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Obama's Workout Poundages

post #1 of 48
7/29/08 at 2:47pm
Thread Starter 
I note in the "Current Events" section there was a thread about a German girl who was present when Obama worked out during his German tour and claimed that he was curling 32 kg. dumbells (70.4 pounds) for 10 reps with each arm.

My stepson, who trains assiduously, said he thought it was impossible with Obama's physique.

My view is that it is very surprising but not outside the bounds of possibility. Some skinny guys are amazingly strong for their physiques. Back when I was at my peak I could usually curl a pair of 62.5 pounds DBs for maybe 6 or 8 reps without too much difficulty. My short arms gave me good leverage for curling. While I was strong, I was never super-strong. On the other hand, I was a good deal more robust than Obama.

Anyway, any opinions here about the likelihood of Barak's mighty deed?
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post #2 of 48
7/29/08 at 2:50pm
I say this is a case of Obama thinking they were 35 lbs and thinking they were mis-marked but not unmanageable. The mind is funny that way.
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post #3 of 48
7/29/08 at 2:57pm
Wasn't it the German girl who mentioned the 32 kg marking though, not Obama? Coincidentally, I was wondering the same when I read that article. If anything, the election has taken a physical toll on Obama - he looks skinnier and older than he did just a year ago.
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post #4 of 48
7/29/08 at 3:01pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Thomas View Post
The mind is funny that way.
It really is.

About 7 years ago when I was in my top shape I was doing weighted chin-ups. It was supposed to be with 35 pounds and I was aiming for 8 reps. I reached rep #6 was going strong enough to easily make the 8. The I happened to look in the mirror and realize that somehow I had added an extra 20 pounds and I couldn't do another rep.

I don't think that this is the case with Obama but I also was very surprised to read how much he was lifting. That's not a little bit of weight to be curling for 10 reps; especially given his apparent physique and leverages.
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post #5 of 48
7/29/08 at 3:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by SirSuturesALot View Post
Wasn't it the German girl who mentioned the 32 kg marking though, not Obama?

Given the brilliance of her writing, I'm taking that article with more than the usual grain of salt.
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post #6 of 48
7/29/08 at 3:04pm
They were probably those plastic dumbells with sand in them, and he had had the sand removed.
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post #7 of 48
7/29/08 at 3:07pm
You have to be careful. Never take anything reported by this "newspaper" too seriously.
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post #8 of 48
7/29/08 at 3:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by montecristo#4 View Post
They were probably those plastic dumbells with sand in them, and he had had the sand removed.

LMAO - you guys !!! conservative comments and quips make me laugh
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post #9 of 48
7/29/08 at 3:19pm
I would be amazed if that was the case. back when I was about at my strongest, my standard dumbell curl was 35 kg, and my arms were huge. I was 15 years younger than Obama, and really stocky, about 100 kg at 5 foot 4.

I've also picked up weights marked for kg when I was expecting lbs, and it was noticable immidiatly. I couldn't curl 2.2 times what I was expecting, not only would it hurt me, I just couldn't do it.
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post #10 of 48
7/29/08 at 3:29pm
That would be pretty impressive but I dont think he is getting that done. Im 6 2 245 and lift pretty heavy and, though I have not tried recently, I dont see myself curling that weight comfortably. If he does curl that weight I wonder what he squats, deadlifts, or benches.
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post #11 of 48
7/29/08 at 4:07pm
That is not possible with his physique. It just isn't. No matter how strong he is. Unless he was really really cheating and swinging the weights, which I doubt he would do.
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post #12 of 48
7/29/08 at 4:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by globetrotter View Post
I would be amazed if that was the case. (...)

Quote:
Originally Posted by 1sinister1 View Post
That would be pretty impressive but I dont think he is getting that done. (...)

Quote:
Originally Posted by MetroStyles View Post
That is not possible with his physique. It just isn't. (...)

You haters just don't Belieeeve.
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post #13 of 48
7/29/08 at 5:24pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by 1sinister1 View Post
That would be pretty impressive but I dont think he is getting that done. Im 6 2 245 and lift pretty heavy and, though I have not tried recently, I dont see myself curling that weight comfortably. If he does curl that weight I wonder what he squats, deadlifts, or benches.

That was rather my thought as well. You would think that if he were immensely powerful relative to his size and physique, more would have been made of it by the media and his own campaign. The image of Obama as a sort of low-rent Superman would certainly contrast favorably with the feeble dotard McCain!
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post #14 of 48
7/29/08 at 5:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by 1sinister1 View Post
That would be pretty impressive but I dont think he is getting that done. Im 6 2 245 and lift pretty heavy and, though I have not tried recently, I dont see myself curling that weight comfortably. If he does curl that weight I wonder what he squats, deadlifts, or benches.

I'm gonna have some fun and guess. If a guy that size curled 75lbs, hmm...

Squat: 400 ass to grass
DL: 500
Bench: 275
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post #15 of 48
7/29/08 at 6:16pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by MetroStyles View Post
I'm gonna have some fun and guess. If a guy that size curled 75lbs, hmm...

Squat: 400 ass to grass
DL: 500
Bench: 275

Would those be limit poundages or for reps? Obama's 70.4-pound curls were for 10 reps with each hand.

Those would be some pretty impressive single bests for a normal-sized guy. I might have been able to squat 400 at my best and break parallel, but I doubt if I could have done it "ass to grass"!

Since I trained alone, I prudently eschewed limit poundages, especially in lifts like the squat or bench press, where failure could have dire consequences!
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