Hysterical Strength

[jkolt]

Hi Mark,

I'm curious about your understanding of "Hysterical Strength". My understanding is that there have been several reported cases in which otherwise untrained and allegedly weak parents in great distress lift tremendous loads off their injured children (usually involving something extremely heavy like a car). Here is a link describing what I'm talking about in case you need more info.

My first assumption is the physics of the situation may make these reported "lifts" appear much larger than they are in fact. For example, maybe the data on "successful" feats of hysterical strength is biased by instances of people lifting the light end of a car up, whereas all the parents that tried to lift the engine block side get ignored. After all, its not exactly noteworthy if someone doesn't lift a car off an accident victim.

Assuming you believe that hysterical strength DOES in fact exist, how does the concept fit into your understanding of strength development?

It seems that by definition, the people performing acts of "hysterical strength" have not been adapted to the loads they are lifting via a manipulation of the stress -> recovery - > adaptation cycle. But if their bodies are not adapted to lift the loads they lift, how do they do it? What is going on at the motor unit level? How does a "hysterical strength signal" innervate muscle fibers to such a degree that feats of strength can be performed well beyond what someone would do in a non-hysterical situation. Is this somehow related to the performance boosting effects of smelling salts or the use of other stimulants?

Maybe the broadest form of the question would be, physiologically speaking, how does stimulant use increase strength?

Thanks,
Jesse

[Mark Rippetoe]

Video?

[iamsmuts]

And I'd like to know your opinion of people who turn green, grown so much they burst out of their clothes, and become insanely strong when they get angry.

[Brian Harlin]

People that have been on Starting Strength LP for 2 years have hysterical strength.

[platypus]

This is the explanation I've heard, and if I'm wrong someone please call me out.

Most people can only tense a small portion of their muscle fibers at once. If they could contract more muscle fibers, they'd be stronger. When you lift weights your body adapts by improving your motor efficiency (amongst other things). When you see a small guy lifting huge weights, he's literally better at contracting his muscles than an untrained person.

Your body actually has a system in place to prevent you from maximally tensing a muscle, called the autogenic inhibition reflex. It's because if you maximally tense a muscle, you're likely to break something. Some things can affect the autogenic inhibition reflex and allow you to tense more muscle fibers, without training. Electrocution is one. Inmates in the electric chair sometimes break bones from their muscles tensing so hard. Drugs are another way. A cop I know once mentioned a teenage girl on PCP breaking a pair of Smith and Wesson handcuffs. If I remember right it took 350lbs of force to break them.

An adrenaline rush likely does the same thing: allows you to produce a harder muscle contraction by messing with your inhibitor reflex.

[Mark D]

I've heard of 100 lb women lifting cars off their children and such. Taking such stories at face value (perhaps a mistake) we don't know the effect of such an effort afterwards, like torn muscles, ruptured tendons or stress fractures. Adrenaline, among other things, is a pain killer. So while people MAY have accomplished such thing in extreme situations, it's not a bench mark for what you're capable of because the next day you may be too injured to lift a fork.

[jkolt]

I found lots of helpful videos all of which prove conclusively than I am idiot for having believed these stories. Carry on.

[Mark Rippetoe]

This is the explanation I've heard, and if I'm wrong someone please call me out.

Most people can only tense a small portion of their muscle fibers at once. If they could contract more muscle fibers, they'd be stronger. When you lift weights your body adapts by improving your motor efficiency (amongst other things). When you see a small guy lifting huge weights, he's literally better at contracting his muscles than an untrained person.

Your body actually has a system in place to prevent you from maximally tensing a muscle, called the autogenic inhibition reflex. It's because if you maximally tense a muscle, you're likely to break something. Some things can affect the autogenic inhibition reflex and allow you to tense more muscle fibers, without training. Electrocution is one. Inmates in the electric chair sometimes break bones from their muscles tensing so hard. Drugs are another way. A cop I know once mentioned a teenage girl on PCP breaking a pair of Smith and Wesson handcuffs. If I remember right it took 350lbs of force to break them.

An adrenaline rush likely does the same thing: allows you to produce a harder muscle contraction by messing with your inhibitor reflex.

There are so many things in this post that are complete bullshit that there needs to be an award of some kind. Maybe a T-shirt that says My Bullshit Inhibition Reflex Has Malfunctioned.

[Brian Harlin]

Someone trying to save their child's life is likely more motivated to make the lift than anyone in a gym setting would be able to muster. That alone, it seems, would count for a lot.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Yes, the actual physical ability to actually produce the actual force is going to be secondary to the wishes and desires of said parent, if the parent is sufficiently motivated. The force will just appear. Surely. Because it's important.