however technique and form is irrelevant in this thread.

imo i agree looking big/muscular does not equate to strength. TO A DEGREE

most powerlifters in the western countries that you see from youtube are usually huge mofos. you would probably see them as fat but in reality they have a lot of muscle mass hidden in them.

basically, to lift anything, muscles are the ones doing the work; supported by your tendons, joints, etc. fat does 0% of the work

so to say looking big does not equate to strength is technically incorrect. its more to how you train. if you usually train in the high rep ranges you tend to suck at lifting heavy, low rep schemes and vice versa. it depends really on how you plan your training routine and your goals.