Originally posted by ColossusGrundy
World class powerlifters can't punch for crap because of being muscle-bound.World class karate champs can punch through cement but can't lift much of anything.
Depends on the character. Superman would ideally be both. For combat striking would rule, for feats......lifting.
The higher you get in the comics the less striking power you seem to have. Sure, they show people making shockwaves with every punch but at a certain point everyone should be doing that.
Originally posted by ColossusGrundy
World class powerlifters can't punch for crap because of being muscle-bound.World class karate champs can punch through cement but can't lift much of anything.
^ Very uninformed comments.
A good punch doesn't rely on just the power of the muscle, but greatly on the speed of the punch as well. Whether a man can punch well and/or lift a lot is entirely up to the man, not determined by training but by what training he seeks. A body builder who presses several hundred pounds can just as easily take up a decent martial art and learn to punch fast. The same for the other way around. Naturally, though, if a man only seeks to punch fast or only seeks to lift a lot, he's limiting himself mentally, but he's not incapable of learning the other. As well, it's unwise to say "because this dude does this, he probably can't do that". A man you don't know, as far as you know, could be capable of anything.
In any case, what's more impressive? Who you can hurt is much more impressive than what you can lift. Look at Flash. He can't lift much more than a normal guy. But the IMP can level Superman. That's much more impressive than benching a billion tons. That said, a guy that can bench a billion tons can probably effectively slug Superman anyway.
This kind of reminds me of the phrase about wealth. "The gratification of wealth is not found in mere possession or in lavish expenditure, but in its wise application."
The same could be said for strength.