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Originally Posted by
msingh
No wait. Consult the tables. A squat of 500 lb at a reasonable body weight is elite, a weak guy most probably wont ever attain that level no matter what he does in the gym. Realistically only a strong guy would attain a 500lb squat, so he was probably never weak to begin with. This stuff is genetic. A guy can train all day but he might never jump any higher than before went to all the trouble. Yes ripp guys will tell you that strength is 'the most fundamental quality' -- and it's true, but barbell strength != general strength. Even ripp will tell you that no matter where you take your powerclean or squat you wont jump any higher. So certain things are fixed by our genes, like athletic ability.
It can translate, the amount of which depends on what you do in the gym and what you do outside the gym. Guys get much bigger while lifting weights which can help them in their sport. Guys get stronger at lifting things which can help them in their sport. Guys can use the barbell to address weaknesses, and all sorts of things. Many guys train from vanity or insecurity. There are a million different reasons why people do it. It doesnt follow that just because many people do something that it achieves the goal they think they're trying to achieve. Witness the millions of people 'training' in gyms around the country, thinking they're getting stronger by doing leg curls and standing tricep kickbacks. That's no argument. There are guys like wrestlers who've never trained with a barbell that would nevertheless kick your ass in an arm wrestle even if you squatted 4 plates yesterday.
Curling the whole stack at the gym might make joe golds feel strong while squatting 4 plates might make bob wichita feel strong, but a guy who is naturally strong could kick both of their asses in many things involving strength. That's just how it is. A guy might struggle benching the bar and still express maximal strength at opening a nut in an engine easier than a guy who can bench 5 times as much. I've seen this in real life.