What do you consider strong?

[balancefighter]

Looking at the thread being strong or looking strong got me thinking. After a few years I have broke some goals I always wanted too and it got me thinking when you do you look at somebody as strong. It seemed like repectfull numbers used to be a 315 bench and 405 dead/squat. Is this still the case or do you need a 405 bench and squat/dead closer to 600? To me I have always wanted a balance of looking strong and being strong but being strong always out weighed the other.

 

[twenty47]

i used to say benching 315 was strong. now im gonna say 405/600/600 is what i consider strong.

 

[ramnares]

I think it depends on your weight. If you're 180 and benching in excess of 315 and can squat/dead 405 then obviously you're pretty strong. However, those numbers aren't as impressive if you're 240.

 

[balancefighter]

i used to say benching 315 was strong. now im gonna say 405/600/600 is what i consider strong.

My thoughts exactly

 

[thecompound]

Yeah I see it like that and also I see it in the little guy that has no mass at all because of his natty build but can throw up the weight to your surprise. Kind of like a sleeper car. the ratio of body lb to rep lbs and the look

 

[Tblock1]

I'd say bodyweight ratio is very important. However if you are over 200 I'd say the 405 bench, 600 squat 600 deadlift is good.

There is always this chart too:
http://www.exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/StrengthStandards.html

However I think many of their standards are low. However for the average natural lifter they are great

 

[bluflame]

I concur with 405/600/600.

 

[ghettostudmuffin]

Tblock1, that post you listed I think is pretty spot on except for when it goes past the 242lbs weight class. The numbers for 275 and up are too low imo so I agree it's abit off.

That said a 242lbs RAW lifter benching 395, squatting 550, deadlifting 600 and pressing 267lbs is strong as fuck. That's a 1545 raw pl total. Consider the IPF raw belt only elite total for a 242lbs lifter is 1607...

People see so many pl totals and forget that is geared and most of those 1100-1200 pounds squats are in canvas suits with a monolift and questionable depth.

I have seen an 1100lbs squatter switch feds and his single ply squat is actually like 880-900lbs. That's an easy 200lbs drop because of weaker gear. Now take the squat suit and knee wraps out and you're looking at probably a 750-800 raw squat for a 280-300lbs guy which is still strong as fuck.

My coach is one of the strongest relatively "unknown" pl'ers ever imo. At 265lbs the guy squatted 900lbs in single ply to full squat depth, hams on calves with a medium stance and benched 500 raw. He could squat roughly 800 raw "deep".

Those numbers may seem trivial compared to geared numbers, but for raw that is obscenely powerful. His best geared single ply total was 2100ish in competition yet I personally saw him do individual lifts in training totalling 2000 raw...

 

[cuthroat]

i cant bench 405...fuckers..=(

 

[Tblock1]

Tblock1, that post you listed I think is pretty spot on except for when it goes past the 242lbs weight class. The numbers for 275 and up are too low imo so I agree it's abit off.

That said a 242lbs RAW lifter benching 395, squatting 550, deadlifting 600 and pressing 267lbs is strong as fuck. That's a 1545 raw pl total. Consider the IPF raw belt only elite total for a 242lbs lifter is 1607...

People see so many pl totals and forget that is geared and most of those 1100-1200 pounds squats are in canvas suits with a monolift and questionable depth.

I have seen an 1100lbs squatter switch feds and his single ply squat is actually like 880-900lbs. That's an easy 200lbs drop because of weaker gear. Now take the squat suit and knee wraps out and you're looking at probably a 750-800 raw squat for a 280-300lbs guy which is still strong as fuck.

My coach is one of the strongest relatively "unknown" pl'ers ever imo. At 265lbs the guy squatted 900lbs in single ply to full squat depth, hams on calves with a medium stance and benched 500 raw. He could squat roughly 800 raw "deep".

Those numbers may seem trivial compared to geared numbers, but for raw that is obscenely powerful. His best geared single ply total was 2100ish in competition yet I personally saw him do individual lifts in training totalling 2000 raw...

wow a 900 lb squat in single ply that deep in strong as fuck. I cant even imagine what it feels like to squat down that deep with that much weight.

 

[hollywoodfw]

I have heard, body weight press, 1.5x BW Bench, 2x BW Squat, 2.5x BW Dead lift

 

[the.gladiator1987]

different standars for different people. thatbloke just said 1.5bw bwnch is acceptably strong, but then in his opinion he thinks a 455 bench is strong

well for a 200lb lifter thats eiter a 300lb bench or a 455lb bench, 155lb difference!

This is how I determine if im strong. I put on weight and when I get looks from ppl in the gym then i know im strong. Thats the only time ill look at ppl lifting, if theyre doin some good weight. And it is not a specific number. If a skinny ass dude throws on 315 for bench, ill be watching him do it. Id rather look not as strong and then push the weight rather than look big but cant do a lot of weiht.

 

[balancefighter]

personly to me wen i first started i thought 315/400/500 was strong
but now

any bench over 455 is strong

and and squat over 660, and deadlift over 700 is strong

another factor i think people dont consider often enough is gear doses, despite bodyweight is a factor many underestimate just how much strength the right anabolic steroids doses and mix can give you

e.g for me trenbelone at 400-500mg weekly will give me roughly a 30% increae in strength within 3-4 weeks

so needless to say anabolic does play a major factor

however simple guidleline to me is, benching 1.5X ur bw, squat 2X ur bw, and dead 2.5X ur bw is a a easy guidle to determine whether ur acceptably strong

By these standards im there or above in every lift. By the chart I am just a little away from elite on every lift. With my lifts right now I would consider myself strong. I just hope when I cut down I can maintain them with the help of a good cutting cycle.

 

[AEKDB]

I have heard, body weight press, 1.5x BW Bench, 2x BW Squat, 2.5x BW Dead lift

I would say these are decent numbers for an average gym member who has never used steroids.

200lbs bw = 300lb bench, 400lb squat, 500lb dead.

There are too many definitions of a "squat". It is almost too hard to use it to measure strength on the internet. A 400lb ATG squat > 400lb average gym member squat.

 

[Rebecca D]

How about a woman's perspective. For me I can bench 115lbs and can squat 210lbs. My perception of strong would be benching 135lbs (the big plates) and squatting 225lbs (two big plates). I have a way to go but those are my goals.

Now as to what I think is strong for a man. I would say benching 315 for at least 5 smooth, clean reps and squatting 315 for 10 smooth, clean reps. Something about a guy struggling to get a weight up for one rep is unattractive, but when a man easily pumps out a heavy weight for reps....now that is sexy.

Rebecca D

 

[Tblock1]

How about a woman's perspective. For me I can bench 115lbs and can squat 210lbs. My perception of strong would be benching 135lbs (the big plates) and squatting 225lbs (two big plates). I have a way to go but those are my goals.

Now as to what I think is strong for a man. I would say benching 315 for at least 5 smooth, clean reps and squatting 315 for 10 smooth, clean reps.Something about a guy struggling to get a weight up for one rep is unattractive, but when a man easily pumps out a heavy weight for reps....now that is sexy.

Rebecca D

What if that weight they are struggling to get up happens to be a 500 pound bench for a rep haha?

Check the standards I posted they go for women too if you look under the male ones

Weightlifting Performance Standards

 

[ghettostudmuffin]

A 2x bodyweight bench is very strong. There are many lifters that will never no matter how hard they train bench that much.

I train around some world class natural pl'ers and I can tell you for sure a raw 2x bench is considered strong to your general powerlifter. I know several guys that can squat 500+ and dead 600 or more than can barely bench 315.

Alot of guys take the bench for granted since arm length and especially shoulder width and thickness play a huge part in one's success at the lift. After seeing more than a few guys with long arms yet still possessing broad shoulders I've come to the conclusion the shoulder ratio is as important if not more important. This and chest depth, tricep tendon attachment etc all play a role.

A raw 3x squat is fucking beastly. We have a girl that can squat 400lbs in a suit that weighs 120lbs. If I could squat 3x my current bodyweight that would be 750lbs. Add in a squat suit+knee wraps and you have an 850+ squatter which is extremely strong.

It's really subjective though to each individual.

One guy recently commented to me how this HUGE guy at my gym isn't as strong as he thought he would be. The huge guy is literally like 7" tall yet has hyooge shoulders and arms and is very powerfully built despite his height. He benches 315 for maybe 5, but he has the arm span of an nba player, but the thickness of a football player.

What this kid didn't realize about the huge guy is that he is actually retardedly strong to bench that weight since he literally presses it over a range of 3 1/2+ feet I shit you not. Then consider the guy comes into the gym 2-3x a month and you realize the guy is a fuckin monster.

Anyhow I'm rambling again...

 

[ledhead]

How about a woman's perspective. For me I can bench 115lbs and can squat 210lbs. My perception of strong would be benching 135lbs (the big plates) and squatting 225lbs (two big plates). I have a way to go but those are my goals.

Now as to what I think is strong for a man. I would say benching 315 for at least 5 smooth, clean reps and squatting 315 for 10 smooth, clean reps. Something about a guy struggling to get a weight up for one rep is unattractive, but when a man easily pumps out a heavy weight for reps....now that is sexy.

Rebecca D

You took the words right out of my mouth! Except for the "sexy" part of course...Lol
But you're right on target IMO... I hope you reach your goals!

 

[SouthernLord]

1.5x body weight bench, 1x body weight strict standing press, 2x body weight squat, and 2.5x body weight dead

These are numbers everyone who trains should try and hit. Once you can get all these for a single work on getting them for five. That to me would be the difference between intermediate and advanced strength.

Lucky for me I'm still in the intermediate zone on a few of those lists

I'd like to see b fold and bblazer's take on this. They're the strongest guys on here.

 

[balancefighter]

1.5x body weight bench, 1x body weight strict standing press, 2x body weight squat, and 2.5x body weight dead

These are numbers everyone who trains should try and hit. Once you can get all these for a single work on getting them for five. That to me would be the difference between intermediate and advanced strength.

Lucky for me I'm still in the intermediate zone on a few of those lists

I'd like to see b fold and bblazer's take on this. They're the strongest guys on here.

Wow those numbes x5! Thats what you call elite!

 

[the.gladiator1987]

lol thats pretty much where i am, i weigh 205

bench 315x9
squat 405x5
military 205x5
dead 475x6

its funny cuz when ur weak and u say wow if i bench 315x1 ill be so happy, now im not even happy with 9! so i also think it just depends on what ur goals are a lot because they def change with time

 

[SouthernLord]

lol thats pretty much where i am, i weigh 205

bench 315x9
squat 405x5
military 205x5
dead 475x6

its funny cuz when ur weak and u say wow if i bench 315x1 ill be so happy, now im not even happy with 9! so i also think it just depends on what ur goals are a lot because they def change with time

I finally pressed 315 a few months back. I haven't benched since lol

Standing press, DB presses, dips, and suspended push ups are all I do for upper push anymore. My shoulders and elbows have never felt better.

 

[the.gladiator1987]

I finally pressed 315 a few months back. I haven't benched since lol

Standing press, DB presses, dips, and suspended push ups are all I do for upper push anymore. My shoulders and elbows have never felt better.

thats good bro since u were saying ur not really a bencher?? GOOD SHIT!

i hope i never get old and have joint problems. hopefully by then theyll have some anti-aging stuff you can take so i can be 21 my whole life!

 

[kx250rider]

I think it depends on your weight. If you're 180 and benching in excess of 315 and can squat/dead 405 then obviously you're pretty strong. However, those numbers aren't as impressive if you're 240.

I'm happy with my stats, and would respectfully call it strong. I'm 185, and work out with 315, and 1RM on the bench is probably in the 340 range if my wrists cooperate.

Charles

 

[ramnares]

I'm a very jealous man at the moment Charles!

 

[SPEKTOR-AAA]

Is the bench press something that can always progress in terms of weight lifted?? Or do you think certain people just tend to have weaker lifting ability in this lift due to genetics and will always be limited by that? Specifically for me my bench press is my weakest lift not just in weight but in confidence and feeling when I am doing them as opposed to my squat and deadlifts.

 

[bblazer]

I'll chime in on this one...

Quantifying strength is sort of a difficult thing. Although very subjective, the real measurement for someone is what can they do with that strength.

To me functional strength is the top of the food chain. If you can deadlift 500 lbs but have to use straps to do it, then it doesn't really mean that much other than you have a strong erector chain. Just hope you don't actually have to use your hands to puck something up that weighs 500 lbs since because your use of straps has probably negated any grip strength you might have gained. So maybe a measurement of what you can do outside of the gym is more appropriate? Can you work harder than the next guy? Can you move big rocks out of your garden? Can you handle that half barrel for the party solo, or do you need help getting it in the house? What about helping push a buddy's car out of the ditch? See where I am going with this?

Then there is the type of strength issue. Are you explosively strong, or do you have better static strength? For example, I can't power clean shit. On an axle press I can get maybe 230 up, but after that I have to use a continental clean (some of that has to do with bar thickness, lack of whip, and that an axle doesn't rotate like an oly bar). Give me a log, however, and I can clean and jerk into the mid to upper 3's, and I can get nearly 300 with a concrete block. The point here is that the method of action of the lift can go a long way in determining strength.

But lets make this a little more simple. If I were pressed to give an opinion on what constitutes say a base intermediate lifter using gym lifts as the metric, I would probably go with something like this (using only a belt and chalk - no straps or suits):

1) 2x bw below parallel squat
2) 1.5x bw bench (with a pause on the chest - no bouncing)
3) bw overhead press
4) 2.5x bw deadlift with no grip aid other than chalk

I say all of that with this caveat. It all depends on how you look doing those lifts. If, for example, to get the 1.5x bw bench you look like a break dancer on the bench and don't have control of the weight, you need to do some more work. Same goes for hitching the dead, or having your form go to shit on the squat.

B-

 

[SouthernLord]

So my 455 goodmorning/squat/behind the neck push thrust doesn't count? Even if I hit depth?

 

[bblazer]

So my 455 goodmorning/squat/behind the neck push thrust doesn't count? Even if I hit depth?

Only if you are wearing Zubas, fingerless gloves and a do rag and using the pussy pad/bar tampon.

B-

 

[b fold the truth]

I love you Blazer.

But...being strong is a 300 pound man on a 14 hour flight with a 2 year old, both cranky and sleep deprived, at 36,000 feet, in the airplane bathroom changing a poopy diaper at 3 in the morning.

I have a picture.

 

[ramnares]

"I have a picture," PICS OR IT DIDN'T HAPPEN! Nahh just messing around, and yes, that particular task requires a whole different level of fortitude.

 

[bblazer]

I love you Blazer.

But...being strong is a 300 pound man on a 14 hour flight with a 2 year old, both cranky and sleep deprived, at 36,000 feet, in the airplane bathroom changing a poopy diaper at 3 in the morning.

I have a picture.

Was the diaper full enough that you could curl it and get a pump?

B-

 

[moya]

Is the bench press something that can always progress in terms of weight lifted?? Or do you think certain people just tend to have weaker lifting ability in this lift due to genetics and will always be limited by that? Specifically for me my bench press is my weakest lift not just in weight but in confidence and feeling when I am doing them as opposed to my squat and deadlifts.

ok, we're in the same boat in this one...
i have been training in powerlifting for a few years now, and despite how much effort, rest, training methods etc i have tried, my bench fails to increase signifigantly...
it has also been said that bench is the most effected of the big 3 by your bodyweight... so maybe the fact that i have weighed within a 20lb range the last few years is limiting that...
genetically speaking, i also have very long arms... so i would definately say that makes a difference as well...
some days i go into the gym with a poor attitude towards benching and im sure that dosnt help... but there are more days that i am ready to tear shit up... and it turns into utter failure...
on a positive note, i dont need a spotter... if i fail a lift, i roll it onto my lap and stand up with it...


about the 1.5xbw bench, 2xbw squat and 2.5xbw dead being good numbers, good yes for the average gym guy... for 5 reps being advanced? maybe, but not elite... i deadlift about 3.3xbw and would not consider myself elite yet...

 

[Rebecca D]

What if that weight they are struggling to get up happens to be a 500 pound bench for a rep haha?

Check the standards I posted they go for women too if you look under the male ones

Weightlifting Performance Standards

500lbs once is impressive, but I think 400lbs five times is sexy...see the difference. And thanks for the chart, seems i'm doing better than I thought.

Rebecca D

 

[b fold the truth]

"I have a picture," PICS OR IT DIDN'T HAPPEN! Nahh just messing around, and yes, that particular task requires a whole different level of fortitude.

Ask and ye shall receive.

 

[ramnares]

LMFAO...that's golden B!

 

[bblazer]

Ask and ye shall receive.

Diaper or it didn't happen...

B-