Several tens, several hundred, or perhaps several thousand kilograms? How much can a human being lift in one repetition? Is there any upper limit that can be calculated in any way? Dr. Bradley Schoenfeld of Lehman College, a sports scientist, talked about this in an interview with Live Science.
The world’s strongest man for a long time was Eddie Hall, who lifted exactly 500kg during the 2016 World Deadlift Championships. In 2020, he was surpassed by Hafþór Julius Björnsson, who lifted 501 kg.
While these numbers are undoubtedly impressive, the record for the heaviest weight ever lifted by a human is held by Greg Ernst of Canada, who made history in 1993. Lifting two cars with drivers with a total weight of 2422 kg.
In light of these “supernatural” abilities, the question arises: How much can a person carry? What is the heaviest weight a human can lift? The answer comes from Bradley Schoenfeld, who covers the scientific work of sports nutrition and exercise on a daily basis. In an interview with Live Science, he talked about the limits of the human body.
The rest of the article is below the video.
The answer is not clear.
There is no doubt in the world that professional athletes perform below their maximum potential. It is therefore unclear what the maximum human strength is, and therefore It is very difficult to measure an individual’s maximum muscular capacity. Determine the maximum weight he can lift in one repetition.
In theory, there is a device that allows you to measure muscle strength. An electromyography (EMG) kit is used for this purpose, and its operation is based on measuring the electrical activity generated within the muscle. The test involves recording the behavior of neurons, as well as muscle fibers. The problem is that this test covers only a specific area of the muscle. Therefore, it is not possible to evaluate the performance of the entire body.
– It is difficult to define these boundaries. “The best (and basically the only) way to determine muscle performance is through consistent training,” said E. Todd Schroeder of the University of Southern California, who is a clinical physical therapist. “It’s about setting new personal records and then seeing if you can beat them,” Schroeder told Live Science.
The scientist explains that if someone thinks he can lift 200 kg, then his muscles are certainly capable of withstanding greater effort and lifting more weight. However, it is not known how much more than that.
A lot depends on genetics and gender.
From a biological and chemical point of view, The ability of muscles to bear weight depends on two proteins: actin and myosin.. They are responsible for muscle contraction and, as a result, weightlifting strength. Biological factors, such as genetics and gender, are also important. As a general rule, more muscle mass makes a person stronger. However, this is not a rule, because – as Schroeder points out – there are situations in which people with less muscle mass lift more weight than a person with more muscle mass can.
Schroeder also points out that an important factor that determines how much a person can lift is What is called neuromuscular inhibition? (Neuronal inhibition). This is a phenomenon that limits the force of muscle contraction to prevent injury. Reducing this inhibition can be achieved through resistance training.
So there is no definitive answer to the question: How much weight can a human lift? Scientists explain that this is usually more than just a barrier that people physically cannot “jump over.” You can work on raising this upper limit over time. However, this requires continuous exercise and increasing weight whenever possible. Proper mental work is also essential, as it plays a significant role in breaking weightlifting records.
Norbert Garbarek, journalist at Wirtualna Polska
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