How Strong are you?

You know us well enough by now to know how important we think getting strong is.

But … how strong should you be?

It’s all relative.

Relative to your age, body size, and yes, whether you are male or female.

Generally speaking, men are stronger than women; and younger people will be stronger than older populations. Now, that doesn’t mean there aren’t some women who are stronger than some men… we have quite a few of those in our program, alongside some older folk who are bossing the younger ones 😂 💪.

How strong are you relative to your body weight and your age?

That's a powerful metric for health, wellness and longevity (another key theme of ours).

So, let’s start with strength standards, of which there are five.

  1. Decent

  2. Good

  3. Optimal

  4. Advanced

  5. Athletic

We believe everyone should strive to get as near to Optimal as they can.

Why?

  • So you can pick up the kids/grandkids without straining a muscle.

  • So you can move your furniture without breaking your back!

  • So you can maybe pick someone up and help them to safety…

  • So you can pack on some lean mass and decrease your risk of preventable illness.

Next, let’s look at the lifts.

You can measure your strength with a one rep max lift (the maximal amount of weight you can lift with perfect form, once) in the following lifts:

Squat

Decent  Female 0.8 of bodyweight (in lbs)   Male 1.0

Good     1.0 x bodyweight   Male 1.2

Optimal   1.3 bodyweight    Male 1.5

Advanced   1.5 bodyweight   Male 1.75

Athletic   1.75 bodyweight   Male 2.0

Bench Press

Decent  Female 0.65 of bodyweight (in lbs)   Male 0.75

Good     0.7 x bodyweight   Male 1

Optimal   0.85 bodyweight    Male 1.5

Advanced   1.0 bodyweight   Male 1.75

Athletic   1.25 bodyweight   Male 2.0

Deadlift

Decent  Female 1.0 of bodyweight (in lbs)   Male 1.0

Good     1.3 x bodyweight   Male 1.3

Optimal   1.65 bodyweight    Male 1.65

Advanced   2.0 bodyweight   Male 2.0

Athletic   2.25 bodyweight   Male 2.25

Keen To Test At Home? (REMEMBER: Perfect Form!)

Push Ups

Decent  Female 5   Male 10

Good     10 x Male 25

Optimal   18   Male 35

Advanced   30  Male 50

Athletic   40  Male 60

Pull-Ups

Decent  Female 1   Male 3

Good   3 x Male 8

Optimal   5   Male 12

Advanced   8  Male 15

Athletic   12  Male 20

Plank

Decent 20-44sec

Good 45-59sec

Optimal 60-89sec

Advanced 90-119sec

Athletic 120sec

Remember, don’t get caught up comparing yourself to others, and most importantly enjoy the journey getting to as strong as you want to become 💪.

If you need some help reaching your goals, a structured program or a form check, come and see us 🙂.

Ben Brand