How Does A Gorilla Get So Strong?

How does an animal that consumes no meat get yoked, and can we do the same?

Look at that absolute pinnacle of an Adonis body. This could be a shot straight out of a late-night Bowflex commercial. Photo by Valentin Jorel.

All jokes aside, if you were going up in a hand-to-hand fight against any other animal in the world, a gorilla is probably one of the worst draws you could manage.

Let’s check out how they weigh in:

• Male gorillas can weigh anywhere from 300 to 500 pounds (135–225 kilograms).
• Their estimated strength (force exerted through an action) is around six times the maximum of a human.
• They’ve got a bite pressure of around 1,300 psi (pounds per square inch) — stronger than either a lion, or a great white shark.
• They have an arm span of 7.5–8.5 feet (2.3–2.6 meters), meaning that they’ve got the reach on just about any human.
• They can run at speeds up to 20–25 miles per hour, although not for long distances.
• They’ve got a lower center of gravity than humans, which makes them more stable and a better fighter.
• One more advantage over us: fangs.

Really, you don’t want to fight a gorilla.

But interestingly, unless you’re challenging him or attempting to take his territory, the gorilla also doesn’t have much interest in fighting you. Gorillas are omnivores, but their diet…