We have some powerlifters here that do not fall into the group of fat idiots. I’d like to think that the current scene of powerlifting consists of people who are a little smarter and see the big picture. But I guess those at the top still fit the mold of fat guy with leverage, probablly steroids, and quite possibly poor overall health (judging by appearance only).
Even Jim Wendler admitted his physical faults when he was his strongest.
Strongman is better since it incorporates a bit of conditioning, but it still seems like the strongest men on Earth are kinda big, fat guys. At least CrossFit combines strength, skill, conditioning, and endurance. They may do some stupid shit but they have a wide range of challenges.
Bodybuilders are bums who spray on fake tans, cover themselves in oil and parade around on stage with other naked men wearing their girlfriend’s thongs because they spent their entire social security checks on roids.
What greater insult can any of you think of that can beat reality?
Gymnasts are a bunch of midgets overcompensating because they’re still bummed about the irony of being rejected at auditions for The Wizard of Oz because they were “too tall”.
Regarding strongman; era determines physique for the most part. In early to mid 2000s guys were more ripped because events were lighter and faster. Now everything is stupid heavy.
That is for pros of course. For ammys, everything but 264+ tends to be pretty ripped.
The top competitiors of powerlifitng are nothing but ridiculous physical specimens. The only fat guys are middle ground, middle aged angry men who yell loudly about the sport being tainted.
It’s directed at both but definitely came to mind when I saw the 275 and 300 pounders. Those guys look amazing. I’ve seen big naturals but I don’t think I’ve ever seen deltoids that big on the naturals.
There’s no way the top CrossFit competitors get through a year without some sort of help. There’s also a large cash prize to be won. And where there’s money, there’s “cheaters” or people willing to do anything to win. I say cheaters because CrossFit is supposed to be a clean sport.
As far as liking one competition more than any other, I’m only a spectator of all three so my point of view is entertainment based. I enjoy watching CrossFit and strongman but the powerlifting doesn’t appeal to me much. That’s probably because it’s much slower paced and it’s a man (or woman) against the bar instead of man vs man.
From the viewpoint of which one I think is the better pursuit… I’d have to say CrossFit due to the diversity. I like that the sport challenges multiple energy systems with the lifting, trail running, and other stuff. It also requires a lot of skill which takes a lot of preparation just for that. It’s no surprise that it’s become a full time job for the top competitors because there are so many things to practice/perfect.
The reality is that what I think doesn’t matter! I’m not into powerlifting but enjoy following several powerlifters’ logs here. I won’t cross into the world of PED’s but don’t really fault anyone who does. For me it’s a combination of things—the stubbornness that allows me to say I’m all natural (even though I’m smaller and weaker than many people, so maybe it’s more of an explanation? LOL); the moral debate since it’s illegal here; the fact that it’s illegal and I could lose my job if caught; and I really don’t like the part about cycling on and off and the ups and downs that come with it.
My jab at the steroids doesn’t mean that I don’t respect the accomplishments of people on PED’s. They still have to train hard and probably train harder. I think where I view PED’s as cheating is their ability to make a guy absolutely ripped without much effort in terms of nutrition. They eat big, train, big and look like gods. For most of us we can eat big and train big but we don’t have muscle striations revealing our serratus anterior muscles. We get a little fluffy. And quite frankly, that sucks LOL
Love that episode.
