What Is the Limit to How Strong We Can Get? (Science Explained)

In this video, Pak from Stronger By Science goes over the current literature on long term strength development in powerlifters and recreationally active individuals.
Gain access to 28 FREE Programs:
www.strongerbyscience.com/new...
Want us to help you reach your goals?
strongerbyscience.com/coaching
References:
1. Using Powerlifting Athletes to Determine Strength Adaptations Across Ages in Males and Females: A Longitudinal Growth Modelling Approach: link.springer.com/article/10....
2. Longitudinal growth modelling of strength adaptations in powerlifting athletes across ages in males and females: sportrxiv.org/index.php/serve...
3. Long-Term Time-Course of Strength Adaptation to Minimal Dose Resistance Training Through Retrospective Longitudinal Growth Modeling:
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35591...
#strength #powerlifting #sbd
"What Is the Limit to How Strong We Can Get? (Science Explained)"

[@strongerbyscience]

Some things to note:
1. Greg has also touched on the topic here: www.strongerbyscience.com/research-spotlight-modeling-strength/
2. One thing worth noting is the variability observed, like, some people never improve past their first meet, and some people may even double their total (especially if they did their first meet when they were young, and not super well-trained).
3. May also be worth nothing that SOME of the results observed may be related to people not wanting to change weight classes, since lifters are more likely to meaningfully improve their total when gaining weight (i.e. attempting to keep their weight down may limit hypertrophy, and thus total strength gains: www.strongerbyscience.com/muscle-strength-gains/)

[@Coachahmadreza]

Pak is so polite here😀

[@Ryan.G.Spalding]

You all made some really good hires. Well done to the channel, the new people, and the new formats. 👏🏼👏🏼

[@kongkong284]

Awesome content. I believe if you put moving up in weight into account (since powerlifters usually stay in their weight class) the strength gain potential for an individual is higher.

[@glenoh88]

Strength is wierd….once you get decently strong, it’s technique and mental. If you think it’s too heavy, it’s not going to move…if you think it’s light, it’s going to move.

[@gerym341]

Thank you, Doctor for this somewhat good news:)

[@wesrobinson7506]

Thanks, Dr Pak! So it seems like after the first few years, then over the next 10 years you can “expect “ realistically about 0.72% to 1.2% of gain strength per year (to total 7.5 to 12.5% over 10 years) as a gauge?

[@bbszabi]

For me it took 7-8 months to get my squat from 70 to 160 kg and then 3 years to get to 200 kg (set of 5). I really miss my novice months, when I was setting new PRs for each lift even 2-3 times a week :)

[@makobe584]

So after a year of training/eating/sleeping well, you can expect to gain ~10% in your second year and another ~10% in all the years after that? So it only takes one year of training to roughly determine your (genetic) potential, which would be ~20% higher than your first year gains?

[@strongerbyscience]

One thing worth noting (which is not on the video) is the variability observed, like, some people never improve past their first meet, and some people may even double their total (especially if they did their first meet when they were young, and not super well-trained).

[@coin777]

Did You take John Hack in to consideration in the study? And other powerlifters that "changed the federation" ? They have a different limits.

[@strongerbyscience]

"We limited our study to the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) dataset including all IPF affiliates, filtered to include only open, raw (i.e. unequipped) “Squat, Bench, and Deadlift” events."

[@amysmith3556]

Love me a linear-log trend #citation

[@jas321]

I like the video and info, but it does seem that there would be some real survivorship bias in the masters athletes that continued getting stronger in their 40s and 50s. Ie, the athletes whose numbers were falling as they aged would be less likely to continue competing.

[@D.Fay_Coe]

good news for me at the age of 53

[@alexanderchernoshtan9898]

Patroklos Androulakis Korakakis maaafaka shiiiiiii ^o^
EPIC

[@Yupppi]

Can I become like an anime character realistically?

[@ekroizm]

Nothing a tube of test and tren doesnt solve

[@bullinvginshop9011]

That gets you another 15-20%. More if you really push up your body weight. But you can push your body weight up without “special supplements “

[@MultiMyNickName]

Its all in your mind. The truth is power lifting, body building, gym training, methods all suck. Its all superficial externalized, programmed rubbish. If you aren't connected to your body in the right way, you will never sustain its development because the mind plays as much a part as the body, second there's a limit you can grow in any ISOLATED movement because the body will not allow it when it exceeds a certain point in terms of other tendons, joint loads and overall function. The reality is this, the body is a single complete unit and how strong your toes are will ultimately play a part in determining how large or dense muscles can get in other areas. The whole machine works together and unless you understand that, you are always going to hit hard limits sooner or later because the body wont allow you to take it places beyond its capacity to function at all, its designed for survival not for you to look pretty.