# Ever witnessed or have you ever had Super Human Strength? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 11, 2003, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-witnessed-or-have-you-ever-had-super-human-strength/160556 "2003-03-11T15:03:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Linus\_Van\_Pelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@Linus\_Van\_Pelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linus_Van_Pelt)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2003, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-witnessed-or-have-you-ever-had-super-human-strength/160556/21 "2003-03-12T09:28:38Z")
**Mental Note** That reminds me. I need to begin those gamma ray experiments tomorrow… ---
**Author:** ![Tristan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tristan/32/18058_2.png) [@Tristan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tristan)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2003, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-witnessed-or-have-you-ever-had-super-human-strength/160556/22 "2003-03-12T10:43:11Z")
Feats of strenght, at this point, are fairly well documented. I’m much more curious about instances like **SHAKES** , wherein something happens that should cause grevious damage, and doesn’t. I haven’t had super strength, but I have displayed some apparently lightning quick reflexes on a few occasions. We call it the “Warrior Reflex”, that in a time of danger or serious struggle, the brain kicks into overdrive and starts processing so fast that you’re able to make faster decision and actions than are normally possible. Not everyone can do this. ---
**Author:** ![GUINNESS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e495f1/32.png) [@GUINNESS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GUINNESS)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2003, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-witnessed-or-have-you-ever-had-super-human-strength/160556/23 "2003-03-12T13:43:49Z")
…Ive witnessed “RETARD STRENGTH”… ---
**Author:** ![PHA\_for\_life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PHA\_for\_life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PHA_for_life)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2003, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-witnessed-or-have-you-ever-had-super-human-strength/160556/24 "2003-03-12T16:43:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by GUINNESS \* > \*\*…Ive witnessed “RETARD STRENGTH”… \*\* that is wrong. at least use the term metally handicapped, please. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2003, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-witnessed-or-have-you-ever-had-super-human-strength/160556/25 "2003-03-12T17:04:23Z")
Perfect time to put in this little quip. At one time the world heavey weight bench press champion was a speacial olympian, not a non-handicapped olympian. ---
**Author:** ![GUINNESS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e495f1/32.png) [@GUINNESS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GUINNESS)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2003, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-witnessed-or-have-you-ever-had-super-human-strength/160556/26 "2003-03-12T17:14:09Z")
…so he was"heavey" & “speacial”?..any relation?😃 ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2003, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-witnessed-or-have-you-ever-had-super-human-strength/160556/27 "2003-03-12T17:24:05Z")
This is a sort of survey so I’ll move this thread to IMHO. bibliophage moderator GQ > [@](#): > > Once, little tiny 118 pound me dented a steel elevator door by punching it. I didn’t even bruise my hand, either. At the time, I was angry enough to have killed someone in cold blood. Thankfully, it was only the elevator. But someday… No, no, you don’t have to hold the door for me. Really, I _like_ taking the stairs. I mean it. ---
**Author:** ![3trew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/13edae/32.png) [@3trew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3trew)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2003, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-witnessed-or-have-you-ever-had-super-human-strength/160556/28 "2003-03-12T18:00:58Z")
The Golgi Tendon Reflex is kind of neat. No doctor me, but as I understand the physiological stuff it kicks in when your tendon tells your brain that it’s overstressed and might tear away from the bone. Your brain responds by cutting the power to your voluntary muscles. The end result, the only time I’ve ever had it happen, was me sinking down into the squat, starting to come back up, hearing a loud “CLANG” and wondering why I was laying on the floor looking up at the bar. Safety rails are a good thing. I’m wondering if there’s any science on these acts of “superhuman” strength. Leverage or no, some of these people are going above and beyond the 900lb deadlift/1000 lb squat/700lb bench press “norms” established by world-class powerlifters, but only in extreme situations, which are hard to do controlled experiments on. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2003, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-witnessed-or-have-you-ever-had-super-human-strength/160556/29 "2003-03-12T18:08:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by 2trew \* > \*\*I’m wondering if there’s any science on these acts of “superhuman” strength. Leverage or no, some of these people are going above and beyond the 900lb deadlift/1000 lb squat/700lb bench press “norms” established by world-class powerlifters, but only in extreme situations, which are hard to do controlled experiments on. \*\* Adrenaline is usually given the credit, FWIW. ---
**Author:** ![Nangleator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e19adc/32.png) [@Nangleator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nangleator)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2003, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-witnessed-or-have-you-ever-had-super-human-strength/160556/30 "2003-03-12T20:21:10Z")
I had the second wind thing happen to me in an odd way. In high school, my whole gym class was running laps. I was completely out of breath, and ‘running’ about as fast as I walk. As I passed a group of girls, one of them made some sort of jesting comment, like “Keep it up, big boy!” or some such. I had no interest in impressing these girls. I had no sexual interest in any of them. However, completely beyond my control, I started running faster and faster. I didn’t even WANT to. It felt like my torso was being hijacked by my legs, which were under someone else’s control. Weird. Weird that the second wind could be under subconscious control. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-witnessed-or-have-you-ever-had-super-human-strength/160556.md?page=1)