Why It's Like This?

[Alawadhi]

I armwrestle big people and i win easily, but when i wrestle some people that are kinda thin it's harder to win. anyone knows why?

[Wes]

I armwrestle big people and i win easily, but when i wrestle some people that are kinda thin it's harder to win. anyone knows why?

It's all about the technique- And too, just because you're big doesn't mean you're strong. My arms look like toothpicks compared to some of the guys I can beat, yet I will win every time because my technique is decent and my hand and forearms are strong.

[MarkH]

There's little correlation between size and armwrestling ability. Size doesn't mean squat

[Darco]

Size doesn't mean squat

*Cough* Cough* ..........weight classes

[MarkH]

Size doesn't mean squat

*Cough* Cough* ..........weight classes

Tell that to Engin, John B, Vern M, or any other top calibre puller who can be successful at nearly any weight class they enter.

And I think the original poster was refering more to amateurs than top level pros.

[Dave H]

Size does not mean a whloe lot in armwrestling. Tendon strength is what counts. Most armwrestlers keep their body fat low, thus being lean, or thin. But they train very hard for tendon strength. And tendon strength will beat muscle strength anytime.

Also, body-weight does not mean much in armwrestling. Guys that I work with told me that this guy could beat me with his body-weight. But he could not. You see, he weighed 320. And his upper arm could not support 320 pounds. If you lean back, counting on you body-weight to do the job, then you will just streach yourself out - unless your arm can curl your entire body-weight. Tendon strength, again, wins the day. Not size or body weight.

Techniqe is only about 10 percent of armwrestling. All this means is what way you pull. Do you hook, top-roll, sweep, post or shoulder-roll. That's all it means. Everybody uses some sort of technique. It still comes down to who is strong enough to pull the other guys arm down. Most guys don't like to hear that. The bigger guys always want to use the excuse of technique for being beaten. Sorry, squats, bench-presses and the such does nothing to build tendon strength in the arms.

Dave...

[unseenbeat]

Size DOES matter, but it's not the whole package. Bigger people are just more likely to be stronger, it doesn't mean they are. They also usually have the ability to be stronger, simply do to the ability to pack more muscle onto their frame, and make their tendons larger.

[MarkH]

Techniqe is only about 10 percent of armwrestling.

I completely disagree.

[Alawadhi]

All this means is what way you pull. Do you hook, top-roll, sweep, post or shoulder-roll. That's all it means. Everybody uses some sort of technique.

Dave...

hey what's that? I really don't know a lot about arm wrestling. I just grab peoples hand and push down.

[Alawadhi]

Size doesn't mean squat

*Cough* Cough* ..........weight classes

as i said before i really don't know much about arm wrestling but i know that martial arts also has weight classes. but this doesn't mean the bigger the stronger.

Edited May 20, 2006 by Alawadhi

[Soban]

but this doesn't mean the bigger the stronger.

You've just answered your own question.

[Alawadhi]

what i meant is in martial arts. bigger fighters doesn't mean stronger. but if this is the case with arm wrestling, then ok. thanks everyone.

[kyle102887]

what i meant is in martial arts. bigger fighters doesn't mean stronger. but if this is the case with arm wrestling, then ok. thanks everyone.

Bigger doesn't mean Stronger.......he is saying that if you are bigger or have a bigger hand it really doesn't mean all to much. There are advantages of being small and being large. You just gotta work with what you got and get better and better.

[Soban]

With arm wrestling the biggest problem for me is versing humans with long forearms, my hand is big but my forearm length is like 10inches. So if i verse a long person i cannot get them down at all.... maybe they are just strong..

Adios

[MarkH]

With arm wrestling the biggest problem for me is versing humans with long forearms, my hand is big but my forearm length is like 10inches. So if i verse a long person i cannot get them down at all.... maybe they are just strong..

Adios

Someone with a large hand and long forearm have a natural physiological advantage. Depending on your opponent, you may have an advantage in a hooking match by virtue of your smaller forearm. The problem is setting the hook well. Greg Boyce has an extremely small hand and short forearm, but he is immensely powerful (21" forearm at 90 degrees IIRC) and his supporting strength is is excellent. He has to overcome his physical handicap by excelling in other aspects of control, and he does it fairly well.

[kyle102887]

With arm wrestling the biggest problem for me is versing humans with long forearms, my hand is big but my forearm length is like 10inches. So if i verse a long person i cannot get them down at all.... maybe they are just strong..

Adios

Someone with a large hand and long forearm have a natural physiological advantage. Depending on your opponent, you may have an advantage in a hooking match by virtue of your smaller forearm. The problem is setting the hook well. Greg Boyce has an extremely small hand and short forearm, but he is immensely powerful (21" forearm at 90 degrees IIRC) and his supporting strength is is excellent. He has to overcome his physical handicap by excelling in other aspects of control, and he does it fairly well.

Where has he been anyway? I havn't seen or heard anything about him in the longest time........

Mark what is your oppinion of how big John Brzenk is? In terms or arm length and so on? I am shorter than him in height but my forearms are about the same length exactly.

Do you think I will have a harder road to be good because my hand isn't over 8 (about 73/4 in) inches long? But My forearm is about 15 inches long to the end of the fist.

I am only asking you because you seem to have much much more experience than anyone on this board in terms of armwrestling.

Also mark wouldn't it be a leverage disadvantage for a person with longer forearms? Because you have to start at equal height before go. This would put the person with a long forearm farther down. And the person with the shorter forearm higher. If not please explain why.

[Soban]

I dont understand how person with longer forearm will have disadvantage?

Of course unless they start at same vertical height then that means the person with longer arm would have a disadvantage since his hand is farther from his body then the shorter person, therefore the shorter person is in better position for a hook or whatnot.

But when i start arm wrestling with fellow class mates, the others make sure our angle of arm to forearm are same as the otherperson.

That makes it kind of awkward since my hand is beneith his hand and it makes it hard for me to get him down.

Bye bye

Edited May 23, 2006 by Soban

[kyle102887]

I dont understand how person with longer forearm will have disadvantage?

Of course unless they start at same vertical height then that means the person with longer arm would have a disadvantage since his hand is farther from his body then the shorter person, therefore the shorter person is in better position for a hook or whatnot.

But when i start arm wrestling with fellow class mates, the others make sure our angle of arm to forearm are same as the otherperson.

That makes it kind of awkward since my hand is beneith his hand and it makes it hard for me to get him down.

Bye bye

In a official match They would place you at even heights......so this means the palms will be at the same height...so there is a eaqual start height for both competitiors.....I was in a similar situation beating people much larger than me.......I would always have my hand as high as I could and they would be way on top of me.....i still managed to win but its sometimes difficult to explain teh rules to people not affliated with proffesional armwrestling.

[MarkH]

Where has he been anyway? I havn't seen or heard anything about him in the longest time........

I'm not too sure, maybe he'll pop up in Kelowna this year, although it's a long trek for him from Ontario.

Mark what is your oppinion of how big John Brzenk is? In terms or arm length and so on? I am shorter than him in height but my forearms are about the same length exactly.

Do you think I will have a harder road to be good because my hand isn't over 8 (about 73/4 in) inches long? But My forearm is about 15 inches long to the end of the fist.

John has a decent sized hand, especially for a 198lb if he decides to pull there. As for how large he is, he's big, but not enormous. John's strengths lie in his ability to control the hand and his versatility. This, however, is a corollary of his experience and his mind. He picks and chooses when to execute a particular technique or combination of techniques when it will yield the best results. In a tournament situation the path of least resistance is always prefered, no sense in working harder than you need to. The more techniques you are adept at the easier it is to do this.

Also mark wouldn't it be a leverage disadvantage for a person with longer forearms? Because you have to start at equal height before go. This would put the person with a long forearm farther down. And the person with the shorter forearm higher. If not please explain why.

The hands don't have to be at equal heights before the go, they have to be centered on the table. The person with the longer forearm has a leverage advantage in the ulnarly radiated (high hand, knuckles up) position, and in an ulnarly deviated (low hand) position they have a definate advantage in stopping a hook. With a longer forearm generally come larger hands as well, which give you more area to exert force and subsequently make it easier to control your opponent. The detriment from a long forearm comes in the initial set of the hook, where your lower arm angle in relation to the table is more acute, meaning with all things equal, you're lower to your pinpad in relation to your body, as well as generally being out of a hitting power zone and more on the defensive. This can be remedied through a strong supinated (hooking position) post or a strong cross hook. If you can maintain the height position initially held while still being in the hook there will still be an advantage, as the opponent will have an inferior hook; that is, although the hook is set, where the pressure lies on the hand is not condusive to applying as powerful a force. Sometimes my writing isn't all that clear, so if anything is confusing let me know and I'll reword it.