What does Oleg prove?!?

[Chris Kaufman]

I've been thinking about this since last Saturday.

What does Oleg prove? Does he prove that all that is needed to armwrestle is a huge/strong forearm/wrist/hand? I'm not sure about his bicep, brachiallis, and tricep but he's obviously not as big there. He's obviously not big anywhere else either, like his lat, shoulder, and chest.

So is all of that a waste of time to train if you want to be "the best"? Could you literally do the Homer Simpson approach and be successful?

Does his freaky forearm compensate for the lack of other power, or are the others really not necessary.

Just got my wheels turning after watching him basically smoke everyone, minus Devon.

Thoughts?

[Chris Kaufman]

I didn't get a chance to pull him either, so I don't know what it felt like.

Anyone that pulled him have more insight about his power/grip/direction/pressure?

[Kyle Fitzpatrick]

this is an excellent question chris. i was actually wondering the same thing myself. oleg is basically built like what we would all consider "scrawny." no offense to oleg. he is a skinny dude.
i didn't notice any build whatsoever in the chest area, the back, and most certainly not the lower half. his left bicep looks insane, and his forearm / hand are from another universe. so your question as to whether or not an arm is all it really takes to be world class seems to be a legitimate one.

[CHRISTIAN BINNIE]

Just watch HOW HE PULLS.

For the LAST TIME. In muscles that r USED IN AWing, meaning what u FLEX, MEANING CONTRACT...R
WRIST FLEXORS...THERE R NO MUSCLE IN UR HAND EXCEPT THAT SPREADS UR FINGERS AND BRING THE, BACK...SO, when u cup ur fingers or squeeze , which u should NEVER DO, r ur WRIST FLEXOR MUSCLES..HOWEVER there r very small muscles in ur hand that do aid In moving the hand too.
BICEPS
BRACHIOALIS
BRACHIOLIS RADIALIS
PRONATORS, there r 2, pronator teres and pronator quadratus
SUPINATORS, there r 2, one in ur forearm, and there other is, UR BICEPS
CHEST, YES CHEST
OBLIQUES

MUSCLES THAT U DO NOT USE, MEANING CONTRACTING:
LATS, THAT'S RIGHT LATS, U EXTEND THEM, NOT USE THE,, CONTRACT THEM. " we'll Christian y r they sore when I pull?" Because any muscle for period of time in EXTENSION will get sore...ALSO, UR ELBOW IS ON THE PAD, AND WHEN IT COMES TO THE BACK OF THE PAD, UR ELBOW DOES NOT PASS UR BODY, which u need to bring ur elbow pasted ur body to USE, CONTRACT IT.. EX PULLOVERS, work PECS, UNLESS U BRING ELBOW PASTED UR BODY.
TRICPES. U NEVER EXTEND UR ELBOW, EVER, SO U DO NOT USE, CONTRACT UR TRICEP. UR actually working, using, contracting ur oblique muscles, cause you bend at the waist.

Now what r the actions of ur shoulder, tha aide in AWing? Ok, raising of the humerus ( upper arm bone) when arm is in front of u. ( also raised humerus when ur arm isn't ur arm is behind u.
NOW HAT OTER MUSCLE AIDS, COMTRACTS IN RAISING Te humerus when it's in front or u? BICEPS..CAUSE. ON ITS TENDONS CROSSES THE GLENOID-HUMERAL JOINT.

SO WHEN UR ARM IS ON THE TABLE WHICH MUSCLE DO U PUT IN ACTION, CONTRAT, FLEX AND WHAT MUSCLES WILL U PUT IN ACTIN, CONTRACT, USE?
Ex..using LEFT ARM, LOL..lets say, like everyone does, ur elbow is on the upper left corner, ur arm is on the table, ur elbow is flexed, so those muscles r, biceps, BRachio Rad, BRACHIOLIS, and YES UR WRIST FLEXORS, CAUSE ITS DISTAL TENDON ATTACHES TO UR HUMERUS.
WHAT MUSCLE DO U WANT TO USE, CONTRACT, ETC?
Well Pullers usually brag their elbow to the bottom right of pad, so u will USE, CONTRACT, UR WRIST FLEXORS, WHEN CUPPING, HOOKING, SOME TIMES UE ELBOW FLEXORS, UR BICEPS cause ur trying to bring ur elbow towards ur body which is ADDuction of ur humerus, cause it attaches to the coricod process. Ur CHEST, CAUSE OF ADDuction of humerus. Ur obliques, Cause ur bending at the waist.
Now if ur drag ur elbow to the back or the pad, ur using ur CHEST, NOT LATS CAUSE JR ELBOW NEEDS TOSTAY ON THE PAD AND DOESN'T CROSS UR BODY.

WHAT MUSCLES R EXTENDED, NOT USING, CONTRACTING, PUTTING INTO ACTION?
TRICEPS. LATS.

Now r their SMALLER muscles that u use, like the one that aid in bringing ur thumb back And brings ur pinky down? YES, BTW, RIGHT NOW I CAN NOT THINK OF THEIER NAMES, SO have it.

TRAINING..
WELL I WOULD SAY KEEP CHINNING AND RUINING UR ELBOWS, SO U CAN SAY TO PEOPLE, " I'm an Armwrassler, and I will always have pain in my elbows, it never goes away."
KEEP USING THICK HANDLES
KEEP USING GRIPPERS
KEEP DO HIGH REPS, CAUSE IT REALLY WORKS UR TENDONS



BTW, IF ANYOME HAD REALLY WATCHED OLEG, HIS WORK IS GREAT TOO

So in saying that, PHEW, go at it

Please excuse the typos...

[Chris Kaufman]

^^^Just the man I was hoping would respond. I was hesitant to even ask the question for fear of a bunch of BS. lol

Awesome stuff!

So in saying all that, aside from Oleg's chest, which he doesn't have and doesn't look to use, is his left arm "made" for armwrestling? (Reason I threw lats in there is because most do tend to "work" them)

Thanks for the response, there are a few of us that still listen. Just don't say much anymore for obvious reasons.....

[Rob Vigeant Jr.]

Oleg proves the same thing zoloev proves.... Be really strong in the arm and hand.
Zoloev is all hook... So if your toproll is strong enough you have the key... Granted it has to be real..strong
On the flip side Oleg lays back and jacks his forearm straight up... Same move with everyone... If someone has a good enough arm and wrist... They have the key
I don't think it proves much.... It works for him.... But like Arsen... One trick ponies... No matter how good you are get figured out or caught.
I do believe toucan have a tremendous career with one real strong move... Everyone catches losses.
So... Pick a move that is most natural to your strengths and build... And perfect it.... Just pray you don't meet someone faster and craftier because that move becomes defensive catching... A whole different skill set.

I personally look at Rustam and the likes of him... Be strong... Everywhere... The body works better in balance and while those muscles dont contract, they do support .
He is a unique case with a very unique condition, but no reason to deviate from decades of proven athletes with as impressive showings for many many more years.
His gig is his own... He made lemonade with that lemon... And I was very impressed... But at no point did I decide to just do wrist and hammer curls and deem the rest a waste of time.

Don't overlook the fact his technical ability... He is a true full hand roller... You don't see that much and is fu(ks guys up when they encounter it... When done right with the right power it's devastating... Just ask John or cobra

[Rob Vigeant Jr.]

It really proves that if you are stronger you win.
Guys have been shut down all day trying to pull that same move... Why not him ?... He was stronger
Get strong... There is no magic formula

[Erick "Zap" Szczap]

Good stuff RVJ.

[Michael Creason]

Christian made me feel like I was back in Anatamoy class, thanks for the explantion. It makes a lot more since to put the actions with the muscles/tendons that are being used.

[David Marrocco]

RVJ for President!!!!!!!

[paulmartinez]

RVJ, BINNIE, awesome philosophy

[Brian Ledoux]

RVJ, good words... as a rookie I always like hearing the ideas of good pullers. I think just like in anything, knowing your strengths is a lot more important than just simply focusing on your weaknesses. Being an expert at that area or areas that you are great at will make you sucessful. But in terms of sports or AW, there will (like RVJ said) someone who will come along and just do "what you do" better. Lupkes is a prime example of this in my mind. He was the biggest, baddest dude on the table. But after he came back, a lot in the sport changed and he has to adapt to meet the current field of play

[Frank Dias]

Translation for Christians post -Build up your lats - talk smart - Win AW matches! I got it!

[Josh Handeland]

Great thread - great Q Chris - and thanks for the detailed and awesome posts Chrisian as RVJ. As for Oleg's "muscles" outside of his forearm, I don't think he has "small" shoulders/biceps/chest or LATS for his size anyways. His huge forearm probably just overshadows them. But, those other muscles are certainly small compared to te guys he is beating in heavier classes. What is it that RVJ says/used to say? "Big isnt strong. Strong is strong."