Bodyweight Effects on Strength

Training
1

I think it’s pretty well known that bodyweight can have an effect on strength, but I’m wondering what people’s experience has been.

For me, I’ve always been my strongest at around 230. At that weight, my squat was 420, bench 320 and deadlift 475 (not very impressive, but good for me and mentioned for comparison). I’m currently 207 and my numbers are down to 365, 240, 415. This isn’t unusual for me and over the past couple of decades, I’ve noticed a similar pattern, where when I push my bodyweight up close to 230, my lifts also go up to what I mentioned and when I lean down, the numbers go down to where they currently are.

I definitely look and feel better at the lighter weight, but increasing any weight on the bar is a huge struggle. The meathead in me also likes being able to push the heavier weights and there’s constantly a little voice saying to go up one more time; the unfortunate thing is, at 43, I think my days of getting heavier solely for the strength is behind me. :smile:

I’m curious if others see strength swings in the same range with changes in bodyweight.

2

I most likely will be the bearer of terrible news. There is an easy calculation to determine your strength vs your bodyweight. It is a formula used in powerlifting to determine Best Lifter (pound for pound). It is the Schwartz/Malone Formula.

Your multiplier for 230lbs is 0.5449
Your multiplier for 207lbs is 0.5714

At 230lbs your 420lb squat has a formula weight of 228.9lbs
At 207lbs your 365lb squat has a formula weight of 208.6lbs.

If you calculate what you should be able to squat dropping your bodyweight from 230lbs to 207lbs your 420lb squat when 230lbs would equal 400.6lbs if you weighed 207lbs

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