I still don’t think I’m strong in absolute terms, but I felt pretty strong relatively the first time I was able to knock out 25 chin-ups at 200# and 52 years old. When I was in Navy boot camp 30 years ago at 140# I could barely do 10.
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Never. I’ve been really training for 4 years and I have like a 1000 pounds total so that’s garbage. Sure I’ve got ACL surgeries on both knees and carpal tunel surgeries on both wrists but that’s just excuses. There are 17 years old that deadlift 600 lbs. But that’s okay i’ve accepted my weakness and pursues other goals
Man, I’ve had so many times in my life where I felt strong as HELL, then realized it wasn’t that impressive in general terms. I thought I was some shit because I was 140 and could bench 205 and squat/deadlift 275, then I realized it wasn’t shit when I started lifting in my university gym in grad school and saw Freshman kids outlifting me (I was 27 at the time).
Even by the time I hit 315 on Squat, 235 On bench, I thought it was pretty cool, but it wasn’t the case when I did my first meet and saw how strong legit athletes were.
To be honest, female validation had a lot to do with my body image and perception of my numbers, but around the same time I realized that it didn’t matter, I met an amazing woman and got married. I think I finally look like I lift now, but I want to get on the same level as legit strength athletes. I want state records, national records, and whateva!!!
I think once I hit a 100kg OHP is roughly the point at which I considered myself to be fairly strong.
Strength is a funny thing to me, I feel like if I want to be strong in day to day life, I have to have atleast a 600 deadlift. But what does that even mean? When in my day to day life will I need to rip 600 pounds of anything of the floor? Still, I chase bigger numbers, to feel like I have an edge over the average guy. But the average guy has changed a lot since I started training. “Average” strength (to me) has changed from a 315 deadlift to 405 deadlift and now to 485 (which I lifted yesterday). And even that, which shouldn’t be considered “weak”, pissed me off because it was hard as shit, and it shouldn’t be cause I lifted 530 about a year ago. So basically I feel like I’ve screwed around for a year just to keep being average. Ever since I lifted 530 its being hanging over my head like a curse, because it seems so far away now. I feel “less capable”. Not even less strong. To be honest, the strongest I’ve felt consistently for a long period was running 5/3/1 about 4 years ago. Felt like I could conquer anything, and my numbers weren’t close to what they are today.
Honestly I feel pretty strong right now. Not competitively mind you, but comparatively.
My absolute best in high school was 345 bench, 350 squat, and 225lb hang clean, at 165lbs bodyweight. They were all sloppy as hell, but they went up. (Coach didnt program deadlifts, and I was too focused on bench anyways.)
However, I fucked up my back and shoulder within my 19th year, and literally lost it all.
Fast forward, I get my shit together right before I turn 25. Fixed my back through pure trial and error, shoulder is manageable. 350 bench, 380 squat, 405x3 deadlift st 225lbs, and I feel healthier.
Strong is (obviously) so subjective. Everyone I know constantly tells my I’m strong, but im comparing myself to all these YouTube personalities, and I’m not even in the same game. That being said, I made more progress in six months than i did in a full year in high school, I’m stronger on every lift than I was then, the numbers are constantly climbing, I’ve learned how to work through/around injuries when necessary, I’m more balanced, and all around just better.
So… I feel stronger than ever and I am, but only because I feel like nothing is holding me back from improving.
your hands were not the only ones on the bar 
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You’re damn right lol, but it counted enough to pass weightlifting.
Slightly off track, I dont remember anything about that attempt except this intense burning and ache in my forearms that lasted for a week. Doesn’t happen now, but I had 0 interest in attempting that weight for a long time afterwards.