You know what man? I’m not really sure even THAT is true. I know a guy who deadlifts about 680, in the 181 weight class, in strongman, I would assume benches in the 300 range (I’ve never seen him bench), can lift a 350+ atlas stone, squat at LEAST 500, puts 270+ overhead, and he looks like he doesn’t lift. Like, at all. He could legitimately pass for a non-lifter, particularly in a t shirt. Which is crazy to me.
I think to be CERTAIN you’ll look like you definitely lift, these standards are too low. I find the deadlift to be almost completely irrelevant to the ‘Do you look like you lift’ equation. And the squat barely factors in, unless you’ve got your shorts pulled way up, lol.
If you wanna look like you lift, bench press is really what will have the most carry-over of the lifts listed, and I think 300 isn’t quite where you need to be, even lean, to be sure you look like you lift. I’d say that number should be closer to 400.
Interesting. I was going to say you’d certainly look like you lift if you hit those numbers and were 200 lbs or less. Seems maybe not.
That said, I certainly do look like I lift (not saying I’m ultra-impressive to you guys, but it’s clear even in clothes I lift). My numbers aren’t those, probably more like 285, 335, and 405 for BP, Sq, and DL. I’m 170 lbs or so.
However, I can crush it on pull ups, dips, and the mile run compared to most people. Do you think other standards would be more applicable to determining if someone looks like they lift?
Honestly, 1 rep maxes are just about the worst way to predict what a person will look like, unless you’re talking absolutely massive numbers. Like, you bench 600? Cool, you are a fucking giant. I don’t have to see you to know this. You bench 300? I got no fucking idea what you look like.
Stu on this site has said when he was at his best in bodybuilding, he wasn’t benching more than 315.
A 10 rep max is more predictive when it comes to bodybuilding standards. I think a person who benches… Idk. 280 or so for sets of 10 (and is lean) is going to have a hard time looking like he doesn’t lift. What is even MORE predictive is what a guy can do for 5 sets of 10. That work capacity at relatively heavy weights will translate extremely well to a good looking physique… which is why it’s what bodybuilders do in the first place. lol.
man I wish I could post a pic or drop a name, but I just can’t do it.
I will say he’s something of an anomaly. Most of the guys at his size and strength levels don’t look like he does. I remember seeing him at Nationals last year for the first time and thinking… ok. This guy shouldn’t be here. Then he fucking crushed it. And this year he did even better. Most of the top guys in LW strongman don’t look like me, tbh. Top-end strength doesn’t translate to physique for a lot of guys the way it does for me.
It’s again running into the point I made in the initial post: if you train SPECIFICALLY to lift those weights for those lifts, you’re not going to have the results you want.
Find a powerlifter with a 500lb raw bench and a bodybuilder with a 500lb raw bench. The latter is going to be jacked compared to the former, and that’s because he got a 500lb bench WHILE doing a bunch of stuff that wasn’t all about maximizing the bench. They ENDED UP with a 500lb bench, whereas the powerlifter ARRIVED at a 500lb bench.
@flipcollar 's point with the deadlift is absolutely true in that regard too. As a privileged deadlift mutant, I pulled 500lbs with no idea of what I was doing. However, if I had stumpy limbs and a long torso and did the same thing, I’d have been far more jacked.
But that’s what I mean. I think it’s about being able to move weights at higher rep ranges. I’m not talking about powerlifters or strongman. But for an “everyday” person, I think if they are able to bench 315x8-12 for multiple sets, oh press 185-225x8-12 for multiple sets and be able to do a shit ton of rows, chin-ups, and dips they are going to look like they lift as long as they are lean and especially if the person is under 200lbs. I think if we had the following:
Person A - Male, 32, 5’8, 175lbs
Bench Press - 315 @ 4x10
DB Row - 120lbs @ 4x12
Person B - Male, 32, 6’2, 200lbs
Bench Press - 315 @ 4x10
DB Row - 120lbs @ 4x12
I think if you put those 2 person in a vacuum, Person A is definitely no doubt going to look like he lifts. Person B however might not.
But I also think it’s about variety. The person that follows more of a “bodybuilding” type template or assistance will for sure look like he lifts.
I agree that a 10RM or a 5x10 weight is a WAY better indicator of if someone will look like they lift. I think for bench honestly if you can bench 225 for 5x10, if you might look like you lift, but I am biased because I’m short with short legs and arms, so it was easy to look like I lift haha!
yea i’m with you on that, I think I explained it better in my follow up post. We’re on the same page. 315 for 4 sets of 10 is going to look like he lifts FO SHO.
This. And there are plenty of people who don’t even do those lifts, or cant hit 300-400-500, who definitely look like they lift. Hell, I’ve known 16-year-old kids who play sports and never touch weights and are a lean 180 at 5’6" with abs and capped delts. I don’t think what you squat or deadlift will necessarily translate, although a big bench will totally stretch out those narrow clavicles
