4:3:2:1 Ratio for Standard Lifts

Ratio is pointless because it means you will have to stop progress on at least one lift if your goal is to catch up other lifts for the ratio instead of just pushing everything as good as you can.
Also you can always hit this ratio if you just stop training the heaviest lifts, lol.

I wonder if any pros are even close to this ratio?
I mean by this logic (3:1) Luke Stoltman and Iron Biby should be able to bench about 600kg.

Seriously though a ratio to keep and eye on is back strength Vs chest strength.
Too much chest work can bring your shoulders forward. So if ever you can bench body weight 10-15 times but can’t do any pull ups address that.
But otherwise go wild.

Thanks for that article link. Yes, I really like that kind of stuff! Just for the heck of it, my rep audit:

pushes 60
pulls 45 (pull up reps are lower than barbell rows)
hinges 30
squats 25 (30 if I don’t pyramid sets)
carries 0 (I’ve wanted to do these, but working out at home and NY state winters are a problem, probably this summer will do)

Basically, push/pull is double hinge/squat because I do horizontal and vertical moves. I’ve wondered if that means I should do additional leg sets/reps/moves, or whether this is a typical lower/upper body proportion.

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Maybe i’m making lots of assumptions that aren’t accurate, so take this with a grain of salt. Have you tried lower impact exercises to help up those numbers without creating a huge recovery demand? Things like push ups, band pull aparts, inverted rows, goblet squats or kettlebell swings are what i’m thinking of here. Movements that will help “balance” without the need for heavy weights or impacting recovery much.

Not during one workout. Although I did start alternating B and C workouts with my A workout of mainly barbell lifts. B and C have some things like lunges, shoulder laterals, chest flies. I was think about posting them to the “training logs” forum.

Just to complete the thought, where would you suggest the lighter movements go to balance out the reps count?

I don’t know because i don’t know how you structure your training currently.

Thats a very good idea. Great for all kinds of stuff- metrics, accountability, getting real time feedback on what you’ve just done or are going to do next, with multi day/week/month continuity.

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I’m not trying to derail the thread as this is a legitimate question, but I’ve seen this mentioned a few times by many people… what does wrist circumference have to do with lifting?

Is it supposed to be a way to estimate your genetic ceiling or something?

Two things: size of joins and the amount of load those small joins can bear, the idea being smaller joins can’t bear large loads, and some physique proportions are calculated from wrist size. The join size/load issue seems true for me. I tried working heavier in the 5-7 rep range. I was making good strength and size gains, then my left knee gave out one day. I dropped the weight, increased to 8-12 rep range, got my knee working again, made the same size gain after another 4 months, increased reps, recently added a small weight increase. In my experience, with my frame, working closer to my 1RM = abused joints. I gave wrist measurement as a quick way to convey I have a small frame.

I think you’re reading into some of this stuff a bit too much. :slightly_smiling_face:
Technically, you’re correct that a smaller joint may not be able to bear larger loads, but that should not affect you or your training at all. I say this because unless you are expecting to lift so much weight that the joint is at risk of breaking (highly unlikely for 99% of people who train) then it is a nonfactor.

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FYI, both of the below guys are 1000lbs squatters. I totally get where you’re coming from, by the way, as someone with a similar frame to yourself. Smaller framed guys seem to have more issues adding quality mass than their bigger boned brethren. But it is still totally possible.

Consider this: Dexter Jackson won a level 4 bodybuilding contest as a bantamweight. At that time he was the only bantamweight to win a level 4 overall. He had some of the smallest joints I have ever seen on a bodybuilder. I would bet his wrists were small.

I always figured that the wrist size thing was to do with bone structure. And thus muscle size / proportion.
IE - if I have TINY wrist I will have a tiny frame. Meaning that any muscularity will look huge on me. Or if you have big wrists maybe it easier to carry the extra mass? I’m not sure. 0 impact on my life. But @BrickHead and Stu used to talk a lot about wrist size.

This could be more to do with how you worked within the 5-7 rep range.

I happen to know a fairly small framed power lifter. She was a world record holder and regularly worked on low reps. As you would imagine.
I mean there is an U59kg men’s division in powerlifting. I doubt these guys all have 7 1/2 inches wrists. And they must be fairly familiar with low rep ranges. I’ve never heard someone say “I can’t go heavy my wrists are too small”.
Edit - until now. This is the first time.

Personally if YOU don;t like low reps or don’t respond or get aches I can appreciate that. But I doubt its because your joints are small.

What did those people, BrickHead and Stu, have to say about wrist size?

Interesting

I can’t remember it’s why I tagged brick head. But both being body builders I’m gonna assume it was more about appearance than performance.

Just to clarify one point: I changed rep range from 5-7 to 8-12 not because of my wrist size, or aching joints, I did it because my knee gave out while squatting. The change did not hold back my gains. Four months up to the rep range change I gained one inch on my thigh, four month after reducing weight/increasing reps I added one more inch on my thigh. When my goal is not powerlifting I see no need to go heavy when I can progress on reps/sets/tempo/rest. Wrist size as a measure of my frame is just another bit of information to consider along with the results of my actual work.

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Like any rule of thumb, these metrics are just approximations and of questionable utility when applied to a specific individual. Body proportions matter. Someone with short legs and long arms will have a much easier time deadlifting than someone with short arms and long legs. Shorter arms favor benching and overhead press. Some people are just built differently, in terms of muscle lengths, and tendon attachments.

Pro bodybuilders at that, so absolutely outliers to what most of us are looking to achieve

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Stu has small wrists and hands but had a 380 bench and could rep 275 on incline and huge arms, 18 inches! He had freakish strength on all pressing exercises!

I think bigger framed people generally have an advantage but there are exceptions and freaks out there.

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