How much stronger are men compared to women?

[Anonymous]

How much stronger are men compared to women? If a woman has weight advantage, is she still weaker?

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+1 y

What about wrestling?

[Aries_87]

Men are physically able to build and maintain what is called "lean muscle mass" a little more easily than women, however, the difference is negligible if consistent workout routines are followed and done correctly and combined with a proper diet intended for replenishing protein and stimulating growth and repair of the muscle. Also, weight advantage is not consistent to strength at all. The major difference in bodybuilders compared to strength trainers is the builders often go strictly for size, which means they can develop large muscles that aren't necessarily as compact. A strength trainer may be smaller but still able to put up larger numbers while lifting. It's all just a matter of training styles. Look up "Julia Vins". She is a European body builder with an amazingly large physique for a female builder.

[Asker]

Weight is an advantage in a fight though.

[Aries_87]

Also not true. As a martial artist with 18 years of experience in various styles I can tell you first hand that weight is not necessarily an advantage. There are even forms and styles of fighting developed to help smaller figures such as the average women fight much larger opponents. Geisha were actually trained in such methods to act as additional bodyguards to royal figures. Some methods such as Judo use an opponents weight and momentum against them while many forms such as Tai Chi and Dim Mak make use of pressure points and joint manipulation which can be used universally on any opponent regardless of size. I myself am on 5' 5" and 150lbs and my largest opponent was 6'7" and around 275lbs and I beat him.

[Aries_87]

This is my area of expertise. I started martial arts my freshman year of high school and I'm now a fitness instructor as well as a self defense and hand-to-hand combat instructor. If you'd like to know more, please feel free to message me. I'm always happy to discuss these thing and help where ever I can.

[Asker]

But if we take people without practice, the heavier person is going to win? What if we take a heavy woman and a lighter man?

[Aries_87]

If we are discussing two people with absolutely no experience with fighting then it would probably boil down to random blind luck. An opponent with a heavier weight may be able to utilize their size to their advantage, but having the size doesn't necessarily GIVE them an advantage. Sun Tzu often explained that good strategy involves using your opponents strength as their weakness. Size and strength may mean they are slower or more easily tired out so a smaller opponent may be more long winded and have an upper hand in terms of endurance. It's hard to tell from the terms put here, but anything is possible.

[Aries_87]

I've personally known girls that were 5 foot nothing who could take out a navy seal if they were pissed off. 😉😂

[Asker]

Maybe in a play-fight, but I don't think small girls can win against bigger guys. Maybe if a girl is short and stocky, while the guy is tall and lanky?

[Aries_87]

Trust me, they absolutely can. And no, not just in a play fight. I've seen women take on guys much larger then themselves and beat the tar out of them. Even inexperienced fighters. I remember thinking in middle school how girls fight much more savagely then men. Men have a lot of respect and honor when they fight other guys (not saying girls are disrespectful or dishonorable) but women can tend to tear someone up. Women may be less likely to get into a physical confrontation to begin with but perhaps that also means they tend to be pushed to further extremes as well. Rule number one is to never underestimate your opponent.

Out of curiosity, why do you ask?

[Asker]

I got into an argument with a girl, tried to persuade her that guys are going to win in a wrestling match unless the girl is much heavier. Now I am interested what are the real chances in such a fight and what should the weight difference be to even the odds?

[Aries_87]

I can see your reasoning as that is a common first impression, but if we assume that two opponents are equally skilled (or unskilled) and the only difference is that a girl was somewhat smaller than her male opponent, I would say there isn't much of an advantage. If the opponent (male or female) is much heavier and we are following standard wrestling rules such as in high school competition, then yes weight has an advantage, but you must consider that 1.) this is why many sport styles utilize weight classes, and 2.) this is why sport styles have so many "rules". However, if we are just concerning ourselves with a "fight" then all bets are off. Combat, as in terms of what is referred to as "real world violence" is concerned, I would say that a majority of developed systems are designed to help the smaller opponent avoid just such a situation. A large man may be able to hold a smaller opponent down, but they will cry like a baby if you poke them in the eye. 😉

[Asker]

Good point, but if we take out "unfair" methods like poking in the eye, do small girls really stand a chance?

[Aries_87]

Again, all things being equal, (weight, skill, training, rules put in place) then what difference would gender make?

[Asker]

Men have more strength and speed than women of same size.

[Aries_87]

The only real difference is gender is that women can tend to carry a higher BMI (a difference of maybe 5% give or take) then men, and like I said, men tend to be able to build lean muscle mass easier. Really very little difference if they are the same size, build, etc. It all about how you use it.

[Intraluminal]

Generally men are 10% bigger than women. Plus, studies seem to indicate that their maximum upper body strength is twice a woman's maximum upper body strength when otherwise size matched and excluding women who use steroids.

Maximum lower​ body strength appears to be almost equal when size matched

That said, MOST women are untrained whereas a larger proportion of men often​ have SOME sports and muscle training, so in the real world, somewhere between two to three times stronger on average.

Personally, I have seen scrawny little demented 90 year old men throw young women around like nothing.

[Aries_87]

I've also seen 90lbs girls throw around guys 2 or 3 times their size like ragdolls. 😂

[Asker]

@Aries_87 Did they have more experience than these guys?

[Aries_87]

On some occasions, not on other occasions.

[Asker]

@Aries_87 How did they manage to win in these other occasions? I am really interested in this. I know a girl who is really short who bragged about winning against some bigger guys, but I didn't believe it. She is stocky though, so maybe that's her advantage.

[Aries_87]

Keep in mind that experience and skill in combat are relatively difficult to determine accurately. Plus... luck always plays a factor. Wrestling (as with any combat sport) is largely about the mind. You have to think quickly and outmatch an opponent on many levels.

[Asker]

@Aries_87 Guys have quicker reaction on average.

[Aries_87]

Anyone can subdue a larger opponent with the proper application of technique. Targeting pressure points, manipulating joints, targeting joints and tendons, etc. Max bench press is pointless when you find yourself caught in a great naked choke. 😂

[Aries_87]

And gender doesn't play much of a role in reaction speed. That one area that can be measured and studied and studies have been done on it before.

[Asker]

@Aries_87 I now agree you are right. Thanks for the discussion. :)

[Aries_87]

Women actually have a much higher pain tolerance as well which gives a certain step up on that account as well. No problem, I love the discussion. Hit me up anytime. 👍

[Paris13]

We are All... Created as an Equal.
However, Mind or other Matter, each of Us has "Stronger" Traits and Qualities that the Other, of course.
PS. There are Fabulous Women Wrestlers. xx

[Paris13]

Thank you for the Vote of Confidence. xx

[i_research]

A lot stronger but there are some men that are really weak; as in physically weaker than women.

[Asker]

But an average dude is stronger, unless the girl is much heavier?

[i_research]

It's not about heaviness

[Asker]

She can use her weight as an advantage is she is heavy. For example, if she manages to pin the guy down he will not be able to break free even if he is stronger.

[i_research]

lol I guess so

[mightymidas]

At the last year of my secondary school, I was the captain of my class along with a girl ( she was my crush also). We both were skinny. I preferred to do those carrying and lifting stuff myself than let her. but as time went, I realised she was much more comfortable than I thought she was.
Maybe woman's are weaker than us. But not that much. I think they are underestimated about their ability .

[cheesecakes]

Men are naturally stronger even the female has a slight weight advantage. The female structure doesn't hold as much muscle. They're weak at producing testosterone which is the primary sex hormone for building muscle. Also if a woman had the same muscle mass, in general the man would be stronger cause men use their nerves that connect to the muscle more efficiently.

[blondfrog]

Well most women I am still taller than even though according to amercian men standards I am short. I am stronger than quite a decent of male adults at least when it comes to grappling and what not. So I'd say yeah us guys are generally a lot stronger however there are quite some wimpy guys out there.

[Asker]

What if a tall, fat girl wrestles with you?

[blondfrog]

Actually if anything they are weaker than an average looking woman since most of their body is fat and they have less muscle mass.

[Asker]

They might have some more muscle mass due to their additional weight, but their main advantage is their weight. If they weigh a lot, you won't be able to use your strength against them.

[blondfrog]

That's not entirely true. I've had a really fat girl try to out power me and I restrained her with one hand

[Asker]

She wasn't able to use her weight because you were faster. But if she was more active and fast, she could just push you with her weight and pin you.

[blondfrog]

Your probably right and i'd say technique matters too that's how sumo wrestlers appear to be so strong.

[Rangers]

Much stronger, sometimes double or triple the strength. To put it in perspective, the bottom 25% of guys are on average stronger than the top 75% of women. This is due to the testosterone in the body of men that women lack, giving men a huge weight advantage that serves to produce that statistic. If both were to weigh the same, men would still have the advantage due to a much lower body fat percentage created by testosterone.

[blaze36]

depends on what you mean by strong? by strength or agility? more weight makes you less agile and more fat doesn't let you have muscles. so even if a woman has weight advantage it doesn't specifically means she's stronger even in strength.

[Asker]

Yeah, but what about wrestling or a fight? Weight is an advantage their.

[Asker]

there*

[blaze36]

in case of wrestling weight is an advantage. but if you ask me about a fight, weight is a disadvantage. that is the sole reason you see how MMA fighters take down someone twice their size. the more mass the more less agile you get which is a huge disadvantage unless you are fast even with muscles.

[Aries_87]

Bingo 👍

[Mitch6192]

If I had a match with Chyna, she'd probably batter me.

Just depends on the individual. Like most things in life.

[BrandonToTheD]

depends everybodies different, but I'd say average maybe twice as strong or 3x

[Dred1614returns]

The average man is stronger than the average woman.

[Anonymous]

Way stronger... not many females can lift 200 pounds

[Anonymous]

Go back to fucking elementary school.

[Asker]

WTF?

[Opinion Owner]

Yup...

[Paris13]

lol Not Nice, Pink, I Think. xx

[Anonymous]

11.35% stronger

[Asker]

Source for such a number?

[BrandonToTheD]

I'm pretty sure it's 50 to 150% 11 seems so low