Why Are Chimps So Strong?

Off Topic
81

[quote]Vicomte wrote:
I saw a thing on the science channel where a guy pressed a half-ton boulder off his chest before it crushed him and dragged him off a cliff. Apparently he generated so much force he tore muscles form bone.

It’s a very real phenomenon.[/quote]

I’ll chime in here. People always talk about how we only use 25% of our brains. Yup. We also only use about 25% of our kidneys, liver and pretty much anything else because we have extra capacity for survival.

In the case of muscles, most people can only activate about 25% of the motor units (why do you think all the top coaches keep harping on motor unit recruitment??) A good athlete will recruit more than that, maybe 30% - 35%. The athletes with the absolute most recruitment are top level gymnasts who come in at a whopping 50%. (They work up to it by doing isometrics, BTW, which gives them practice at turning on their muscles. Say, they aren’t all that big either…) Note that you can augment the size of the muscles in various ways, but cannot increase the number of muscle fibers. This is why you talk about hypertrophy (making something larger) rather than actual growth (= making more cells – tumors grow rather than undergo hypertrophy.)

A big adrenaline dump can up your recruitment. Now one more kewl fact is that people who get hit by lightning often have broken bones. Why? Because they got 100% recruitment. So yes you can get amped up and do something amazing then find you break things. Pavel Tsatsouline talks about this in some of his books (overpriced, over-hyped extended ads for his other stuff but when he puts something interesting in there, it really is interesting).

– jj

82

[quote]Vicomte wrote:
jj-dude wrote:
waylanderxx wrote:
WHAT THE FUCK!

"In 2005, a different chimp escaped from California’s Animal Haven Ranch and chewed off a man’s nose and genitals. "

So in all seriousness, If I got in a fight with a chimp, you are telling me it could rip my arms right out of the sockets? I find that kind of hard to believe…

I don’t. Big cats can do that easy. A friend of mine works with rescued ones and she says that if you get an arm anywhere near one you’ll lose it. Rescued cats are the big ones that rich, stoopid people buy when they are cute little kittens (usually illegally). Her group gets the call as the owners are cowering in their bathrooms after finding out that the kittens do indeed grow up.

Another friend of mine (a cop) relates how they were trying to corner a mountain lion in some residential neighborhood (in CA). Just as they thought they were closing in, it sprinted towards a house and jumped over it landing in the back yard then escaping. True the house was a small one-story stucco job, but…

Chimps have to deal with lions and other big predators plus they grew up getting stalked. Don’t sell them short.

– jj

If chimps are retard strong, considering how smart they are, imagine how much retard strength a mountain lion has.

[/quote]

LOL vicotme me haha.

See I believe it with a lion or something. I mean when they bite on it use their neck muscles and their entire body I have no idea.

When I picture a chimp doing that I kind of imagined it just jumping on my back grabbing my arm with one hand and pulling it out. Which didn’t seem plausible.

83

[quote]Carlitosway wrote:
If all this is true about a chimps strength. Who in there right mind would teach a chimp fuckin’ karate?!? Chuck Norris chimp LOL, I want to see him in ufc doing round house kicks and rippin’ nuts off KARATE CHIMP - YouTube [/quote]

I’m pretty sure that ripping nuts off is not allowed under the Unified rules. Also he would have the disadvantage of not being able to wear his gi.

84

[quote]jj-dude wrote:

A big adrenaline dump can up your recruitment. Now one more kewl fact is that people who get hit by lightning often have broken bones. Why? Because they got 100% recruitment. So yes you can get amped up and do something amazing then find you break things.

– jj [/quote]

This is also how the term “busting a nut” came into being.

DB

85

[quote]waylanderxx wrote:
Vicomte wrote:
jj-dude wrote:
waylanderxx wrote:
WHAT THE FUCK!

"In 2005, a different chimp escaped from California’s Animal Haven Ranch and chewed off a man’s nose and genitals. "

So in all seriousness, If I got in a fight with a chimp, you are telling me it could rip my arms right out of the sockets? I find that kind of hard to believe…

I don’t. Big cats can do that easy. A friend of mine works with rescued ones and she says that if you get an arm anywhere near one you’ll lose it. Rescued cats are the big ones that rich, stoopid people buy when they are cute little kittens (usually illegally). Her group gets the call as the owners are cowering in their bathrooms after finding out that the kittens do indeed grow up.

Another friend of mine (a cop) relates how they were trying to corner a mountain lion in some residential neighborhood (in CA). Just as they thought they were closing in, it sprinted towards a house and jumped over it landing in the back yard then escaping. True the house was a small one-story stucco job, but…

Chimps have to deal with lions and other big predators plus they grew up getting stalked. Don’t sell them short.

– jj

If chimps are retard strong, considering how smart they are, imagine how much retard strength a mountain lion has.

LOL vicotme me haha.

See I believe it with a lion or something. I mean when they bite on it use their neck muscles and their entire body I have no idea.

When I picture a chimp doing that I kind of imagined it just jumping on my back grabbing my arm with one hand and pulling it out. Which didn’t seem plausible.[/quote]

One of these days you folks will start spelling my name correctly.

That’s the thing about the chimps. They fake you out with all the bananas and poo-flinging, then they fuck your shit up by ripping your balls off with their bare hands through your levis.

The mountain lions, they play it straight.

86

[quote]waylanderxx wrote:

So in all seriousness, If I got in a fight with a chimp, you are telling me it could rip my arms right out of the sockets? I find that kind of hard to believe…[/quote]

Believe it…its true.

87

[quote]jj-dude wrote:
Vicomte wrote:
I saw a thing on the science channel where a guy pressed a half-ton boulder off his chest before it crushed him and dragged him off a cliff. Apparently he generated so much force he tore muscles form bone.

It’s a very real phenomenon.

I’ll chime in here. People always talk about how we only use 25% of our brains. Yup. We also only use about 25% of our kidneys, liver and pretty much anything else because we have extra capacity for survival.

In the case of muscles, most people can only activate about 25% of the motor units (why do you think all the top coaches keep harping on motor unit recruitment??) A good athlete will recruit more than that, maybe 30% - 35%. The athletes with the absolute most recruitment are top level gymnasts who come in at a whopping 50%. (They work up to it by doing isometrics, BTW, which gives them practice at turning on their muscles. Say, they aren’t all that big either…) Note that you can augment the size of the muscles in various ways, but cannot increase the number of muscle fibers. This is why you talk about hypertrophy (making something larger) rather than actual growth (= making more cells – tumors grow rather than undergo hypertrophy.)

A big adrenaline dump can up your recruitment. Now one more kewl fact is that people who get hit by lightning often have broken bones. Why? Because they got 100% recruitment. So yes you can get amped up and do something amazing then find you break things. Pavel Tsatsouline talks about this in some of his books (overpriced, over-hyped extended ads for his other stuff but when he puts something interesting in there, it really is interesting).

– jj [/quote]

In part that is BS, you wouldn’t develop a brain as big if you only used 25% that would be wasteful and evolution isn’t big on wastefulness.

In terms of the muscle recruitment though you are spot on though. If you want a demonstration of the feedback mechanisms that stop you using your full muscles just try and draw blood by taking a bite of your own flesh. The feedback mechanisms will stop you from being able to even though you can bite through a steak with no problems.

The power in your jaw muscles could actually crush your own teeth. The feedback mechanisms stop you from doing this though (unless you have some sort of mental illness.)

88

[quote]Cockney Blue wrote:
Carlitosway wrote:
If all this is true about a chimps strength. Who in there right mind would teach a chimp fuckin’ karate?!? Chuck Norris chimp LOL, I want to see him in ufc doing round house kicks and rippin’ nuts off KARATE CHIMP - YouTube

I’m pretty sure that ripping nuts off is not allowed under the Unified rules. Also he would have the disadvantage of not being able to wear his gi.[/quote]

Whatever lets put an average sized male wild chimp up against Fedor Emelianenko and study what would happen. The results would be interesting. I got a hundred on Fedor winning via rearnaked chokehold. I mean don’t get me wrong Fedor wouldn’t come out unscathed he’d have some battle wounds for sure maybe some bite marks, a testicle or two missing and some poo smeared here or there.

89

[quote]MUthrows94 wrote:
So the secret to super natural strength is banana?s and not carrotz?[/quote]

Bananas = Steeroidz

Carrots = Fat Burner Supreme!!!

Duh! I thought this was common knowledge. :stuck_out_tongue:

90

[quote]Cockney Blue wrote:
jj-dude wrote:
Vicomte wrote:
I saw a thing on the science channel where a guy pressed a half-ton boulder off his chest before it crushed him and dragged him off a cliff. Apparently he generated so much force he tore muscles form bone.

It’s a very real phenomenon.

I’ll chime in here. People always talk about how we only use 25% of our brains. Yup. We also only use about 25% of our kidneys, liver and pretty much anything else because we have extra capacity for survival.

In the case of muscles, most people can only activate about 25% of the motor units (why do you think all the top coaches keep harping on motor unit recruitment??) A good athlete will recruit more than that, maybe 30% - 35%. The athletes with the absolute most recruitment are top level gymnasts who come in at a whopping 50%. (They work up to it by doing isometrics, BTW, which gives them practice at turning on their muscles. Say, they aren’t all that big either…) Note that you can augment the size of the muscles in various ways, but cannot increase the number of muscle fibers. This is why you talk about hypertrophy (making something larger) rather than actual growth (= making more cells – tumors grow rather than undergo hypertrophy.)

A big adrenaline dump can up your recruitment. Now one more kewl fact is that people who get hit by lightning often have broken bones. Why? Because they got 100% recruitment. So yes you can get amped up and do something amazing then find you break things. Pavel Tsatsouline talks about this in some of his books (overpriced, over-hyped extended ads for his other stuff but when he puts something interesting in there, it really is interesting).

– jj

In part that is BS, you wouldn’t develop a brain as big if you only used 25% that would be wasteful and evolution isn’t big on wastefulness.

In terms of the muscle recruitment though you are spot on though. If you want a demonstration of the feedback mechanisms that stop you using your full muscles just try and draw blood by taking a bite of your own flesh. The feedback mechanisms will stop you from being able to even though you can bite through a steak with no problems.

The power in your jaw muscles could actually crush your own teeth. The feedback mechanisms stop you from doing this though (unless you have some sort of mental illness.) [/quote]

That makes sense.

91

[quote]50_Caliber wrote:
Vicomte wrote:
SonnabenD wrote:
DJS wrote:
A 150 lb chimp could kill any man. No matter how big or how strong.

Im calling bullshit on that one. Monkeys dont know jiu jitsu.

Monkeys don’t have hand grenades, or understand the finer points of a punji pit.

I’d say we nuke them from orbit, it’s the only way to be sure.
[/quote]

“Wow, wait a minute…this entire installation has a substantial dollar value.”

92

Yeah, but what about a chimp versus Bruce Lee?

:wink:

93

[quote]Cockney Blue wrote:
In part that is BS, you wouldn’t develop a brain as big if you only used 25% that would be wasteful and evolution isn’t big on wastefulness.
[/quote]

I disagree. Why is it not wasteful having extra kidney capacity but wasteful having extra brains? Your best bet (as this thread indicates) for survival is a brain. A head injury, be it from an accident or near miss from a predator won’t be treated in the wild and you’ll be left to muddle on in the aftermath. Brains are very delicate organs, being in large part cholesterol (25% of all the cholesterol in an average body is in the brain) and having the consistency of stiff jello.

Not exactly a rugged piece of equipment. There are many cases of people getting massive head injuries and making a complete recovery. Indeed there are medical cases where half a hemisphere needs to be removed and the patient is fine.

No, I wasn’t one of the them…

– jj

94

Arthur Jones once commented that the reason animals have relatively short life spans is because animals do everything with 100% intensity, while humans do not. Not even close.

95

[quote]Iron Dwarf wrote:
Arthur Jones once commented that the reason animals have relatively short life spans is because animals do everything with 100% intensity, while humans do not. Not even close.

[/quote]

I AM NOW GOING TO DO EVERYTHING WITH ONE HUNDRED PERCENT INTEWNTIST!!! LIVE FATS DIE HARD BITHCEEEEEZEEZEZEZZZZZZ111111111

Fuck, I’m tired. I’m gonna go take a nap.

96

[quote]Iron Dwarf wrote:
Arthur Jones once commented that the reason animals have relatively short life spans is because animals do everything with 100% intensity, while humans do not. Not even close.

[/quote]

That and you must also consider their nutrition and such is poor and unreliable at best.

Human lifespans would be considerably shorter without modern conditions.

Think frontier era lifespands for a perfect example.

Also its important to consider how quickly animals mature compared to humans.

It takes 25 years for a human male to be completely mature.

Chimps, dogs, cats, they take a few years at most.

97

Quote from Nature that explains all of that chimp strength stuff:

Animal strength
Chimpanzees are different from humans in several obvious ways, one of which is their sheer physical strength. But why are they so much stronger than us?

The answer isn’t just sheer muscle bulk. It’s also to do with that fact that their muscles work around five to seven times more efficiently than ours. Studies of human and other primates’ jaw muscles show that our muscle fibres are far smaller and weaker than those of our cousins - roughly an eighth the size of those seen in macaques, for example.

The reasons for this remain poorly understood, but one contributing factor is the genes that encode myosin, the protein fibres from which muscles are made. Comparison of human and ape sequences for a myosin gene called MYH16 show that all humans have a mutant version of this gene.

Some have even credited the more diminutive muscles in human jaws for our larger intelligence. One theory says that these smaller muscles gave our skulls the room to grow rounder, allowing for a bigger brain cavity (1).

Ref.

  1. Stedman, H. et al.
    Nature 428, 415 - 418 (2004).

Now it makes me wonder… how about some gene therapy for humans to make us capable of the same? Cool for powerlifting purposes, special forces, etc…

98

[quote]musicma1n1 wrote:
Chimps have huge pulling strength, but I wounder what their pushing strength is like considering they never have many activities where they need to push stuff.[/quote]

I’ve actually heard that a human is capable of pressing more weight that a chimp.

99

Westside Baby!!

100

From Cecil Adams at the Straight Dope site:

It’s a lot easier to get a chimp in roller skates than it is to get him to pump iron ? hence, most of the data on chimp strength is anecdotal and decidedly unscientific. In tests at the Bronx Zoo in 1924, a dynamometer ? a scale that measures the mechanical force of a pull on a spring ? was erected in the monkey house. A 165-pound male chimpanzee named “Boma” registered a pull of 847 pounds, using only his right hand (although he did have his feet braced against the wall, being somewhat hip, in his simian way, to the principles of leverage). A 165-pound man, by comparison, could manage a one-handed pull of about 210 pounds. Even more frightening, a female chimp, weighing a mere 135 pounds and going by the name of Suzette, checked in with a one-handed pull of 1,260 pounds. (She was in a fit of passion at the time; one shudders to think what her boyfriend must have looked like next morning.) In dead lifts, chimps have been known to manage weights of 600 pounds without even breaking into a sweat. A male gorilla could probably heft an 1,800-pound weight and not think twice about it.