Are the Turtles super strong?

[Leo656]

Rather the opposite. Keep in mind, as fitness trainers go, I'm a strength training specialist. More than any single thing I do, I deal in what it takes to get strong, and what it takes to build power. As a fitness professional, I'm more aware than most how you get back exactly what you put in as far as training, especially training at an "Elite" level. Effort = Results when all other variables are equal. Leo puts more work in, thus there's absolutely nothing anywhere, at all, to suggest that Mikey would be any stronger than him. Everything we know about Mikey as a character - laid back, the group's designated "slacker", usually consumes more sugar and junk food than the other three - directly contradicts that theory. Only someone who was rabidly Pro-Mikey and wanted to see him "win" in all things could possibly hypothesize that argument. Mikey's also usually shown as being on the smaller side compared to the others, and while I'm personally living proof that size isn't everything insofar as strength, it doesn't help the case any insofar as Mikey being any kind of powerhouse. A little guy who only trains 2/3s as often or as hard (at best) as his larger brethren simply isn't going to overpower any of them. It's science.

Factually, he could only really be considerably stronger than Donnie, because Donnie's actually probably even less enthusiastic about training than Mikey is, on account of it cuts into all his time in the lab or the garage, where he'd rather be. To me, I think Raph is probably the strongest with Leo about equal, but for some reason I think Raphael has more natural testosterone which can make a huge difference. Mikey and Donnie are definitely in the lower half, probably with Mikey ahead. I definitely see Mikey as the fastest and most agile (with Raphael coming in last in either category), and agree with those who say Leo is the most well-rounded, as in, while not as fast or as Mikey or having as much explosive power as Raph, for example, only trails by a hair's breadth in either category.

Keep in mind, even the "weakest" of them is still a ton stronger than the average human being, but then so am I. There's little to suggest "super-human" strength, but just by virtue of the shape they're in, they'd all have to be much stronger than the average guy. I deal with "average people" all day long... I'm amazed most people can carry a backpack. Nobody lifts enough, it's sad.

As far as what I base all this on, it's a mix of my own professional experience, and what we've seen them do in the older movies, since that's the closest thing to "real life" we have to compare to. I completely ignore any video game or cartoon examples because by definition reality is going to be "relaxed" and physics will be really inconsistent, thus skewing the data. For that same reason I also ignore the 2014 movie, obviously, because holy sh*t all of that was horrible.

[MsMarvelDuckie]

Okay, I can give you the training aspect, but what about someone who STARTS stronger naturally? I'm sorry, but I've seen too many examples in personal experience where a smaller person (with no training) is as strong or stronger than someone larger, even though neither has any actual strength training or works out regularly. I've surprised people with how much I can lift or carry with my tiny frame, when the same load is hard for someone a half foot taller and 50 lbs heavier. And I don't work out. (Unless you call walking to and from work and carrying groceries twice a week is a work out.) I've had people ask me how I manage it, but it's not that hard for me at all. Or friend we've had who was 400 lbs plus, but was also faster on his feet and much stronger than one would think. (And much of his weight was not muscle- he was terribly obese, but mostly from a medical condition.)

I know that training goes a long way, but there's still natural physical ability, and I'm not a rabid Mikey fanatic, but I can still accept him having a slightly better natural strength than Leo. (And even Splinter has acknowledged that he is more gifted than all of them, so that has to come from somewhere!)

[Leo656]

Again, extrapolation is what people do when faced with a lack of solid physical evidence.

It's a stretch no matter how anyone tries to justify it. Just is. I mean, you can if you want to, but it's a stretch. The fact that it takes a lot of supposition to reinforce the hypothesis means it's kind of flimsy by default. Plus, it's fictional, and thus can never be proven, so yeah, anyone could potentially spin any argument they want to support their opinion.

If we're being realistic, though? Nah. There's three basic movements that consistently and reliably measure pure strength and explosive power: squats, dead lifts, and presses. With heavy weight in any of those three, I honestly can't see Mikey putting up more than either Leo OR Raph. Respectable numbers, sure; but he's not a powerhouse and there's never been anything given to suggest that he is. All the roles have always been pretty clearly defined, to me: Raph's the powerhouse, Mikey's the quickest, Leo's he all-around leader and Donnie's more a support role. Those things have all been pretty consistent across various interpretations, give or take.

[Commenter 42]

This thread just won't die...

[Leo656]

Keeps meandering away from the main topic, as well. I think it's pretty well set now that most rational people see the Turtles as, "Really strong, stronger than most, but probably not 'Super' strong." The rest is just chitchat and personal biases.

[Commenter 42]

[Yabuturtle]

Originally Posted by Commenter 42

This thread just won't die...

Good God what have I done. xD

I don't recall to many official sources saying they have super strength. Did they have super strength in the comics?

[TurtleTitan97]

Originally Posted by Yabuturtle

Good God what have I done. xD

I don't recall to many official sources saying they have super strength. Did they have super strength in the comics?

If you're talking Mirage, I don't recall them ever showing super strength in the issues I've read.

[MsMarvelDuckie]

Well, I guess it boils down to which version do you take as definitive, or most relevant. For the "super strength" leaners, OT and possibly Nick would seem to confirm that they do, with 2K3 to a lesser degree. Mirage and Image may lean the other way, and I think IDW is kind of iffy. So I guess we can just say that it depends on which version we're talking about. But over all, the majority of sources seem to lean toward super end of the spectrum- if only barely.

[TurtleTitan97]

Originally Posted by MsMarvelDuckie

Well, I guess it boils down to which version do you take as definitive, or most relevant. For the "super strength" leaners, OT and possibly Nick would seem to confirm that they do, with 2K3 to a lesser degree.

Wait, when have the Nick Turtles ever demonstrated super strength?

[ssjup81]

Originally Posted by TurtleTitan97

Wait, when have the Nick Turtles ever demonstrated super strength?

Pushing the Shellraiser back underground without a powercell with the parking break on with Donnie in it? Dragging an unconscious Leatherhead back to the lair? That was all dead weight too.

Not sure about super strength but they have to be strong to do those things.

[MsMarvelDuckie]

Exactly. Especially the Shellraiser. That thing is a fully-rigged train car. With all that equipment Donnie had put into it, not to mention that it WASN'T on rails when it "died"! They had to push it from the street back underground, and THEN through the tunnel to the lair. That's a LONG way to push something that big and heavy. With the brakes engaged....