As a beginner (been lifting for almost three months now), I have been wondering what numbers would be considered “strong” for an average male in squat, bench, and dead lift? What is the minimum threshold where someone wouldn’t get embarrassed if they entered a local powerlifting meet?
Of course, body weight would need to be taken into account as well. I am 5’6 and 145 pounds, should be up to 150 in a couple weeks.
[quote]RonSwanson wrote:
As a beginner (been lifting for almost three months now), I have been wondering what numbers would be considered “strong” for an average male in squat, bench, and dead lift? What is the minimum threshold where someone wouldn’t get embarrassed if they entered a local powerlifting meet?
Of course, body weight would need to be taken into account as well. I am 5’6 and 145 pounds, should be up to 150 in a couple weeks.[/quote]
what are your lifts at the mo?
it is pretty vague really, someone’s strong is someone else’s weak.
try to get a BW bench, 1.5BW squat and 2BW deadlift although diff leverages and strengths mean some lifts might come quicker than others. then 1.5BW bench 2BW squat 2.5BW DL.
alot of people say a decent strength base for an average sized guy is 300 bench 400 squat 500 dead, but you are quite small so maybe knock 50lbs off those numbers.
as far as a PL meet, just enter one and go from there. no one will laugh because people are friendly and/or just don’t really care about your puny lifts anyway.
[quote]bdocksaints75 wrote:
http://asp.elitefts.net/qa/training-logs.asp?qid=118599&tid=63[/quote]
did you actually read the OP?
I find these useful. Description at the bottom will let you know sort of where you stand versus where you ought to be.
Squat 300, bench 150, dead lift 225.
You won’t embarrass yourself at a powerlifting meet. Simply go and compete no matter what your lifts are it will only make you more motivated to improve. I wish I had started competing way before I did, I guarantee I’d be a lot stronger now had I done that. I’d say there are plenty of Class IV to Class I lifters at local meets. Master/Elite at nationals and well beyond elite at worlds. Get out there and compete!
[quote]RonSwanson wrote:
Squat 300, bench 150, dead lift 225.
[/quote]
is your squat to the correct depth?
how old are you?
I think the best gauge for the average person is bodyweight overhead press, 1.5 x bodyweight bench, 2 x bodyweight squat, and 2.5 x bodyweight deadlift. These aren’t superhero numbers, but they are definitely strong for the AVERAGE person - not the average powerlifter, but the average gym rat.
Thing is, 145 is pretty light, even for 5’ 6". So you might want to set your sights a little higher than factors of your bodyweight. But then again, we should all pretty much always be setting our sights higher haha.
Anyways, that’s my two cents about what’s decently strong.
[quote]VTBalla34 wrote:
I find these useful. Description at the bottom will let you know sort of where you stand versus where you ought to be.
http://rawpowerlifting.com/classifications.htm[/quote]
This is all you need…now go lift.
Although I like VTBalla’s better, here is the one I was using up until today.
Weightlifting Performance Standards by Kilgore, Rippetoe and Pendlay.
There’s metrics like 2x squat and stuff and the powerlifting classes which I like quite a lot.
But imo, if you have been powerlifting for a little while and you’ve gotten stronger than the average man, then ya you’re already strong. A lot of people can’t bench 150 or pick 225 pounds up off the ground.
The thing is, in powerlifting you don’t want to just be strong, you want to get ridiculously strong. You want to set your body to LUDICROUS STRENGTH!
I think sometimes people focus on the negative. With a deadlift of 225 some people would say you are really weak. But it just depends on your frame of reference. I say you’re not weak; you’re a strong guy. Of course someone who can deadlift 405 is really strong. And someone who can deadlift 600 is REALLY strong (I’m workin on this one). And someone who can deadlift 800 is INSANELY strong (I’ll never get here probably). And someone who can deadlift 1000 pounds is probably either Benedikt Magnusson or Andy Bolton.
[quote]yolo84 wrote:
[quote]bdocksaints75 wrote:
http://asp.elitefts.net/qa/training-logs.asp?qid=118599&tid=63[/quote]
did you actually read the OP?[/quote]
Lol sorry I read again and it said the avg male
[quote]csulli wrote:
I think sometimes people focus on the negative. With a deadlift of 225 some people would say you are really weak[/quote]
As a young male lifter that isn’t in the final stages of AIDS or was born without a spine, yes, that’s weak.
[quote]hungry4more wrote:
[quote]csulli wrote:
I think sometimes people focus on the negative. With a deadlift of 225 some people would say you are really weak[/quote]
As a young male lifter that isn’t in the final stages of AIDS or was born without a spine, yes, that’s weak. [/quote]
Sure okay, but you missed my point. That’s alright though.
[quote]csulli wrote:
[quote]hungry4more wrote:
[quote]csulli wrote:
I think sometimes people focus on the negative. With a deadlift of 225 some people would say you are really weak[/quote]
As a young male lifter that isn’t in the final stages of AIDS or was born without a spine, yes, that’s weak. [/quote]
Sure okay, but you missed my point. That’s alright though.[/quote]
No, I don’t think I did. I fully understand that you’re talking about as compared to the average untrained population. Here, there is no reason to compare yourself to them. That’s nothing but a severe and pointless lowering of standards.
[quote]csulli wrote:
Sure okay, but you missed my point. That’s alright though.[/quote]
[quote]hungry4more wrote:
No, I don’t think I did. I fully understand that you’re talking about as compared to the average untrained population. Here, there is no reason to compare yourself to them. That’s nothing but a severe and pointless lowering of standards. [/quote]
Well that’s what the OP did. I wasn’t really looking at it as lowering standards; I was just sort of trying to define it for him. My point was that he is already strong relative to the average person, but around here, you don’t want to just be strong, you want to be strong relative to the average powerlifter at least. Maybe you’re just using some different semantics or something; don’t worry bout it.
[quote]hungry4more wrote:
[quote]csulli wrote:
I think sometimes people focus on the negative. With a deadlift of 225 some people would say you are really weak[/quote]
As a young male lifter that isn’t in the final stages of AIDS or was born without a spine, yes, that’s weak. [/quote]
LOL there must be a lot of guys with AIDS lifting in my gym…
[quote]datwaymon wrote:
Although I like VTBalla’s better, here is the one I was using up until today.
Weightlifting Performance Standards by Kilgore, Rippetoe and Pendlay.
http://www.exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/StrengthStandards.htm[/quote]
Does this apply to the average person or a powerlifter? I can DL 315 at 160lbs which according to the chart would make me an intermediate, I’ve only been lifting for 3 months so I question its credibility.
[quote]dreadlocks1221 wrote:
[quote]datwaymon wrote:
Although I like VTBalla’s better, here is the one I was using up until today.
Weightlifting Performance Standards by Kilgore, Rippetoe and Pendlay.
http://www.exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/StrengthStandards.htm[/quote]
Does this apply to the average person or a powerlifter? I can DL 315 at 160lbs which according to the chart would make me an intermediate, I’ve only been lifting for 3 months so I question its credibility. [/quote]
Being good at one of three events to begin with doesn’t make you an intermediate lifter, just naturally good at deadlifting.