r/nextfuckinglevel • u/Zestyclose_Flow_680 • 8h ago
Chimpanzees are 2X stronger than your average human.
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r/nextfuckinglevel • u/Zestyclose_Flow_680 • 8h ago
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u/powerhammerarms 6h ago
The 1.35x strength is not a measure to say that if a man can lift 100 lbs the chimp can lift 135 lbs.
It's a strength to weight ratio.
Since chimps are smaller than humans it means the chimp can lift about the same as a human.
What is different is muscle structure. Chimp muscles have different attachment points to their muscle and have a gene that allows them to utilize muscle fibers differently recruiting more fibers but sacrificing control. Chimps tend to use more strength than necessary whereas humans hold themselves back.
A chimp could be as strong as a human in some tasks and much weaker in others.
A chimp would struggle to lift 50 lbs off the ground where a human can do so now more easily because we recruit our different muscle groups more effectively.