Why is Goku struggling with 40 tons

Yet he can kick people through mountains? I think it's pis. Can anyone explain how this is possible?

Planet, different gravity

If you read Dragon Ball, you'll find that extreme cardio while carrying 80 lbs is the only thing peak human and superhuman. At the end, 220 lbs is all that keeps Goku from striking faster than lightning.

You have to remember, they don't just straight up lift weights all the time - it is (broadly) a martial arts manga. Striking and ki attacks will always take precedence over pure weight lifting.

Oh, and Goku did the 40ton thing in the Otherworld. Only the Kal's planet had heavier gravity. I mean, Snake Way dis t have 10x gravity, did it?

They have way better striking capabilities and Ki blasts than physical strength.

Yeah, its all this ki stuff. Similar to Iron Fist who is peak human in lifting strength, but can similarly punch top level opponents using his ki!

I believe the Ki is what gives them striking feats, in fact. Everything in DBZ is based on it.

@fallschirmjager: Damn notifications not working!

True their Ki is what gives them their ridiculous damage output(with BoG allowing SSJ3 Goku to punch a clean hole through King Kai's home which is a star by Goku’s,King Kai's,Beers,and Whiskey's words)

Yeah the trouble lifting 40 tons is probably P.I.S IMO but it doesn't really matter though because lifting isn't really a good way to measure Dragon ball characters strength.

@hart7668: Snake Way has Earth's gravity, King Kai's planet had x10

Who needs strength when you got Ki?

I'm not a DBZ fan. But:

Lifting feat =/= striking feat, which is something that most people forget.

@dratini1331: Right, that's what I tries to type but on my phone, I think I messed it up :p

As others have said, ki "comes out" when they strike - so it's more powerful than just their physical being throwing a punch (ie: just kinetic energy). You can imagine an outline of a first with all this swirling energy inside, and when they connect the energy goes out into the target (imparting more energy into it than what a physical punch would alone. Pretty much any super-strike has to have an explanation similar to this (that, or reduction of the mass of target...ala Plutonian in Irredeemable)).

Weak is a relative term. Compared to characters famous for huge lifting feats, yes. Compared to you or me, not so much.

One: He was using air dance at the moment. In dragonball, tien exhausted -all- of his energy simply by lifting goku in air in a fight against king piccolo.

Two: He wasn't using any sort of ki there.

Three: Ki planets have different gravitation.

It was an outlier feat.. that scene is supposed to be comedic nothing serious implied

just like master roshi blowing up the moon..

Back in dragonball. goku throwed giant piccollo like he was a cardboard which weighs around 90 tons.

These guys have the right answer. It's all about Ki.