Pondering about Superman

[hulkoutlvr]

Ok guys, here's one that I'm not sure has been thought of before, but it's always bothered me.

Superman (in the comics) was always portrayed as a mega muscle man, buff and bulging. But I always wondered something. You get big and massive by lifting heavy weights. If Superman is the strongest man in the universe (not sure if he's a mortal, lol), nothing is heavy for him. Nothing can challenge his muscles. So how does he continually grow and maintain his physique.

Any ideas?

[TheMM]

Originally Posted by hulkoutlvr

Ok guys, here's one that I'm not sure has been thought of before, but it's always bothered me.

Superman (in the comics) was always portrayed as a mega muscle man, buff and bulging. But I always wondered something. You get big and massive by lifting heavy weights. If Superman is the strongest man in the universe (not sure if he's a mortal, lol), nothing is heavy for him. Nothing can challenge his muscles. So how does he continually grow and maintain his physique.

Any ideas?

Well, from what I've read in a couple different MG's involving the Man of Steel, he has unique Kryptonian workout machines that have "weights" into the millions of pounds; though usually the character who is growing seems to always "overpower" him in the end anyways.

That's the uncanon (though sometimes very hot) answer, so my actual guess is a lot more simple. He just doesn't need to. Who's to say he ever has (or ever will) need to work out?

[chocomus]

I've wondered about that too. I guess maybe his kryptonian muscles grow by themselves without working out. Besides I remember a comic where he was absorving too much solar energy and he grew huge. Maygbe his growth is due to sun, the same as his powers.
Another way would be using weights covered in a small quantity of kryptonite, so that is difficult for him to move (and he has to make a huge effort to lift them), but not dangerous.

[Mdlftr]

Pretty creative answer about the kryptonite-covered weights! Even makes sense, in a way.

I believe that the explanation is that Earth's yellow sun is the source of Superman's great strength. Since larger muscles are typically stronger, it makes sense that a very strong man/superman/extraterrestrial would have large, fully developed muscles, to allow him to perform his feats of super strength ("leap tall buildings at a single bound, more powerful than a locomotive, etc. etc.")

I think it's a combination of genetics (isn't it always that way! ) and Superman's own efforts in running, lifting, jumping, pushing, f*cking..>oops!< I forgot this was PG column! er, umm.."other activities" that account for his super strength and highly defined musculature!

Mdlftr

[GrowWithMeBro]

Back in the Louis & Clark TV series in the 90's (with Dean Cain) - they showed his apartment refrigerator and pantry filled with nothing but junk food - cookies, candies, cakes, etc.

I think the idea was that he just had the body "naturally" (via our yellow sun).


On a side note... my buddy and I used to watch that show all the time because, we said, Terri Hatcher (who played Louis) was "so hot."

Well, guess what? My bud and I both turned out to be gay. I guess we both really were both watching it to see Dean Cain, not Terri Hatcher. :-)

[stew79]

Maybe He goes to planets that are super giant planets to workout.

[Geek2Jock]

That could work. If someone can perform a 1k benchpress on Earth that would equate to a 2,364 pound benchpress on Jupiter... making it the bodybuilding mecca of the future! If we can survive the methane in the atmosphere or course.

[mutador]

I vote for "he's always been like that", he's superman, he's big, his genetics are just awesome

[chocomus]

Originally Posted by GrowWithMeBro

Back in the Louis & Clark TV series in the 90's (with Dean Cain)

Well, guess what? My bud and I both turned out to be gay. I guess we both really were both watching it to see Dean Cain, not Terri Hatcher. :-)

I watched it for exactly because of that, just that i already knew the "real" reason
Dean Cain is a hot superman

[Ricksterct]

I think I got the answer to this one! Superman gets his strength from the sun. The sun is like a steroid to Superman causing his musclebound size.

[chocomus]

Originally Posted by Ricksterct

I think I got the answer to this one! Superman gets his strength from the sun. The sun is like a steroid to Superman causing his musclebound size.

Then if I was him i'd be the whole time on the beach lying on the sand

[hulkoutlvr]

It's plainly stated in the comic and the movie that Superman gets his strength from Earth's yellow sun. But it doesn't say anything about his size. In the opening sequence of the film, Marlan Brando states, as JorEl: "He will LOOK like one of them."

However, the only time Superman is portrayed as buff and bulging is in comics or cartoons. George Reeves wasn't built. He was tall, but not muscular. Christopher Reeve had an athlete's body, like a runner or maybe a basketball player (at 6'4), but he wasn't a buffed out bodybuilder type.
All of the Superboys on TV (John Haymes Newton, Gerard Christopher) were solidly built, but by no means looked like bodybuilders, and Dean Cain, while ripped to the bone, was not a bodybuilder.

I like the kryptonite laced barbell theory. If there was a small amount of kryptonite built into the weights, they would no doubt challenge his muscles. But could there be enough challenge to cause muscles the size of Superman's to grow. Those of you who are really big (with "super" muscles, lol) probably have to continuously iincrease the amount of weights to keep your muscles growing. Would that not be true for Superman?