Superhuman strength - in the news

[BuiltToHurtMD]

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/04/11...een-daughters/


I've always been fascinated by feats of superhuman strength. I know at some point you've all heard the stories - mom lifts a car to save trapped child, etc. What are your thoughts on superhuman strength?

I personally think our bodies have a lot stronger than we will ever know. I've seen Discovery Channel shows on this type of thing. However, superhuman strength "tests" would be far too dangerous to conduct experiments on as they normally occur in dire situations.

[mentalflex]

My explanation... the chicks are gassed to the gills. They are running so much gear they make candyman's stack look healthy lol

[LuNa23]

My explanation... the chicks are gassed to the gills. They are running so much gear they make candyman's stack look healthy lol

Or ranch dressing.

[mentalflex]

Or ranch dressing.

They are on the farm, right? Could this be the mysterious Hidden Valley labs? Maybe they are homebrewing the dressing!?!?! Oh man, this story can get interesting.

[Sammich]

In all seriousness, the extreme conditions on an emergency will override the built-in safety mechanisms in the body. For example, the golgi tendon reflex is overridden, letting the muscle work absolutely as hard as it possibly can, even past the point of ripping itself apart.

[mentalflex]

In all seriousness, the extreme conditions on an emergency will override the built-in safety mechanisms in the body. For example, the golgi tendon reflex is overridden, letting the muscle work absolutely as hard as it possibly can, even past the point of ripping itself apart.

So serious question, is it possible for one to be so in tune with their body that they can knowingly override these safety mechanisms at their will? Talk about getting into the "zone" to the extreme...

[bbjeff86]

So serious question, is it possible for one to be so in tune with their body that they can knowingly override these safety mechanisms at their will? Talk about getting into the "zone" to the extreme...

Isn't that in essence what people are doing who train for things like Olympic Weightlifting, Strongman, Powerlifting? Trying to get their body as close as possible. Like Sammich said though there comes a point where you destroy your joints, muscle, tendons, etc. But in those extreme situations your mind just stops caring I think... but those people probably suffer some sever injuries at times I would imagine.

[melkor1]

So serious question, is it possible for one to be so in tune with their body that they can knowingly override these safety mechanisms at their will? Talk about getting into the "zone" to the extreme...

Personally, I feel that would be a poor trait in terms of survival. It makes sense in times of extreme distress, but there's a reason you can't perform such feats normally. The damage must be to great. For example some people are born without the ability to feel pain. Rather than being a gift, it results in them doing themselves serious harm and not having a clue lol.

[mentalflex]

Isn't that in essence what people are doing who train for things like Olympic Weightlifting, Strongman, Powerlifting? Trying to get their body as close as possible. Like Sammich said though there comes a point where you destroy your joints, muscle, tendons, etc. But in those extreme situations your mind just stops caring I think... but those people probably suffer some sever injuries at times I would imagine.

Yeah, I agree, but to put it into context, you have little girls lifting thousands of pounds, so if a powerlifter could harness that same ability just imagine how much they would lift given they have significantly greater muscle mass.

I understand that thing like meditation and visulaization are used by athletes to build the mind muscle connection and tap into as much strength as they can, but I am more wondering if would actually be possible to completely knowingly override your system? Not saying it is a good thing, but can it be done?

[Sammich]

So serious question, is it possible for one to be so in tune with their body that they can knowingly override these safety mechanisms at their will? Talk about getting into the "zone" to the extreme...

Isn't that in essence what people are doing who train for things like Olympic Weightlifting, Strongman, Powerlifting? Trying to get their body as close as possible. Like Sammich said though there comes a point where you destroy your joints, muscle, tendons, etc. But in those extreme situations your mind just stops caring I think... but those people probably suffer some sever injuries at times I would imagine.

I think so, but I think the body is constructed so that it still knows the difference between getting psyched up for a huge squat and lifting the side of a car up off of your 4 year-old child. I think there's a part that we simply can never have access to unless such a literal life-or-death situation exists.

[mentalflex]

I think so, but I think the body is constructed so that it still knows the difference between getting psyched up for a huge squat and lifting the side of a car up off of your 4 year-old child. I think there's a part that we simply can never have access to unless such a literal life-or-death situation exists.

This going to be the new standard for "Am I ready for DC?" Can you train your body to bypass the internal safety mechanisms and contract every muscle in your body? Then you will need to post a video.

[homonunculus]

Firstly, I don't put much stock on the the lay press' depictions of event.

The tractor may be 3000lb, but depending on how it rolled over, what it may have been propped up against, etc. to move it in the way they did might have only taken a couple hundred pounds of force a piece. A heavy (multi-ton) object teetering on it's edge might be pushed over by just a few pounds of force in the right direction.

Anyway, from the story, they first tried to dig and then called 911, so their rational minds were already engaged in a solution. This wasn't, it doesn't sound like, a situation of extreme, adrenalized, "mindless," do or die action without a conscious process driving their actions.

They were freaking out, of course, but I'm going with this being one hell of an effort in moving a upturned tractor that was in position to be moved with more "normal" amounts of human-generated force.

-S

[TLopez]

The tractor may be 3000lb, but depending on how it rolled over, what it may have been propped up against, etc. to move it in the way they did might have only taken a couple hundred pounds of force a piece. A heavy (multi-ton) object teetering on it's edge might be pushed over by just a few pounds of force in the right direction.


-S

This was what I was telling my son when we heard the story last night.

[homonunculus]

This was what I was telling my son when we heard the story last night.

Sucks bein' the party pooper, eh?... LOL

"So I heard this story of these girls who picked up a 3000lb tractor overhead and .... "

-S

[PBRevolution]

Don't ammonia caps do this to a small extent, tricking your CNS into allowing a bit more strength to be used.