superhuman (/suːpəˈhjuːmən/) - having or showing exceptional ability or powers.
We've all dreamed of being superhuman at some point in our lives- whether it be having the speed to cause walls of wind to erupt simply by sprinting, or having the strength to punch a building and blow it to smithereens, or even having the vitality to live a hundred years sans any detriment or illness. In this article, I plan to explore the possibilities of having super strength, as well as how that strength can actually be gained.
Super strength...well, how can we define it? Google defines it as strength of a member of a species exceeding that of a normal member of that same species. However, is there even a metric for the measurement of such strength and if there is, how strong is an average human being?
A quick Google search informed me that there is, indeed, a metric for measuring muscular strength of an individual- which is exactly what we want to discover. The method by which we do so is called a One Rep Max, or 1RM- which is the maximum amount of weight that (a) given muscle(s) can move for one complete repetition. Apparently, the average 1RM of the untrained man is 56 kg (squat), 61 kg (bench press) and 70 kg (dead-lift). But surely the likes of, say, Arnold Schwarzenegger would be able to do more than that, right?
I mean, just look at Schwarzenegger when he was twelve- he already had more muscle mass than the average man despite having never trained. You may ask, why is that?
Muscle mass is regulated by a protein component of DNA called myostatin. It was first observed in Belgian blue cattle, whose muscles were...massive.
See what I mean?
You see, little Arnold also had lower myostatin levels than normal; which led to his muscle mass swelling rapidly and he becoming a lot stronger than normal. This condition is known as myostatin-induced muscular hypertrophy, and it is the closest to super strength that we may observe at this point. What's more, a better example of someone with this rare condition would be Liam Hoekstra, three years old.. who can lift five pound dumbbells and wave them around like stuffed toys.
His mother alleged that he once gave her a black eye and punched a hole in a wall in their house during a temper tantrum. A Superman in the making, much?
Lastly, an example of super strength would be what is known as hysterical strength- people pulling out unnatural strength reserves during times of intense stress. A very popular example is mothers lifting cars to save their children. Apparently, it's not a very well known phenomenon yet, but scientists believe the hormones adrenaline, epinephrine, and noradrenaline to be the cause of such strength.
We've all dreamed of being superhuman at some point in our lives- whether it be having the speed to cause walls of wind to erupt simply by sprinting, or having the strength to punch a building and blow it to smithereens, or even having the vitality to live a hundred years sans any detriment or illness. In this article, I plan to explore the possibilities of having super strength, as well as how that strength can actually be gained.
Super strength...well, how can we define it? Google defines it as strength of a member of a species exceeding that of a normal member of that same species. However, is there even a metric for the measurement of such strength and if there is, how strong is an average human being?
A quick Google search informed me that there is, indeed, a metric for measuring muscular strength of an individual- which is exactly what we want to discover. The method by which we do so is called a One Rep Max, or 1RM- which is the maximum amount of weight that (a) given muscle(s) can move for one complete repetition. Apparently, the average 1RM of the untrained man is 56 kg (squat), 61 kg (bench press) and 70 kg (dead-lift). But surely the likes of, say, Arnold Schwarzenegger would be able to do more than that, right?
I mean, just look at Schwarzenegger when he was twelve- he already had more muscle mass than the average man despite having never trained. You may ask, why is that?
Muscle mass is regulated by a protein component of DNA called myostatin. It was first observed in Belgian blue cattle, whose muscles were...massive.
See what I mean?
You see, little Arnold also had lower myostatin levels than normal; which led to his muscle mass swelling rapidly and he becoming a lot stronger than normal. This condition is known as myostatin-induced muscular hypertrophy, and it is the closest to super strength that we may observe at this point. What's more, a better example of someone with this rare condition would be Liam Hoekstra, three years old.. who can lift five pound dumbbells and wave them around like stuffed toys.
His mother alleged that he once gave her a black eye and punched a hole in a wall in their house during a temper tantrum. A Superman in the making, much?
Lastly, an example of super strength would be what is known as hysterical strength- people pulling out unnatural strength reserves during times of intense stress. A very popular example is mothers lifting cars to save their children. Apparently, it's not a very well known phenomenon yet, but scientists believe the hormones adrenaline, epinephrine, and noradrenaline to be the cause of such strength.
Shravani
ReplyDeleteShravani very nice... Waiting for next blog
ReplyDeleteSorry. THIS IS "ISHAN"well boy ...U had described wonderfully..
ReplyDeleteThank you for the feedback, it is very much appreciated.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI had seen pics of this Belgian cow earlier but had thought they were morphed. Nice read Ishan.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I didn't know about the awesome advantage Arnold had when it came to body building. Revealing!
- Jammy
Thank you for the compliments Rajan uncle. Request you to please check out my other blog posts and provide your invaluable feedback.
DeleteI had seen pics of this Belgian cow earlier but had thought they were morphed. Nice read Ishan.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I didn't know about the awesome advantage Arnold had when it came to body building. Revealing!
- Jammy