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Workout Poundage BS

post #1 of 22
8/6/07 at 4:05pm
Thread Starter 
I was chatting with a fellow the other day on the phone, and he boasted to me that he could do seated concentration curls for reps with a 120-pound dumbbell. He also claimed that he could do behind the neck triceps extensions (aka French presses) with a 90-pound dumbbell, again for reps. Now, I was fairly strong man back in my heyday, and that sounds like total BS to me. If he were some 400-pound powerlifter, I might believe it, but by his own description he is a man of average build. Moreover, he is somewhere around 60, maybe older. Do any of you think this is remotely possible, or is it just hokum?

Another guy I know claims to have curled a 330-pound barbell about 10 years ago, although not for reps this time. He is a big, husky guy, but I find that one hard to believe as well. Supposedly Bill Kazmeier curled a barbell weighing well over 400 pounds. I know that he was/is a huge, super-powerful man, but a 400-pound-plus barbell curl just sounds like too much.
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post #2 of 22
8/6/07 at 4:20pm
That is a huge curl and way out of my range... but I do french presses and standing tri extensions with 75+ for reps so that 90 isn't amazing. Strength doesn't always correspond with size though; my brother-in-law is 8 years older and looks smaller than me but can outbench me by about 2x. Here is some info on an oldtime strongman from BB.com
Quote:
He does reps in the triceps extension on bench with 355 and swing curls with two 165 lb. dumbbells.
So that agrees that this guys supposed curl is way out of matching from his tricep extension. Here is a beast curling 70lb dbs on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbpcqYF240w I think 120 is imagining things -- it is too easy to cheat on db curls.
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post #3 of 22
8/6/07 at 4:21pm
I'm 5'7", 160 lbs. and I can do French presses with a 70-lb dumbbell for about 15 reps. Sounds feasible to me.
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post #4 of 22
8/6/07 at 4:21pm
At the peak of my lifting 'career' I deadlifted over 510 Lbs, squatted 405 for reps, and couldn't curl a 120 D B with both hands. Total BS....unless they have rather unique physiology or use rather creative technique (which is commonplace).
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post #5 of 22
8/6/07 at 4:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by JLibourel View Post
I was chatting with a fellow the other day on the phone, and he boasted to me that he could do seated concentration curls for reps with a 120-pound dumbbell. He also claimed that he could do behind the neck triceps extensions (aka French presses) with a 90-pound dumbbell, again for reps. Now, I was fairly strong man back in my heyday, and that sounds like total BS to me. If he were some 400-pound powerlifter, I might believe it, but by his own description he is a man of average build. Moreover, he is somewhere around 60, maybe older. Do any of you think this is remotely possible, or is it just hokum?

Another guy I know claims to have curled a 330-pound barbell about 10 years ago, although not for reps this time. He is a big, husky guy, but I find that one hard to believe as well. Supposedly Bill Kazmeier curled a barbell weighing well over 400 pounds. I know that he was/is a huge, super-powerful man, but a 400-pound-plus barbell curl just sounds like too much.

One of my friends curls 80 lbs the way I curl (hangs head in shame here) 35 lbs, and he is just 190 lbs or so. He never curls low reps, so I am not sure what his max is, but I could see him doing well over 100 lbs. Of course, this guy also has one of those fabled 14" drops and is only 31 year old. I've also seen some pretty regular looking guys doing some remarkable weights, so while I am skeptical, I don't know that I'd call it BS right away.

I think most of the "I could do XYZ ten years ago" claims are typically exaggerated by faulty memories, and obviously completely unverifiable. However, it should be easy enough to verify some of the other claims.
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post #6 of 22
8/6/07 at 4:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Henry Boogers View Post
At the peak of my lifting 'career' I deadlifted over 510 Lbs, squatted 405 for reps, and couldn't curl a 120 D B with both hands. Total BS....unless they have rather unique physiology or use rather creative technique (which is commonplace).

I hasten to add that my friend has remarkable physiology. He looks like a superhero in a comic book. Super muscular arms (forearms bigger than my biceps) and chest and back on a 31-32" waist. Life = not fair.
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post #7 of 22
8/6/07 at 4:31pm
I think it heavily depends on your definition of a curl. You can easily use 2x the weight if you limit your ROM. To LAGuy's point, some people are built differently and may be excellent at curls. For instance, I am somehow built to deadlift and squat reasonably well, but you will notice I didn't post my personal best at the benchlift.
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post #8 of 22
8/6/07 at 4:44pm
What do you mean, for reps? I question the 120 lb curl number much more than the other one. I can swing curl 100 lb for maybe 5 reps per arm, and I saw a guy that was probably... 6'4 250 and solid muscle at my gym doing 120 lb swing curls for reps, and he was probably 25 and looked like he was definitely on the juice. Seated curls, from a dead stop, for reps, at 60 y/o? I understand many things can be achieved through chemistry these days, but I'd have to see that to believe it.
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post #9 of 22
8/6/07 at 5:07pm
What's a swing curl? Is that just a polite way of describing a curl w/really bad form? Why are we curling, anyways? Let's do supinated-grip chins.
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post #10 of 22
8/6/07 at 6:07pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheHoff View Post
Here is a beast curling 70lb dbs on youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbpcqYF240w
I would even say that he is cheating a bit - a lot of swing there.
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post #11 of 22
8/6/07 at 6:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ken View Post
What's a swing curl? Is that just a polite way of describing a curl w/really bad form?

Why are we curling, anyways? Let's do supinated-grip chins.

Haha. Ironically, I can do these a lot better, I guess because lighter guys are stronger for their size than bigger guys, like ferrets. I am actually working on the one armed pull up, but haven't quite made it yet. But I can do sets of 10 chin ups with one arm (either left or right) gripping and the second ard supporting at the elbow.
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post #12 of 22
8/6/07 at 6:25pm
There's no way he's able to do a true concentration curl with 120lbs. Arnold used to do concentration curls with 55lb dumbbells, and his biceps were 22 inches at their peak. I'm not saying he was a strongman or had the strongest curl or anything like that, but 120lbs is complete BS. The concentration curl is an exercise meant for lighter weights. It does a great job isolating the biceps, and you can't really use your back that much for cheating.
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post #13 of 22
8/6/07 at 6:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by coachvu View Post
The concentration curl is an exercise meant for lighter weights. It does a great job isolating the biceps, and you can't really use your back that much for cheating.

+1

When I see guys doing concentration curls with heavy weight, and not using strict form, I know they are gym tools. Same goes with lateral raises, which I see a lot as well. These exercises are meant to isolate relatively small muscles, form over weight is more effective at producing gains here.
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post #14 of 22
8/8/07 at 5:48am
perfect curls. not sure the weight, but this dude has 18" biceps. Look at the back of his arm, damn http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVNkjHYBZdE
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post #15 of 22
8/8/07 at 9:52am
it could be possible. it's amazing how the body adapts to the tension you put on it. it repairs muscle and makes it even bigger every time you rip it apart. although, the really huge lifters i see brag about how little they do to maintain their body.
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