Female vs. Male strength question

[pinyougirl]

I am currently involved with a very sexy and strong female. I have always had a thing for strong women and have now finally met her.

I would love to arm wrestle her and have dropped hints. She isn't biting and I think it is because she might be afraid to hurt my ego OR EVEN MORE become disappointed if she wins and is stronger than me. (I honestly think my chances are 50/50...she is really that strong)

My question is this... ladies, how would you feel about your mate if you were actually stronger than him?

guys...how would you feel if you found out that your female friend was stronger than you?

Thanks for your responses.

[EvilEvilKitten]

An odd question, really. While it might be fun in a sexual context, I feel that it would be counter-productive otherwise since no one, regardless of gender, really enjoys being over-powered and held captive in real life.

[RedRoses]

Well, I actually thought I would be stronger than him, LOL! But I'm seriously not. Call me cocky, but I used to beat the boys on strength in high school (damn bullies). I even was a bit disappointed I couldn't beat a man, cause I've always thought of it as my safety net. Yet admittedly; I like it how he's stronger than I am. Or at least: strong so that it becomes an advantage in certain positions And getting the groceries upstairs Would I have been disappointed if I'd actually had been stronger? No way! But I don't think I would have arm wrestled him for it either

[Brandye]

It is a matter of:
1. Hormones
2. Body geometry

Most men will outdo us females in most physical activities because testosterone promotes greater muscle mass and because the angles of the joints in men are better designed for leverage than women's - especially true in the legs.

Individually, women can outdo men in selective physical activities. May be true if she has great upper body strength and you are normal. Few men can outdo me on a bicycle. My upper body strength is not good in comparison. So she whips you. So what? So you beat her. So what?

Non-issue.

[Studmuffin]

It's a non-issue, just enjoy the time you spend together.

[Humble]

Originally Posted by Brandye

It is a matter of:
1. Hormones
2. Body geometry

Most men will outdo us females in most physical activities because testosterone promotes greater muscle mass and because the angles of the joints in men are better designed for leverage than women's - especially true in the legs.

Individually, women can outdo men in selective physical activities. May be true if she has great upper body strength and you are normal. Few men can outdo me on a bicycle. My upper body strength is not good in comparison. So she whips you. So what? So you beat her. So what?

Non-issue.

Brandeye is correct on all counts. Just to elaborate, though, I would add that sex-based strength differences differ in different regions of the body and/or muscles/muscle groups. For example, on average female upper body strength is about 50% of male upper body strength, but female lower body strength is approximately 85% of male lower body strength. Furthermore, as has already been stated, these are averages, obviously there is large individual variation in physical strength, which means that your girlfriend could indeed be stronger than you.

The greater male physical strength is probably what fuels the illusion of male toughness. People automatically assume that stronger people should be able to withstand more, but that is not necessarily true. For example, there is evidence that testosterone, the very same hormone that promotes greater muscle growth in men, may partially suppress the immune system. Perhaps this should not be surprising, since male mortality is higher at every age than female mortality (though male predisposition for risky behaviors, lack of self-care and other factors may be the main reason for that).

[Ducy]

I would respectfully disagree that immune system depression is the reason for male mortality rates. Men tend to be more "reckless" when they are younger. Testosterone is beautiful when it comes to confidence and the feeling of power, yet horrible considering its young and ignorant teens who have a surplus yet wise older men tend to lack it.

Men tend to have heart attacks and prostate/colon issues. Partially because men don't want to admit being "weak" but also because testosterone screws with blood lipid profiles as well as causes androgenic effects like an enlarged prostate.

One place that women do have advantage over us men is in the flexibility and balance spectrum. Wide hips, and a more "powerful" leg musculature allows great balance. Its actually been shown that women tend to excel in places such as rock climbing, simply due to the lower body mechanics (although men tend to do such "adrenaline" activities more often). Pound for Pound muscle is muscle. But the hormones as well as the drive to become strong is what separates us. I very rarely meet a woman who wants to bench press 1.5 times their body weight, but not a day goes by where I meet a man who wants a 500lb bench.

[Humble]

Originally Posted by Ducy

I would respectfully disagree that immune system depression is the reason for male mortality rates. Men tend to be more "reckless" when they are younger. Testosterone is beautiful when it comes to confidence and the feeling of power, yet horrible considering its young and ignorant teens who have a surplus yet wise older men tend to lack it.

Men tend to have heart attacks and prostate/colon issues. Partially because men don't want to admit being "weak" but also because testosterone screws with blood lipid profiles as well as causes androgenic effects like an enlarged prostate.

That's pretty much what I said - testosterone suppresses the immune system, which may account for a part of the difference in sex-specific mortality rates, but the main reasons are probably risky male behaviors, lack of self-care (both of which are also fueled by testosterone) and so on.

Here is an interesting extract from an article from The Economist: "When asked with whom they would prefer to have a short-term relationship, women tended to pick the high-testosterone males. This makes sense from an evolutionary point of view, since testosterone suppresses the immune system. Like the proverbial peacock's tail, an excess of testosterone suggests that an individual must have particularly disease-resistant genes in order to compensate. These make desirable partners for a woman's own genes in her children. The problem with testosterone-fuelled males is that they are less likely to remain faithful to their partners."

One place that women do have advantage over us men is in the flexibility and balance spectrum. Wide hips, and a more "powerful" leg musculature allows great balance. Its actually been shown that women tend to excel in places such as rock climbing, simply due to the lower body mechanics (although men tend to do such "adrenaline" activities more often). Pound for Pound muscle is muscle. But the hormones as well as the drive to become strong is what separates us. I very rarely meet a woman who wants to bench press 1.5 times their body weight, but not a day goes by where I meet a man who wants a 500lb bench.

Yes, pound of muscle is a pound of muscle, regardless of whether in a male or a female. The strength differences simply arise from different quantities of muscle. Differential motivations are also an issue - usually, men do have more interest in "adrenaline" type activities. And yes, women do have an advantage in flexibility and some other things.

[Ducy]

Sorry, let me clarify. The men engaging in risky behaviour does have alot to do with male mortality. The immune suppression doesn't. I mean the amount of supression is minimal if you ask me. I very rarely see men get sick. In fact I see women come into the gym more often then not, feeling a bit under the weather. Men on the other hand. Always looking and sounding healthy

[EvilEvilKitten]

Men want to be noticed by women. With all the average woman has to deal with, since she's usually doing 3 things at once, the average man has to go out on a limb to get her attention in the first place. Along with that, is the fact that men are rather more expendable than women in Nature's heirarchy. You won't see men when they're sick because thyey're at home driving everyone crazy with their almost constant demands for attention because they're sick.

As for muscles, the strongest one in any human is the one that separates a woman's pelvic bones to let the baby out during that phase of birth known as 'transition'.