One man's codpiece is another man's typo dumbbell.
It's very hard to understand how it's a mistranslation, given the way the sentences move. It sounds less like a mistranslation and more like a lie.
It might be a mistranslation if the German norm is to label the weights according to what they weigh as a set.
Or if someone converted to pounds and then reported the number as kilos.
Or if Karl Rove was setting up his sinister plan.
For simple standing curls, it doesn't strike me as outrageous for someone in very good shape. I just did ten with 20, and I am a disaster. It is a bodybuilder set, I think.
Boring though. Biceps are about the least of concerns. Alternate arms, or leave one arm at side, with no weight to get a better body workout.
Here is the German:
Jetzt stemmt er 16-Kilo-Hanteln, abwechselnd rechts und links, 30 Wiederholungen - pro Seite. Und schnappt sich die 32-Kilo-Hanteln. Ganz langsam hebt er sie an, erst 10-mal rechts, dann 10-mal links.
My mad babelfish skills fail to resolve the question.
Jetzt stemmt er 16-Kilo-Hanteln, abwechselnd rechts und links, 30 Wiederholungen - pro Seite. Und schnappt sich die 32-Kilo-Hanteln. Ganz langsam hebt er sie an, erst 10-mal rechts, dann 10-mal links
There are a lot of people here whose German is much better than mine, but:
Now he lifts 16 kilo weights, alternating right and left, 30 times--each side. And he snatches the 32 kilo weights (pl.). Very slowly he lifts them, first 10 times right, then 10 times left.
There was an earlier illuminating discussion of this, mostly about the crispness of his butt.
7: Yes there was. FL picked about the most boring part of the story to highlight.
(that was me in 6)
Look, there is no way Obama can curl 70 lbs with one arm. There are people who do this, but you don't have to ask whether those guys work out, because it's frickin' obvious.
The reporter seems to have been rather smitten, possibly delusionally so. If she wants to believe he does 10 reps of 70-lb curls on each side, she will see it happen.
9: Yeah. 70lbs is what, 2/3rds of his weight? No offense to the future prez, but he doesn't have the look of a body builder.
Been googling around a little, but most sites don't recommend weight totals. "Do your maximum" type stuff. Did find one at 20 kgs to 40 kgs, and a bodybuilder site uses 70 kgs with each arm. Which is what I remember, the bodybuilders use a bell with three 25s at each side.
Ok, think about a barbell curl. What would you think of someone who used a barbell with 75, and then 150? Just average.
He does, however, have the look of a dude who could pick up cute German women at will.
Lets focus on the real story here, people. Our man is sexxy. Women want to be with him. Men want to be him. He cuts a heroic figure on the world stage that will make America proud to be America.
11: He's thin, sure, but not 105 pounds.
Barack Obama is the very face of Mandom Cologne today.
13: Yeah, I'd like to see how the Angela Merkel massage would have played out with Obama (her reaction, but more interestingly if it had been the same, the press's reaction).
Once he's in office, I don't think that he should ever be allowed to be alone with Yulia. Also, his Ukrainian policy should be carefully vetted by experts who are not straight males, perhaps Ms. Slaughter.
18: maybe being left alone would produce important strategic benefits. Like Blackford Oakes did.
Can you think of another fully televised election in which the hottness disparity between the candidates was so extreme? I really can't wait for the debates, so much so that I click between Obama and McCain speech videos on TPM so I can get the effect of watching O smile, and then Mac smile. And then I am comforted for our November chances. In some ways, stupid lizard-brain reactions are working against us this year (racism, fearmongering, those oddball PUMAs), but in other ways, our dumbest pop-song sensibilities are being drawn toward the right candidate, for once.
Though the text certainly refers to "32-kilo weights" with the right and then the left, it seems plausible that the German parsing could be [32-kilo [weight[s]]], rather than [[32-kilo weight]s].
Like I said, I just did 10 with 20 lbs, and could have done 30 reps easily. And I could get cast in Wall-E. That means my max for ten reps is at least around 30-35 lbs. Obama, in very good shape, did 30 for definition and ten for strength. Twice my size, his max is twice mine.
Just opened one of my exercise books. 30 lbs is normal for an ordinary person. (What the heck did I do with the magazine)
He's doing more than twice what an ordinary man can do! And his disarming smile alone will convince leaders around the world to abandon nuclear weapons!
Damn, Yulia's hott. So's Barack, of course.
Oh Christ, now I'm fantasising about little Yulia-Barack babies. Thanks a lot, Emerson.
15: There is the possibility that I was exaggerating for comic effect.
bob, I realize you're just expanding your performance art into weightlifting here, but Obama isn't twice anyone's size, unless we're talking 12-year-old girls. If the dude was doing 70lb arm curls, he'd look it.
Or he's an antichristastic Saracen Cylon. Either way, it's about as believable as Albright pressing 400lbs.
Here is a guy who does dumbbell curls in sets from 50-80 pounds. Granted, not his only arm exercises, but still.
Cala, there are important facts the mainstream media is not reporting. Did you know Obama is eight feet tall? Did you know that he often works as a body double in Hollywood? Sam Jackson requests him all the time, because Obama is far more cut than Jackson, and just projects a certain badassness in the close ups that Jackson can't muster.
22:He's doing more than twice what an ordinary man can do
I guess I should correct. The picture book I use is specifically designed to not intimidate or discourage beginners. It uses healthy but not ripped people, and shows light weights in all examples.
I'll ask again, for any who do weight training. Is a 150 pound barbell curl outrageous?
Incidentally, shivbunny and I have decided to do the hundredpushup challenge, and we're already two days into week 1. I trust all you motherfuckers who thought this thing was a good idea are also suffering through it.
The reporter media seems to have been rather smitten, possibly delusionally so. If she they want to believe he does 10 reps of 70-lb curls on each side is not behaving like an unAmerican terrorist, she they will see it happen.
McCain Campaign Press Release.
27:The barbell curl there looked like 300+ lbs to me
And bodybuilding is not weight/strength training. They will often use lighter weights to build size.
30: No, it's not outrageous, but the guys who do 10 reps at 150 have the look that says "I work out."
But: the weight you can do with a dumbbell is not half of what you can do with a single bar. And Senator Obama is in his mid 40s. And he's got a slender build.
(In that video, by the way, the guy does the 7 ft bar with 45s on each side, so the total is 135.)
31: Ooh, that sounds like fun. I kinda want to join in. My batting has been improving this summer, but not nearly enough, since I spent most of my days either typing or slinging chalk while teaching.
34: Man, did I learn that lesson the hard way. Half of 35 is about 15 pounds and 12.5 pounds.
37: yeah, that gut is kind of disappointing. McCain 08!
I'll ask again, for any who do weight training. Is a 150 pound barbell curl outrageous?
It would be pretty damn heavy especially for a set of 10. I have seen people at the gym curl around 70 lbs but they are obvious body builders.
They will often use lighter weights to build size.
I am almost positive to build mass you want to do heavy weight low reps.
But: the weight you can do with a dumbbell is not half of what you can do with a single bar.
Word.
And yeah, no way is Obama doing 10 reps each arm with freaking 70's.
And yeah, no way is Obama doing 10 reps each arm with freaking 70's.
Come on. We've all seen the videos of him wrestling alligators right before performing brain surgery. We know he's capable of these things.
Dumbbellgate '08. This is going to be like that fucking birth certificate crap.
Clearly this is wrong, but it does not simply look like a mistranslation.
The weights mentioned in this Politico article a few weeks back sound more realistic and not consistent with 70 lb curls (unfortunately there is no curls mentioned, she may have even gotten the exercise wrong).
39:But for definition, the opposite.
Gah, you guys are tempting me to put 35 on a bell and do ten. If I can do ten/35, Obama can do 10/70. I may die in the attempt.
34:Umm, to be honest, excluding the potbelly, my arms/shoulders are much more ripped than that.
Maybe I am in better shape than I thought.
43. is are
Triceps curls are mentioned, but not biceps I should clarify.
This has to be the stupidest argument I have ever engaged in.
In one set he started with 50 lbs for overhead dumbbell extensions. He lifted it once, grimacing. He moved straight away to 40 lbs
Ok, shit, 50lbs for an overhead extension. Hell yes, he can curl 70.
If I can do ten/35, Obama can do 10/70.
Science!
I'm going to the gym this afternoon. I'll also try your experiment. I'm 32, my guess is that I'm stronger than Obama. I'm also pretty sure that there's no way I can do 70's for 10 reps each arm on a standing curl.
Ok, shit, 50lbs for an overhead extension. Hell yes, he can curl 70.
This is probably the version that uses one dumbbell and both arms.
48:I read it carefully, and I am not sure it said they were standing curls. I was interested.
I didn't read the article, but pretty much the only time you grab a pair of dumbbells for curls is for standing or sitting upright in a chair.
This has to be the stupidest argument I have ever engaged in.
That can't possibly be true.
I'm 32, my guess is that I'm stronger than Obama.
But you can't draw strength from The People.
52: That can't possibly be true.
Can so.
51:Well, there are varieties of sitting curls that use your knee as support.
Ok, I'm through. Did some googling, and nobody believes in Obama. I told ya, now that he has the nomination (kinda) I am behind him 150%. He may not have the muscles to do 70 per arm, but he has the will. And a glowing green ring.
How we gonna end the war & pass health care without the belief in miracles? Yes we can!
54. Cannot infinity.
Cantor transfinity.
I don't think anyone is taking into account the fact that Obama has, like, 30 goddamned biceps.
A friend of mine used to work out at the same gym at Obama. He says Obama is a gym slacker, with his cardio and weight training combined clocking in at only about 20 minutes.
A friend of mine used to work out at the same gym at Obama. He says Obama is a gym slacker, with his cardio and weight training combined clocking in at only about 20 minutes.
If he can't take the pressure of at least 30 minutes of cardio per gym session, how can he take the pressure of standing up to Iran?
The data is back, Bob, and it doesn't look good for your theory. I'm stronger than average, and curling 70's was laughably not doable. 10 controlled reps with 70's is some serious bicep strength.
60:I couldn't do 3 with 35 lbs. Sept 15 for the pushups? Damn I got work todo. In Dallas August
But Obama is all magical in public, especially next to a Nordic woman.
50lbs for an overhead extension. Hell yes, he can curl 70.
What exercise are they talking about there? If it's shoulder presses, I do those with 50s but can barely curl 35s (though my bicep curls are pretty laughably weak compared to virtually every other weight I lift). If it's the tricep exercise, I also bet it's what CJB said in 49.
And with that, to the gym in solidarity with my push-up siblings!
There is No-Fucking-Way he is curling 70lb dumbells. No fucking way.
My trainer has never seen somebody do 70lb dumbells with good form.
People doing 45lb dumbell curls have arms that just look thick. His don't. I'd buy 35 lbs - that would seem about right for him. And it would be consistent with a dumbell tricep extension of 40 lbs.
There is No-Fucking-Way he is curling 70lb dumbells. No fucking way.
My trainer has never seen somebody do 70lb dumbells with good form.
People doing 45lb dumbell curls have arms that just look thick. His don't. I'd buy 35 lbs - that would seem about right for him. And it would be consistent with a dumbell tricep extension of 40 lbs.
Yeah, 35s is right for a fit middle-aged male of average strength. It's what I do!
To do 70 he'd have to be serious beefcake.
I have been doing 100 pushups a day for two months now. I just went to the gym to add a couple other things including dumbbell curls, which haven't done in 5 years or so. I did 20 lbs for each arm, tried to do 3 sets of 10. by the 3rd set I could only do 4 before my left arm gave out. and that was three days ago, and my biceps and forearms have been hurting really badly ever since.
I guess my point is that I thought pushups were doing SOMETHING for my biceps et al, at least using them a little bit when descending to the floor, but apparently not.
He's using 2 x 35s. It was a translation error. See ObWi.
