[quote]MattyG35 wrote:
There’s really no point putting a ceiling on this, other than being able to say hey I can #.#xBW.[/quote]
Not establishing a ceiling…a floor, from there it’s up to you.
[quote]BlueCollarTr8n wrote:
[quote]MattyG35 wrote:
There’s really no point putting a ceiling on this, other than being able to say hey I can #.#xBW.[/quote]
Not establishing a ceiling…a floor, from there it’s up to you.
[/quote]
Great way to look at it.
I’ve read that less than 10% of males ever bench over 300, so if you can achieve that then you are significantly stronger than average.
I would guess the average (excluding power lifters, olympic lifters, serious bodybuilders, and strong athletes) would be at most 185 bench, 185 squat, 225 deadlift and I’m probably being generous with those numbers.
[quote]amayakyrol wrote:
I’ve read that less than 10% of males ever bench over 300, so if you can achieve that then you are significantly stronger than average.
I would guess the average (excluding power lifters, olympic lifters, serious bodybuilders, and strong athletes) would be at most 185 bench, 185 squat, 225 deadlift and I’m probably being generous with those numbers.[/quote]
I think you are being VERY generous with those numbers…the average dude walking into the gym would likely not be able to bench over 100 pounds without prior weightlifting experience, IMO. MAYBE 135 if they are big and cornfed.
So unless actual weightlifters are skewing the average, then I think the numbers are actualy MUCH lower.
[quote]MattyG35 wrote:
297/360/215 @ 165, gym lifts[/quote]
???
[quote]VTBalla34 wrote:
[quote]amayakyrol wrote:
I’ve read that less than 10% of males ever bench over 300, so if you can achieve that then you are significantly stronger than average.
I would guess the average (excluding power lifters, olympic lifters, serious bodybuilders, and strong athletes) would be at most 185 bench, 185 squat, 225 deadlift and I’m probably being generous with those numbers.[/quote]
I think you are being VERY generous with those numbers…the average dude walking into the gym would likely not be able to bench over 100 pounds without prior weightlifting experience, IMO. MAYBE 135 if they are big and cornfed.
So unless actual weightlifters are skewing the average, then I think the numbers are actualy MUCH lower.[/quote]
I might be biased based on my own experience. I started benching at 135 with no prior weightlifting and DLed 300x5 the first time I deadlifted. I have a hard time wrapping my head around just how weak people actually are. /shrug
That and I see a lot of twigs throwing up 165-175 on the bench for at least one good rep.
[quote]amayakyrol wrote:
I would guess the average…[/quote]
WTF…
The topic is ‘what is strong’. Average is what we are working our way from.
And strength is relative. The average person bases their strength in comparison to the average.
[quote]VTBalla34 wrote:
[quote]MattyG35 wrote:
297/360/215 @ 165, gym lifts[/quote]
???[/quote]
LOL
[quote]amayakyrol wrote:
And strength is relative. The average person bases their strength in comparison to the average.
[/quote]
LOL so uppity
[quote]amayakyrol wrote:
And strength is relative. The average person bases their strength in comparison to the average.
[/quote]
If you are average…then by definition you are not strong.
[quote]BlueCollarTr8n wrote:
[quote]amayakyrol wrote:
I would guess the average…[/quote]
WTF…
The topic is ‘what is strong’. Average is what we are working our way from.
[/quote]
What exactly are you getting at? They dude said something about a stat where less than 10% of males will ever bench 300 (I think the percent is actually way smaller). And he said that if you can do that, you are way better than average. Then he attempted to define what he thought average lifts for a male would be so that, I’m assuming, people could try to be much stronger.
You said “Average is what we are working our way from”. So in some capacity you must be defining “average” in your head just the same as he is. There’s nothing wrong with fucking defining what you think average is. Did he say that we should try to be average? I said a long time ago in this thread that a powerlifter should always strive to be strong relative to other powerlifters, which I think you would agree with. But I would also say it is impossible to define what is strong without defining what is not strong (average).
So calm down lol. I have seen this with other people on TNation and you seem to be one of those who has some kind of automated “see red” and attack response when you read the word average.
Guy: “I can bench 250, which I think is better than average”
You: “So you want to be average? Fuck average. We work hard everyday to get away from average. Don’t you ever come in here saying average again.”
It’s like you people have some kind of terrible repressed memories of being average. Or you have post average stress disorder or something.
[quote]csulli wrote:
But I would also say it is impossible to define what is strong without defining what is not strong (average).
Or you have post average stress disorder or something.[/quote]
Point taken.
From my perspective we were considering the ‘lifting poulation’ not the ‘general poulation’.
Allow me to repost
IMO…strong starts here…
Bench Press = 1.5BW
O.H.P. = 1.0BW
Squat = 2.0BW
Bent Bar Row = 1.5BW
Deadlift = 2.0BW
The majority of people that really try can reach those standards.
Post average stress disorder. laugh
I’ll probably chuckle about that off and on all day, thanks. 
[quote]BlueCollarTr8n wrote:
[quote]csulli wrote:
But I would also say it is impossible to define what is strong without defining what is not strong (average).
Or you have post average stress disorder or something.[/quote]
Point taken.
From my perspective we were considering the ‘lifting poulation’ not the ‘general poulation’.
Allow me to repost
IMO…strong starts here…
Bench Press = 1.5BW
O.H.P. = 1.0BW
Squat = 2.0BW
Bent Bar Row = 1.5BW
Deadlift = 2.0BW
The majority of people that really try can reach those standards. [/quote]
Oh man, I like the way you think on overhead press. I would love it if a bodyweight OHP became as common as a 2x BW squat or a 1.5x BW bench. Truth be told, I can bench 1.7x BW, but I can only just hit 1x BW on overhead press…
Also, if we factor in age (no offense!), you are ridiculously dominating “average” lol; even amongst other powerlifters.
[quote]csulli wrote:
[quote]BlueCollarTr8n wrote:
[quote]amayakyrol wrote:
I would guess the average…[/quote]
WTF…
The topic is ‘what is strong’. Average is what we are working our way from.
[/quote]
What exactly are you getting at? They dude said something about a stat where less than 10% of males will ever bench 300 (I think the percent is actually way smaller). And he said that if you can do that, you are way better than average. Then he attempted to define what he thought average lifts for a male would be so that, I’m assuming, people could try to be much stronger.
You said “Average is what we are working our way from”. So in some capacity you must be defining “average” in your head just the same as he is. There’s nothing wrong with fucking defining what you think average is. Did he say that we should try to be average? I said a long time ago in this thread that a powerlifter should always strive to be strong relative to other powerlifters, which I think you would agree with. But I would also say it is impossible to define what is strong without defining what is not strong (average).
So calm down lol. I have seen this with other people on TNation and you seem to be one of those who has some kind of automated “see red” and attack response when you read the word average.
Guy: “I can bench 250, which I think is better than average”
You: “So you want to be average? Fuck average. We work hard everyday to get away from average. Don’t you ever come in here saying average again.”
It’s like you people have some kind of terrible repressed memories of being average. Or you have post average stress disorder or something.[/quote]
you are right but…
Why compare yourself to average people?
I mean, your goal is to be strong. right? To be as strong as possible. (I mean who doesnt want to be as strong as possible, even if its deep in there heart/brain, but most people dont have the discipline to get to their own maximum potentional)
So why compare yourself to average people.
Hey, I’m way stronger than the average joe. But if you compare him to world class powerlifters he’s weak, very, very weak.
It’s the same as when you’re defining what is smart.
If you compare yourself to the mentally disabled with a really low IQ (no offense to those people) then yes you are smart. But if you compare yourself to someone who works as a scientist at NASA at the age of 8 (let’s say an IQ of 200), then you’re not so smart anymore.
But this is the real comparison. Sure the average is 95-110 I believe. And with an IQ of 140 you will be smart for the average person.
But if that guy goes to a competition world top math (or something) then he will se that compared to those guys he isnt that smart.
And lets say that that world top competition is powerlifting.
For that guy, it doesnt matter if he’s smarter than the average person. In the world of people with a high IQ (we’ll compare that to powerlifting) he isn’t so smart anymore.
I hope you know what i’m talking about.
f you want to know where you are compared to average people than ok. But that doesnt mean anything in powerlifting. Because the average in powerlifting is way higher than the average average (lol). And these are the powerlifting forums.
[quote]Kristoph wrote:
Post average stress disorder. laugh
I’ll probably chuckle about that off and on all day, thanks. :)[/quote]
I’m gonna slide that into random conversations as often as possible now. Best thing written on these forums in awhile.
[quote]axel1994 wrote:
Why compare yourself to average people?
I mean, your goal is to be strong. right? To be as strong as possible. (I mean who doesnt want to be as strong as possible, even if its deep in there heart/brain, but most people dont have the discipline to get to their own maximum potentional)
So why compare yourself to average people.
Hey, I’m way stronger than the average joe. But if you compare him to world class powerlifters he’s weak, very, very weak.
It’s the same as when you’re defining what is smart.
If you compare yourself to the mentally disabled with a really low IQ (no offense to those people) then yes you are smart. But if you compare yourself to someone who works as a scientist at NASA at the age of 8 (let’s say an IQ of 200), then you’re not so smart anymore.
But this is the real comparison. Sure the average is 95-110 I believe. And with an IQ of 140 you will be smart for the average person.
But if that guy goes to a competition world top math (or something) then he will se that compared to those guys he isnt that smart.
And lets say that that world top competition is powerlifting.
For that guy, it doesnt matter if he’s smarter than the average person. In the world of people with a high IQ (we’ll compare that to powerlifting) he isn’t so smart anymore.
I hope you know what i’m talking about.
f you want to know where you are compared to average people than ok. But that doesnt mean anything in powerlifting. Because the average in powerlifting is way higher than the average average (lol). And these are the powerlifting forums.
[/quote]
Yea man that makes sense.
Strong lack of reading comprehension and raging in this thread.
Strength is relative. Throwing around maxims like “if you are average by definition you are not strong” shows lack of understanding of the English language.
Average in comparison to what? The average powerlifter is much stronger than the average untrained person. The untrained person will consider that average powerlifter to be extremely strong, but the powerlifter will consider himself/herself to be mediocre or weak.
And then there is the issue of what does being strong even mean?
Strong is defined as “1) having, showing, or able to exert great bodily or muscular power; physically vigorous or robust. 2) accompanied or delivered by great physical, mechanical, etc., power or force.”
By definition being strong is entirely relative. Any concept of strength created based on national averages or lists of goals supplied by elite athletes are subjective.
1 Like
[quote]amayakyrol wrote:
Strength is relative. Throwing around maxims like “if you are average by definition you are not strong” shows lack of understanding of the English language.
Average in comparison to what? The average powerlifter is much stronger than the average untrained person. The untrained person will consider that average powerlifter to be extremely strong, but the powerlifter will consider himself/herself to be mediocre or weak.
And then there is the issue of what does being strong even mean?
Strong is defined as “1) having, showing, or able to exert great bodily or muscular power; physically vigorous or robust. 2) accompanied or delivered by great physical, mechanical, etc., power or force.”
By definition being strong is entirely relative. Any concept of strength created based on national averages or lists of goals supplied by elite athletes are subjective.
[/quote]
Yeah it’s all obvious.