What accounts for strength difference between chimps and humans?

Question

From what I understand, speaking in rough averages, chimps are smaller and lighter than humans (maybe two-thirds human size/weight) but they are about five times stronger. Is there some physiological difference that explains this? Are their muscles or nervous systems different in some significant way?

Answer 1

they live in trees (or at least a h**l of a lot more than we do) so they need (and have evoled and kept) stronger upper bodies than we have..

this question is like why can people run faster than chimps.. it's cause we do different things, and need to be different to do them...

Answer 2

You just got to look at the human species, and the world around us now. Chimps world envolves surviving from predators, swinging from trees, healthy raw diet. while we live in a world where everything is made easier for us, our day to day activities don't exactly envolve strength or endurance anymore, like 300IB powerlifter can lift over 900LBS and the strongest ones are breaking world recors of over 1000LBS now. Then theres the human andrenaline in times need humans can excel way beyond there normal strength capabilities to succeed.

I also read something a few years back where humans are supposedly only you 20-30% of there muscles true strength don't know if thaths true or what though.

I just think its because humans as a whole have become weaker due to enviormental factors, still have athlets and strongmen who really seem superhuman but its all down to there training, hope this helps