Muscles Are Meaningless: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

In [[Real Life]], a person's size is [[Pint-Sized Powerhouse|not a foolproof indication of their strength]]. Besides the fact that the short and wiry guy might know kung fu, the size of muscles is also not necessarily proportionate to their efficiency. You can usually expect that pure mass does bring a certain advantage in terms of potential power ([[Square-Cube Law|to an extent]]), but it's not a set rule. Leading experts in Broscience theorize that different weight training styles, say bodybuilder vs Olympic weightlifter, cause hypertrophy of different muscle cell components, in this case intracellular fluid (sarcoplasm) vs contractile protein complexes (myofibrils). Multiple training programs exist to increase strength without bulking up, especially for martial artists, who want strength without the limitation of flexibility excessive muscle can create.

** [[Word of God]] states that Sesshoumaru's ''arm strength alone'' is about as strong as Inuyasha in full demon mode. We're talking about all the strength in a single arm here.

* Somewhat averted, somewhat played with in ''[[Naruto]]''. While some characters use special chakra-based abilities to have [[Super Strength]] (just look at Sakura and her teacher, Tsunade (whose trademark ability is her raw strength). Barely a muscle on their slim bodies (except for their bosoms), but they can beat down mooks fifty times their size!), the characters known for being physically strong are usually HUGE. A, Killer Bee, and Chouji come to mind. There ARE exceptions, like Rock Lee (who is much stronger than his muscles would suggest, and DOESN'T use chakra to make up for it).

** Sakura and Tsunade's hard hitting explicitly ''doesn't'' have anything to do with muscles, as it's actually them [[Ki Attacks|gathering chakra into their fists and blasting it all out on impact]]. Most of their actual physical ability involves heightened agility to [[Deadly Dodging|avoid getting hit]]. When it comes to raw physical strength, the strongest tend to be pretty big guys ([[Stout Strength|Choji and his father]], [[Giant Mook|Jirobo]], [[Gentle Giant|Jugo]], [[Large and In Charge|the Raikage]]) or use some form of body modification ([[Powered by a Forsaken Child|Kakuzu]], cursed seal user, Naruto and Jiraiya in [[Super Mode|Sage Mode]]) except for Mighty Guy and Rock Lee, who tend towards the "defined, but lean" [[Bruce Lee Clone|in the style of Bruce Lee]] (see below) as they value both speed and strength. It's outright (and hilariously) subverted when Sasuke (who's really rather scrawny) tries to kick Killer Bee (who is quite large, tall, and muscular)... [[Punch-Punch-Punch Uh-Oh|and it does absolutely nothing]].

*** However, in one of the first filler episodes Sakura ''rips up a ship's mast and uses it to beat the bad guys off the vessel.'' This is before she began her training with Tsunade, you understand. It was a big ship.

* ''[[Babylon 5]]'''s Minbari, memorably when Lennier picks someone up by the throat and holds them with his arm held straight and level and not bracing himself. All whilst calmly explaining that although looking [[Rubber Forehead Aliens|much]] like a human he really is an alien.

* [[Doctor Who|The Doctor]] is occasionally shown to have this ability. The Fourth Doctor once karate-chopped a brick in half, and the Eighth dented a heavy steel door in the process of knocking it off its hinges.

** Data's strength is shown when a Klingon tries to challenge him in their version of arm-wrestling (B'aht Qul). Data effortlessly beats him, at which point the angry Klingon tries to headbutt the android. Data simply points out that his skull is made out of the same stuff they make starship hulls.

* In ''[[Friends]]'', Monica is [[Informed Ability|noted]] to be "freakishly strong", despite her size.

 

== Professional Wrestling ==

* There was also He Who Must Not Be Named ({{spoiler|[[Chris Benoit]]}}). Part of his "Silent But Violent" persona was that he was ridiculously strong for his size and able to perform power moves on wrestlers literally twice his size.

* In one of his books [[Mick Foley]] once wrote that when a wrestler had a less than stellar physique, the commentators would often cover for the wrestler's ability to throw guys around by claiming they had exceptional ''tendon'' strength. In some cases, such as with Dan "The Beast" Severn, it was true.

* While it is normal for lightweight wrestlers to be squashed by the big guys they are plenty of cases where the smaller guys (and girls) can get the win against them. This can normally only be done with high flyers who rely on hit-and-run type tactics.

* If you're a muscular WWE Diva then it's not wise to assume the [[Waif Fu]] girls will be an easy win. Just ask [[Beth Phoenix]].

 

 

* Bun-Bun from ''[[Sluggy Freelance]]'' is a [[Killer Rabbit]] about the same size as a plushy, and about as soft. Doesn't stop him from [http://www.sluggy.com/daily.php?date=980122 kicking] [http://pics.sluggy.com/daily.php?date=991128 serious] [http://www.sluggy.com/daily.php?date=090512 ass].

* ''[[The Inexplicable Adventures of Bob]].'' Molly's alien pet Snookums is about the size of a basketball, but began as a [[Kaiju|giant monster]] before getting [[Incredible Shrinking Man|shrunk.]] He retains all his original mass, so the ground shakes when he hops around, and he can defeat much larger opponents simply by hopping into them.

 

 

== Western Animation ==

* ''[[The Powerpuff Girls]]''.

* Bamm-Bamm as an infant on ''[[The Flintstones]]''. [[The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show|Later, he becomes a buff teen]].

* Ed, Sarah, and Rolf from ''[[Ed, Edd 'n' Eddy|Ed, Edd n Eddy]]'' have virtually no muscles but are incredibly strong, but Rolf does when he flexes or becomes enraged.

* June from ''[[KaBlam!]]!''. Judging by her usually adorable appearance, no one could believe that she's pretty buff.

* In ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender]]'', Jun beats some huge guy at arm wrestling easily. Then again, she is badass.

* [[Dave the Barbarian]] is a very tall muscular guy but he's a total wuss who can't fight worth a damn and always gets his ass kicked by people and animals smaller than him.

* On ''[[Total Drama Island]],'' shrimpy, geeky [[Dogged Nice Guy|Cody]] seems to have super strength. Aside from his [[Crowning Moment of Awesome]] knocking out [[Jerkass|Duncan]] in one punch, in TDDDDI he was hanging off a cliff, holding up himself, the muscular Tyler, the even-more-muscular DJ, ''and'' almost-three-hundred-pound [[Big Eater]] Owen. Shockingly, he was actually able to pull up all of their weight (though the cliff edge couldn't, which is why they fell anyway).

* In ''[[Silverhawks]]'', [[Genius Bruiser]] [[Brother-Sister Team|twins]] Steelheart and Steelwill exemplify this perfectly. Steelwill is huge and brawny, to the point his facemask looks like a ''football helmet''. Steelheart looks like a very athletic woman, but even she looks positively tiny next to her brother. And yet, they're equally strong and evenly matched in any physical contest, making Steelwill's towering bulk look... ''inefficient'' next to his sleeker, more compact sibling.

 

== Truth In Television ==

* It's entirely possible for a diet to provide enough calories to get stronger, but not enough to gain muscle mass. It's much more common with vegetarian and vegan athletes who can reach their optimal protein intake with fewer total calories.

* Varvara Akulova. Amazingly strong and has been lifting weights since a very young age. At her early teenage years she could lift 350 kg (770 pounds) and herself only weighed 40 kg (88 pounds).

 

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