Agreed with the BW standards. They definitely hold up well for 180+lb guys.
In an ordinary gym, it seems “decent” young males have around a 3/2/4 big 3. I’d say if you can go 4/3/5, you will stand out in an ordinary gym as you are doing a full plate above what is commonly held as a standard of above average.
On the streets, not being sedentary puts you above average.
In a powerlifting gym, the standards will be a lot higher.
It’s very setting-dependent.
I’d agree with this. If you can manage to do this, you are strong, have well rounded strength, and will look good and athletic.
So as a conclusion we can all agree on that for a natural bodybuilder, who doesn’t weigh a ton and is healthy, 2/3/4/5 is strong.
As for bodyweight @BrickHead had the answer.
Thanks all!
Thanks. Although I learned that being the best bodybuilder one can be might not even involve doing those lifts! I don’t barbell bench or barbell overhead press. I don’t do regular deadlifts, and when there’s a safety bar squat available, I don’t do barbell back squats.
I don’t know for a 180 lbs, but to me, for a 220 lbs natural, 5’11 and more
Low 400 bench
High 500 squat
Low 700 deadlift
Is strong.
Assuming you don’t do only train bench squat dead, which biase the result and makes you look stronger by the numbers than you really are in my opinion. Assuming you train as a bodybuilder/powerbuilder with heavy weights (only way to train as a natural) with a 4 or 5 way body part split.
In my opinion the next important question is: is it good? That’s the main concern for me to see where ‘‘credit is due’’. Depends, if you are a naturally strong monkey who started with a 400+ deadlift, 200+ bench, etc, then it isn’t as good to me as a guy who started with a 95 lbs bench.
There is a bunch of asterisks like that that you can put next to someone weightlifing achievements to compare with others. Steroids also is one of them. Growing up with a optimal straight spine (no cyphosis, scoliosis, etc) is another very big plus for squat poundages. Then for the deadlift and DB bench press you are advantaged if you have very long arms, etc.
Borderline obese as a kid is when you have big bones and skull, etc, which helps to lift big weights.
You can see that as some sort of genetically gifted.
Look at strong man vinny in the log section of this forum, he’s quite strong and what struck me is his big head. Every naturally very strong guy I have seen have some sort big head/bones and calves.
3/4/6/7 is attainable after 10 years (minimum) if you are very dedicated and average.
Definitely didn’t get any of the good effects of fat. My calves are very small, and my joints are small as well
Also, this is idiotic
I am the complete opposite of genetically gifted and hit those numbers at 195lbs bodyweight.
Granted, being gifted would certainly make it easier to hit those numbers.
Yeah different things work for different people, but the basics (or a variation of them) is certainly the No BS way to grow.
Going on a tangent, but how often do natural bodybuilders even train at 95%+, let alone test 1RPM? Is there a better RPM to gauge being “strong for a bodybuilder”?
I guess my point being that my approach to gauging a bodybuilder’s strength is more on what their working weight is at for the big lifts. I would say a natural bodybuilder who can do working sets (6+ reps) of 1.5, 2, 2.5 x BW is strong. . For instance, if I see someone ~180 lbs in the gym doing working sets of 6+ quality reps squatting 365+ lbs, I would consider them strong. Certainly you can extrapolate that to estimate 1RPM, just saying it’s a more direct way of gauging strength you’re likely to see in the gym.
Lol bruh 3/4/6/7 after 10 years and average genetics? I smell some bullshit here.
He must be leaving out the 80 lbs weight gain.
I wish this went for me considering I have a damn big head but have just average strength relative to my muscle.
Whether you grew up unathletic (I am unsure if this implies you are uncoordinated in some respect or that you just didn’t play sports) is besides the point. You have good genes considering your posts. If you can bench 335 after staying away from it and pulled 545 then you have very good genes for lifting considering you could surpass these. People with mediocre genes can’t.
How do you know you’re not slightly gifted? 
I’m beginning to think I’m below average but that kind of makes sense. I’m taller than average, have longer limbs than average, so it doesn’t seem too much of a stretch to think I’m below average in terms of weightlifting physics. Oh well, not everyone can dunk a basketball or reach the top shelf at the grocery store. 
What makes someone Intermediate then?
My rating (very skewed) in Big 4
Amateur first year
half, 1, 2, 3
Intermediate? second to third year +
1, 2, 3, 4
Pretty Strong third years+
1.5, 2.5, 3.5, 4.5
Strong
2, 3, 4, 5
Strong AF
2+, 4, 5, 6
Anyone agree? Not sure about Intermediate even though its not what thread is about.
What are your numbers? Bodyweight ratios or hundreds? i.e. Intermediate==1xBW, 2xBW, 3xBW, 4xBW or 100, 200, 300, 400 lbs?
6 shoulder dislocations and dozens of subluxations paired with a blown out ACL doesn’t give me much faith in my structure. With a mom that is 5’1 and 100lbs and a dad that is 5’8 with size 8 feet and hands about the same size as my mom’s, I don’t have much faith in the gifts my parents gave me. That same mom has needed 7 knee surgeries in her life becuase her knee cap was essentially on sideways; something thay my brother inherited as well. Going further back, there have beek zero athletes in my family, with most of the mem on my dad’s side dying in their 40s and 50s.
I have a very slight frame and a predisposition to put on fat very easily. I am also incredibly uncoordinated, and take a very long time to pick up basic athletic skills, which meant I was awful at every sport I ever tried.
“Gifted” has never been used to describe me.
He means the pound ratios