strength goals ...

[pseudonym]

reading through this old post (because I am on holidays and have nothing better to do : ) and it got me to thinking what a reasonable level of strength is.

Obviously it'll be different from person to person but, generally speaking, is there a rule that is applied to determine what a 'reaonable' or 'good' level of strength is.

Thinking mainly in terms of a bodyweight/weight pushed ratio.

My goals as they stand now are (for my main lifts)
Bench: BWx1.5
Squat: BWx2-2.5
Deadlift: BWx3-3.5
Curl: BW

Given I am skinny and light the numbers will be nowhere near impressive but would you experienced lifters consider these relative weights reasonable?

Obviously I am not a competitive lifter/bodybuilder just a recreational lifter who likes to be good at whatever I am doing .

Mainly asking because I have no real concept of how strong a 'strong' dude/dudette in the gym is.

[maverick]

Those are some serious goals, but by no means unreasonable. Where are you now with respect to them? How long are you willing to work on it? Would you be working as a bodybuilder or a powerlifter?

I consider myself an average-speed-of-progress example, and it took me 6 months to get to BW x 1.4 on the bench (from BW x 1), BW x 1.75 on the squat(from BW x 1), and BW x 2.1 on the deadlift (from BW x 1.6). This is with about a 50/50 focus on strength and size.

BTW, I'm looking to beat those next week!

[pseudonym]

right now I am pretty danged far from those goals,

Squat is BWx1.1(ish, actually a smaller fraction thereof, but my maths is lazy ), Bench is still BW- and Deadlift is about BWx1.5-8 (yet to do a dedicated deadlift session to see what I can max out at)

I don't see myself training specifically to reach these goals, more looking to improve my physique than anything. I'm just gonna keep adding weight until I stop getting stronger and was wondering more along the lines if this is a natural sort of level one attains or if those sort of ratios require serious 'exercise specific' training.

Sounds like your progression has been steady and you're not stopping yet ... way to go. Good luck on beating yourself next week :

[threenorns]

i have a problem with those bodyweight-based type targets: were i to squat 3.5 times my bodyweight, that'd be 750lbs, lol!

[candyass]

Try a powerlifting routine. It should get your numbers up.

By the way, it won't be impossible to reach those goals. It'll just take some time. I can speak from experience. At 140 my bench is 245, my deadlift is 315, and my squat is 410. If you work hard you can get there.

[Blaze]

I don't think any of us here at DF are doing to bad, at least we're trying. I mean, think about the fact that the average person anymore can barely lift their bodyweight in any lift, that's assuming they CAN.

[threenorns]

what's sad is they don't even want to - they seem to take a perverse pride in being helpless. when chatting at the gym with other females, i often get "oh, my god, i could *never* lift that heavy a weight - i can only bench 30lbs" with an inane giggle.

even guys brag about how they only lift "8oz at a time, har, har, har".

my favourite, though, is "oh, hell, if i HAD to work with my hands, i'd look like that, too." (as though having fab bod as a result of being a construction worker, etc, were a sign of being lower-class)

[candyass]

Originally Posted by threenorns

what's sad is they don't even want to - they seem to take a perverse pride in being helpless. when chatting at the gym with other females, i often get "oh, my god, i could *never* lift that heavy a weight - i can only bench 30lbs" with an inane giggle.

even guys brag about how they only lift "8oz at a time, har, har, har".

my favourite, though, is "oh, hell, if i HAD to work with my hands, i'd look like that, too." (as though having fab bod as a result of being a construction worker, etc, were a sign of being lower-class)

Tell them to shut the fu*k up. If I had to deal with people like that I'd flip out.

[threenorns]

Originally Posted by candyass

Tell them to shut the fu*k up. If I had to deal with people like that I'd flip out.

ah, but then you'd miss a legitimate golden opportunity to feel superior, lol!

[pseudonym]

Originally Posted by threenorns

ah, but then you'd miss a legitimate golden opportunity to feel superior, lol!

**insert long deep cynical laugh right here** so true my friend, so so true, those opportunities are hard to walk away from, even when ya know you should. lol

candyass: dude your numbers are way out there, farkin monster work mate, nice. How long did it take you (assuming you started at 'square 1 weak' like the rest of us) ?? you're probably a bit stronger than I really think I want to be (not saying I will stop when I reach wherever I'm going ) but your BW is about on par with mine and I'm impressed. And how in the world do you squat more then you deadlift ?? your form must be exceptional (or maybe I am just a freak ).

full encouragement to you, and as Blaze said everyone else here, even if you're weak like me, we're all trying to be stronger today than yesterday, somethig a lot of the world probably does not understand.

[Klinger]

Originally Posted by candyass

Tell them to shut the fu*k up. If I had to deal with people like that I'd flip out.

I like this approach, but perhaps with a little more tact.

It is pretty funny when people get superior about the fact that they do not exercise. I guess wheezing after going up a flight of stairs is pretty fun stuff.

[Jaster]

I laugh at guys that have no muscle to them and say they have on desire to workout. Then if they talk back I either just growl at them or I let them know "I can crush you to a fine powder!" After that they mind their own business. :

[threenorns]

for some reason, "balrog" comes to mind..... wonder why?