Little guys more athletic?

[Troy Grindle]

In all seriousness I would have to think that the most athletic kids that I have seen come through the high schools have been around the 160-180 lb range.  As they enter into adulthood it would range more like 180-205.

Athletic high school wrestling matches seems to end after the 195lb class. I am not saying that there aren't athletic kids at 220 and 285 but it seems very few and far between that two of them meet up other than in the finals of a large tournament.

[imnofish]

I think athleticism is defined as much by the demands of the athletic endeavor, as by the specific attributes of the athlete.  It's all relative.   

[whatever]

Two words to support Nat 's premise :

Bell curve.

[jeast]

Sure, little guys are more athletic than big guys.     That's why there are so many 4', 106 lb. professional athletes in baseball, football, hockey, basketball, track and field, golf and professional fishing.  And those little MMA fighters, WOW    , they got it going on man!  And who doesn't like to watch that???  Punches that would certainly kill a flea!!!  (read slaps, like a little girl)

I saw Tony Nelson do a round house shuck that his opponent shook off as nothing, would have broken a 125lbers neck.  I saw a 197 lber throw his opponent out of bounds that would have landed a 106 lber in the third row at the Kohl center.

But man, those little guys are athletic. 

[Handles II]

How about looking at pound for pound strength, or strength as a multiple of body weight?  With powerlifting, the all-time squat records definately favor the lighter guys.  At 114 lbs the record is 6 times their body weight and slowly trends downward until dramatically dropping at SHW.  Probably has a little to do with the fact that you lift your body weight along with the weight when squatting.  With the bench press, it starts at 3.65XBW at 114 lbs and trends upward until 198 lbs where it peaks at 4.29XBW, then it trends downward.  So if we look at pure strength alone, I think the sweet spot is somewhere between 190 lbs and 210 lbs.

http://www.powerliftingwatch.com/files/PLWR-M-12-15-13.pdf

I look at the 190-275 area as some of the strongest pound for pound also.

I realize that the littler guys do have alot of strength and should not be overlooked but I think the peak is in the low to mid 200's in this day and age.

With guys like Ryan Kennally and Scot Mendoson benching close to 1100 pounds at the weights of 275-308 that is pretty increable.

Ed Coan would rotinuely go 12X his body weight and then I believe Shawn Frandl would better that in recent years and they were in the 198-220 with now they still compete but maybe in the 242 range and Ed Coan at 50 is still putting up numbers that many half his age can only dream about.

Being adgile and athletic are 2 different things.

I believe with my girth I can NOT do things that people half my weight can but on the other hand I can do some things that people have my weight can NOT do.

Really can't and shouldn't use guys who are heavy on the gas as examples of athletic, strong, etc. I don't care what your sport is, using performance enhancers will allow you to do something that you simply never ever could without them. Scratch every one of them off the list. Lance Armstrong, Barry Bonds, virtually every record holding powerlifter (even those in the non-steroid classes as they only need to be drug free for a certain number of months, 8 I think). It's not reality, nor should be discussed as it is.

As for BB being the most athletic, it completely is based on what defines athletic. Wrestlers don't train to jump high, so in a jump test they will probably come up short, as would a CC skier, as would a baseball player. Wrestlers don't dribble a ball all day, so in a hand eye test they will probably come up short. Blindfold a wrestler and it probably wouldn't make much difference in his performance. Let's let the BB guys try that.

[littleguy301]

How about looking at pound for pound strength, or strength as a multiple of body weight?  With powerlifting, the all-time squat records definately favor the lighter guys.  At 114 lbs the record is 6 times their body weight and slowly trends downward until dramatically dropping at SHW.  Probably has a little to do with the fact that you lift your body weight along with the weight when squatting.  With the bench press, it starts at 3.65XBW at 114 lbs and trends upward until 198 lbs where it peaks at 4.29XBW, then it trends downward.  So if we look at pure strength alone, I think the sweet spot is somewhere between 190 lbs and 210 lbs.

http://www.powerliftingwatch.com/files/PLWR-M-12-15-13.pdf

I look at the 190-275 area as some of the strongest pound for pound also.

I realize that the littler guys do have alot of strength and should not be overlooked but I think the peak is in the low to mid 200's in this day and age.

With guys like Ryan Kennally and Scot Mendoson benching close to 1100 pounds at the weights of 275-308 that is pretty increable.

Ed Coan would rotinuely go 12X his body weight and then I believe Shawn Frandl would better that in recent years and they were in the 198-220 with now they still compete but maybe in the 242 range and Ed Coan at 50 is still putting up numbers that many half his age can only dream about.

Being adgile and athletic are 2 different things.

I believe with my girth I can NOT do things that people half my weight can but on the other hand I can do some things that people have my weight can NOT do.

You're not talking about eating the "Super Burrito" in less than 10 minutes so that you can get it free, are you LG?

Haha that is flipping hilarious.  I just have the mental picture of little guy sitting outside of la bambas in line waiting to get a burrito as big as his head.

Then just destroying it while Nat sits by watching in disgust.

When I get busy with the food, I hope no one is close by,,,,,my family will sit at another table in fear of losing a digit!

[npope]

A few years back at the Arizonia clinic to increase speed, strength and agility for pro athletes and ones looking for the combine, guess who set most of the records.

Brock Lessnar was the man without a doubt hand down. 6'3" and 290 and ran a 4.6 set records in the cones drill and strength.

How about that for a big guy. His times were that of guys alot lighter and strength was bigger than those of 100 pounds lighter and by % also.

In the spirit of "using the gas," are you folks aware of the fact that Brock Lesnar wrestled 149 as a senior in high school (wrestled Cory Wallman in the state finals out there in North Dakota).

Hhhmmmm.

[ChargerDad]

In all seriousness I would have to think that the most athletic kids that I have seen come through the high schools have been around the 160-180 lb range.  As they enter into adulthood it would range more like 180-205.

Athletic high school wrestling matches seems to end after the 195lb class. I am not saying that there aren't athletic kids at 220 and 285 but it seems very few and far between that two of them meet up other than in the finals of a large tournament.

You don't see many athletic 220's and 285's because most of the athletic kids with the frames to carry that weight are not wrestling, they are playing hoops.  I drooled watched the wrestlers at state in those weight classes (there was probably 6 or 7 total good wrestlers across all divisions in both weight classes IMHO) and wondered what my 5'2" 105 pound 9 year old could do with another 9 years of working his tail off when he is 6'6" and 265 pounds as long as he keeps thinking basketball is for sissies!

[littleguy301]

A few years back at the Arizonia clinic to increase speed, strength and agility for pro athletes and ones looking for the combine, guess who set most of the records.

Brock Lessnar was the man without a doubt hand down. 6'3" and 290 and ran a 4.6 set records in the cones drill and strength.

How about that for a big guy. His times were that of guys alot lighter and strength was bigger than those of 100 pounds lighter and by % also.

In the spirit of "using the gas," are you folks aware of the fact that Brock Lesnar wrestled 149 as a senior in high school (wrestled Cory Wallman in the state finals out there in North Dakota).

Hhhmmmm.

I dont like to argue but Brock was much heavier as a senior that 149. He has videos on you tube in high school, 1996, and he is much hevier than 149. You can look it up your self.

Brock was an undeafted (33-0) high school senior from Webster South Dakota but for some odd reason he did not win state that year. So if he was undeafed it must be a missprint or he was not eligible to compete in the state series.

He was a heavyweight at around 205 his senior year. From what I understand he did compete at around 152 yearly in his high school career which could have been JR high since they have inclusion.

[ChargerDad]

A few years back at the Arizonia clinic to increase speed, strength and agility for pro athletes and ones looking for the combine, guess who set most of the records.

Brock Lessnar was the man without a doubt hand down. 6'3" and 290 and ran a 4.6 set records in the cones drill and strength.

How about that for a big guy. His times were that of guys alot lighter and strength was bigger than those of 100 pounds lighter and by % also.

In the spirit of "using the gas," are you folks aware of the fact that Brock Lesnar wrestled 149 as a senior in high school (wrestled Cory Wallman in the state finals out there in North Dakota).

Hhhmmmm.

I dont like to argue but Brock was much heavier as a senior that 149. He has videos on you tube in high school, 1996, and he is much hevier than 149. You can look it up your self.

He wrestled heavyweight in Webster, South Dakota, and never made it out of the semi finals.. Finished 3rd his senior year.. Wrestled juco at Bismarck State College winning a national title before becoming a Gopher.

[Jimmy]

I have seen both lg and nat in action, not even close! Sorry nat

[npope]

My info on Lesnar came from Brady Cudd this past weekend at the Big Tens - he was Wallman's roomie when they were students at the UW. I think the fact that Wallman and Lesnar wrestled each other in high school is pretty solid. It's a fact that Wallman never wrestled above 152 and also a fact that Lesnar did indeed place third at heavyweight his senior year in high school (upon doing some research on the issue). So, at one time (although I have not been able to locate the details online), Lesnar was small enough (and good enough) to have wrestled Wallman at the SD state meet - although I cannot pin-point the year.

[littleguy301]

My info on Lesnar came from Brady Cudd this past weekend at the Big Tens - he was Wallman's roomie when they were students at the UW. I think the fact that Wallman and Lesnar wrestled each other in high school is pretty solid. It's a fact that Wallman never wrestled above 152 and also a fact that Lesnar did indeed place third at heavyweight his senior year in high school (upon doing some research on the issue). So, at one time (although I have not been able to locate the details online), Lesnar was small enough (and good enough) to have wrestled Wallman at the SD state meet - although I cannot pin-point the year.

I have heard this also, and from a very reliable source that Lessnar did compete at around the 152 mark at some point in his career but like I said it was early and possibly when he was in the 7th or 8th or 9th grade or could be in some source of freestyle or open meet.

I have seen both lg and nat in action, not even close! Sorry nat

Well the verdict is in

[npope]

I have seen both lg and nat in action, not even close! Sorry nat

What exactly are we talking about here - eating? While LG and I have yet to meet face-to-face, his prior career as a professional 'rassler leads me to believe that his forum handle was assumed with more than a little bit of irony in mind. I, on the other hand, weigh in at a modest 137 pounds. Given my general size disadvantage, I am careful to not reveal myself at Wisconsin wrestling gatherings for fear of some disgruntle forum poster coming over and pounding me for my tart little forum tongue. I fear Jimmy is dead-on in his assessment - in virtually any arena, I have nothing on LG; I am not even sure I could outrun him if I were to offend him.

[jeast]

I wrestled at 132 lbs. as a 6th grader.  I bumped up to 167 lbs as a 9th grader and 185 as a jr. and sr.  College was 190 most of the time, but played football at 215 give or take a few lbs.

I was more athletic as a 6th grader?  Or is 132 too big to be athletic?