Are You Strong?
Find out right now with these strength standards!
by Tim Henriques

Standards of Strength People
often wonder how they stack up against others in the gym. They want to
know what lifts are good, if they have weaknesses or not, and if so
where they are. So I thought it might be useful to compile some
standards of strength to serve as a reference point. Whenever
any sort of standards are put forth, there will invariably be some
disagreement about them. I'm fine with that. Normally the disagreement
will be on both ends. Some people reading this will look at the
standards I'm about to present and say they're too low. We tend to
define strong as being able to lift a little more than we can currently
lift. While that might help motivation, if you're already stronger than
.01% of the population then you are strong and you might need to compare yourself to a different set of standards. On
the flip side, some people might look at this chart and feel the
standards are too high and out of reach. I don't believe they are,
assuming you're a healthy, uninjured adult. I don't know what more to
tell you. If I thought they were too high I'd lower them. If
you really end up disagreeing with these standards, then I'd suggest
you put together your own set of standards, either for private or
public use. It's a good learning experience and will serve as a
benchmark for your own performance, if nothing else. How did I
come up with these standards? Honestly, I just thought about them and
tried to come up with what felt right. It wasn't the result of a
specific scientific study but simply the end result of literally tens
of thousands of hours spent in a variety of fitness type settings:
commercial gyms, private training studios, powerlifting competitions,
recreation centers, athletic training facilities, etc. If you
wish to dismiss this simply as one man's opinion then you may, but the
students and clients I've shared this with in the past have often
commented that the following classifications have helped push them to
achieve a greater level of fitness. I hope it does the same for you.

Decent, Good, Great On
the following chart I've broken down the levels into three categories:
decent, good, and great. I realize those terms aren't purely objective
but they seem to fit the amounts well. Let's take a closer look at
each.
Decent Decent is another way
of saying "not bad." I define a decent level of strength as meaning
that the person probably works out to achieve that level of strength,
but some naturally stronger people will be able to achieve that level
with no training. A person is strong enough so that their strength
doesn't limit them in their everyday life. Decent
wouldn't be considered "strong" in hardly any strength training
circles. I believe that almost all people can achieve the decent level
of strength through training. My guess is that most people would
achieve this level after 6-12 months of training. Some would achieve it
earlier, and it might take a select few several years or more to
achieve. The decent level of strength is a good milestone to
shoot for as a beginner. I'd also classify failure to lift 50% of the
decent level of strength as being weak in that exercise.
Good Good
is the category above decent. I define a good level of strength as
meaning that almost all people need to work out to achieve that level
of strength; very few people are that strong without any formal
training. Reaching
that level, most regular people would begin to classify that lift as
"strong." Most people can achieve the good level of strength with hard
training. It may only take a year for some and ten years for others,
but most people can do it. The good level of strength is a good goal for most intermediate level lifters to aim for.
Great Great
is the final and highest category of strength on this standard. The
word "great" is used as a comparison to average people; it is not a
comparison to other athletes. So while I classify someone who has a 455
squat as having a great squat, that doesn't mean they're a great
powerlifter, just that they're lifting much more weight than the normal
person.
Achieving the great
level would put your strength above 99% of the rest of the general
population. I don't believe that all people are capable of achieving
the great level of strength, but the only way to find out is to work
hard toward that goal. Almost no one is capable of the great level of
strength without significant formal training. If
you find yourself lifting above the great level of strength, first,
congratulations! Second, if you wish to continue to make comparisons
then you need to seek out state, national, and world records for
powerlifting in the big three, gymnastics guidelines, and records for
bodyweight exercises. Then see if you can find out what the strongest
bodybuilders and strength athletes are doing on the other exercises as
a comparison. In essence, this chart is no longer for you.
Strength Standard Chart Male Female Exercise
Decent
Good
Great
Decent
Good
Great Squat
315 or
1.5x bw
405 or
2x bw
455 or
2.5x bw
95 or
.75x bw
155 or
1.25x bw
205 or
2x bw Bench Press
225 or
1.25x bw
315 or
1.5x bw
365 or
2x bw
65 or
.5x bw
105 or
.75x bw
135 or
1x bw Deadlift
315 or
1.5x bw
405 or
2 x bw
495 or
2.75x bw
115 or
1x bw
185 or
1.5x bw
225 or
2x bw Standing Military Press
105
165
225
45
65
95 Leg Press
410
720
1000
180
360
450 45 1/4 Bent Over Row
225
275
315
65
105
135 Push-ups
30
60
90
5
25
50 Dips
20
40
60
1
15
30 Pull-ups
10
20
30
1
5
12 EZ Bicep Curl
80
135
180
40
60
80 Skull Crusher
70
115
150
35
55
75 Elbow Plank
1:30
3:00
5:00
1:30
3:00
5:00 Note:
All lifts are done with free weights, good form, no supportive gear
other than a belt, and drug free. They are all for a one-rep max unless
otherwise noted, and the weight of the bar is included in all of the
exercises when applicable. If both a weight and a bodyweight level are
given, you may use whichever number is lighter for you.
A brief explanation of the exercises:
Squat: Basically a powerlifting squat; the top of the thigh should be parallel to the ground or below.
Bench Press: The bar must touch the chest (pause isn't necessary); butt must stay on the bench.
Deadlift: Any form is acceptable; no straps allowed.
Standing
Military Press: Standing with a barbell, a strict press from the front
above the head. No kick or push press is allowed. Feet may be staggered
or symmetrical.
Leg Press: The leg press I had in
mind is the Cybex plate loaded leg press, but most any will do. Bring
the knees to the chest or until the femur is parallel with the
platform. ROM (range of motion) is a common problem.
451/4
Bent Over Row: Take a barbell with any grip, bend over 45 degrees, and
row it to your waistline. Some slight, but not excessive, kick with the
legs is okay.
Push-ups: Military style (on the
toes) for both men and women. No specific time limit but you can only
rest in the up position, maintaining push-up position, for a max of 10
seconds or so. Chest should either touch the ground or come within a
fist's distance from it. ROM is a common problem with this one, too.
Dips:
Lower yourself until the humerus is parallel with the ground, push back
up to full or near full extension. Same form for men and women.
Pull-ups:
Pull-ups are pronated grip (overhand) only for men. Women may do
pull-ups or chin-ups (supinated). Start with a full or near full
extension of the arms; chin must go above the bar for it to count. A
slight kip (body English) is okay but not excessive. Resting in the
bottom position while still supporting your weight is permitted.
EZ-Bar Curl: Bring the bar to the chin with minimal swing in the body. A barbell may used if preferred.
Skull
Crusher: Lying triceps extension. Lower the bar to the hairline, then
extend the arms straight, using minimal movement of the humerus to
cheat. Use an EZ-bar (most weigh 15 or 20 pounds, not 25 or 35 as often
thought. Weigh yours if you want to be sure).
Elbow
Plank: The yoga position, a test of core strength and endurance. Hold
yourself on your forearms and toes for the time listed with no
movement. This is an isometric exercise. Note: Don't test these all in one day. Test them when you're fresh and feeling good. I
chose these exercises because they're very common and already somewhat
standard. This is a strength assessment so there's no cardio,
flexibility, or other component of fitness tested. I didn't include the
Olympic lifts because quite frankly I'm not as familiar with those
lifts and I'm sure others are more qualified to give guidelines for
those exercises.

Where Do You Stand? I
hope after looking at this chart you have an idea of where you are
strength-wise. I also hope that this chart is able to motivate you to
push yourself to a level beyond what you've previously reached. If
you're trying to "make the gym your sport," see if you can get every
lift up to the decent level, then the good level, and then finally the
great level. If you can do that, your fitness level will be truly high.
Remember, as your performance changes so too does your physique!

About the Author
Tim
Henriques is the Director of the National Personal Training Institute
of VA. NPTI is a 500 hour, 6-12 month long school for personal
trainers. He's been devoted to fitness for the past 15 years, in
college he was a collegiate All-American Powerlifter, he has competed
in several local strongman and arm wrestling events, and he currently
holds the USAPL VA state record for the deadlift of 700 lbs at 198. He
attended James Madison University where he got his degree in
Kinesiology with minors in psychology and coaching. He is lifetime drug
free. Tim can be reached via email: NPTITim@aol.com.



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