibres that contract. In contracting, they consume energy.

For this, they use ATP. (I'm assuming you know about ATP. If not, think of it as energy 'money') Now, ATP for the first sharp twitch comes from the ATP stored in a dedicated muscle reserve called creatinine phosphate (I think.)
So for the first punch, all that matters is the makeup of your muscles. If they contract fast, you get a high velocity punch.

For bench pressing, your muscles have to find ATP from other sources. creatinine phosphate gets exhausted very fast, then your muscles begin to create ATP from glucose, using oxygen.

If your muscles don't find oxygen fast enough (which tends to happen eventually, if you pump fast) they consume glucose without oxygen, creating lactic acid in the process.

Lactic acid is the cramps and tiredness chemical. If your muscles begin to ache, you've probably got lactic acid.


Bottomline: Benchpressing needs oxygen management by your muscles (and rest of the body as well. That makes it different from a punch.

Slightly hazy, but you might be interested in how muscles contract.

[Racoon]

You can find a definition of strength anywhere..

Why, or How, Bench Press might correlate to Punching power??

It may or may not... It all depends on the individual who may be focusing their power for a punch..


Yes, the stronger your pectoralis and surrounding muscles, the stronger your punch.. potentially

As a practioner of Kung-fu though, I find the strength comes from the hips and shoulders more than the pecs..

But Yes, Pecs do have a significant role in punching power.

How much depends on your style or technique

[Gardamorg]

If you have enough ATP, or energy, will that result in enhanced motor performance?

Wait, what is motor performance?

[Galapagos]

Originally Posted by Gardamorg

I know that your ability to bench press a heavy weight is different from your ability to punch really hard, but why?

Is it because a long steady weak muscle twitch providing the weight with a constant pressure allows you to lift more than a quick and powerful muscle twitch? Are punches different because they require a quick muscle twitch, that releases all the pressure quickly?

When a good boxer or mixed martial arts fighter throws a punch, most of the strength is in the form and delivery. The way you shift your weight from the legs and rotate your body as to recruit the most centrifugal force/body weight determines the strength.

The weight involved in such manipulation of body/twisting force will be much greater than whatever you can dumbell press(bench w/ one arm) with one half of your upper body.

[Racoon]

Like Galapagos also stated..
Strength isn't sheer muscle contraction and ATP..
Even in Powerlifting, where the goal is sheer strength, there are techniques and 'cheating'.

Its a complex series of Bio-mechanics, form, and technique.

Punching/kicking strength and weight lifting strength are different.

You should more clearly define "Strength" in the aspect you wish to use it.

[Jet2]

can we simply say strength is tolerance?

[Pyrotex]

In all probability, we are faced with several definitions for "strength".
Here are some examples:
1) Ability to generate a sustained force upon another object.
2) Ability to perform work on another object; "work" = force * (distance object is moved)
3) Ability to transfer momentum to another object; "momentum" = object mass * object velocity
4) Ability to transfer impact to another object; "impact" = force * (time force is applied)
5) Ability to transfer punch to another object; "punch" = force/area * (time force is applied)
6) ...

[Racoon]

Originally Posted by Pyrotex

In all probability, we are faced with several definitions for "strength".
Here are some examples:
1) Ability to generate a sustained force upon another object.
2) Ability to perform work on another object; "work" = force * (distance object is moved)
3) Ability to transfer momentum to another object; "momentum" = object mass * object velocity
4) Ability to transfer impact to another object; "impact" = force * (time force is applied)
5) Ability to transfer punch to another object; "punch" = force/area * (time force is applied)
6) ...

True.
But everything all depends on Circumstance..
Strength is still Strength.

It just depends if you want to punch somebody out, or you use a forklift to move a pallet of rice.

Strength can be multiple definitions

[Pyrotex]

Originally Posted by Racoon

True....Strength can have multiple definitions

This is not merely true, but HIGHLY true.

I think what you are looking for is "strengthiness":

the perception of how strong you are (or might be) if you only tried, and worked out, and ate right, and the bag of rice had handles, and...