Question: I am one of the tallest in the class, I rarely go to the gym, why am I stronger than someone who is smaller than me and constantly goes to the gym and does more sport than me?

Heather Eyre answered on 18 Jun 2013:

Two different questions to answer here: Size isn’t always linked to strength.

Strength tendencies are complicated they can be inherited and developed but are also very nutrition dependent.
Some factors involved in total strength are the muscles, bone and ligaments as well as heart and lung function which provide oxygen to allow the muscles to contract properly.

You can be naturally strong, whether you look ‘big’ or not, but you can also get stronger by training your muscles too.

There are people who look strong (Body Builders), but they work to attain a look rather than strength so there could be someone much smaller who is actually stronger – like an Olympic weightlifter, who is training for as much strength without getting too heavy.