Whats is considerate adequate, good, excellent relative to your body weight?

10/9/2007 1:33:54 AM

To get an A+ in Weightlifting it's about 1.2x your body weight 10x.

So if you weigh 150, then 180 pounds at 10 reps would be good.

Of course, it all depends on if you want more tone or more muscle mass. 10 reps is the perfect balance, according to all the PE professors I've had and I've had 7.

10/9/2007 1:36:19 AM

http://www.pipeline.com/~dada3zen/average.htm

[Edited on October 9, 2007 at 1:40 AM. Reason : &]

10/9/2007 1:39:43 AM

^nice website. thx

10/9/2007 1:49:11 AM

That has to be an American average, not a global average. I'm quite, very much so, out of shape, however much I'm trying to fix that, and am beyond most of those averages and that does not make me feel good in any way. haha

10/9/2007 2:01:00 AM

just pulling numbers out of my ass here, but i'd say:

doing your bodyweight is adequate (as in: you are by no means in good shape, but you aren't a complete slob)

doing your bodyweight 10x is good. you are by no means a benchpress badass, but it puts you ahead of the vast majority of the general population.

doing 100 lbs over your bodyweight is excellent (*obviously this depends a little on your bodyweight, but for 95% of adult males, i'd say it's pretty valid). You won't get here unless you lift weights regularly and pretty intensely.

doing double your bodyweight is truly outstanding. very few people ever get to this level (best i've ever done was about 10-15 lbs short. at this point, gains in strength come slowly, and for me at least, it was hard not to get knocked back by injuries. maybe if you had really stellar genetics it would be a little easier, but even then, you'd have to be quite focused to get that strong.)




but while the benchpress is a great exercise and a pretty good metric of upper body strength, don't get fixated on it. a lot of people neglect other muscle groups...for example, you should train back just as hard as you train chest (pull ups are awesome, lat pulls and rows are good medicine, too).

[Edited on October 9, 2007 at 3:08 AM. Reason : asdfasdfasd]

10/9/2007 2:52:02 AM

it all depends on what your body weight is, especially in the beginning stages of lifting, and your experience.

meaning if you're a beginner, just throw a couple of 25's on the bar and get to work, and take it one step at a time.

most importantly, don't be fixated on what other people say, do what satisfies your own body and goals. if you want to bench your body weight, go for it; that's your goal, go achieve it. if more, then shoot for that... if less, then go for that... but i disagree with anyone that puts a rank, ratio or not, on this sort of thing, because it's all about steps.

10/9/2007 3:18:16 AM

yeah i am easily over 100lbs over my body weight, havent really gotten the 2x my weight yet, but im always workin towards it.

10/9/2007 3:20:44 AM

^^ eh, i stand by my numbers (at least roughly), but of course it's all about steps. if you've never spent a lot of time in the gym, you're nuts to expect to be able to do anything. if you've never worked out at all and you can even bench your bodyweight one time, i'm quite impressed.

no, i don't put those numbers out to discourage anyone who's just starting out. of course it's all about steps...i'm just answering his question as best as i can.


twice your weight is pretty hardcore. i wouldn't be too disappointed if you never get there. the best i ever did was 350, while weighing about 181-183, and i considered that to be really good. not the best, but i could run pretty well, totally kill on pull-ups, and eat something resembling a normal diet (as hard as getting that strong is, it's even tougher to do it AND be able to run pretty well). i stopped lifting like that because the wear and tear on my joints was getting noticeable. i don't really care at all that i never got to double my weight, and while i wish i could still bench 350 and do 27 pull ups, i'm cool with 275+ and 20-22 pull ups. I'm getting old and brittle! My shoulders and elbows bother me pretty regularly as is...I'm not about to aggravate the situation by trying to work out like that again.

[Edited on October 9, 2007 at 3:55 AM. Reason : asdfasd]

[Edited on October 9, 2007 at 3:57 AM. Reason : asdf]

10/9/2007 3:47:50 AM

I'm just running a couple miles a day currently to get my body used to being pushed beyond sitting in an office chair infront of a computer. Aside from that, I do a few pushups just to at least flex those muscles until I feel I am fit to get my ass back to weights where it will be more beneficial than just running and getting my heart rate up.

10/9/2007 3:59:58 AM

If you're looking to increase your bench, try supplementing it with incline bench, dumbell presses, negatives, and tricep work. This will help strengthen stabalizer muscles which are vital at maximum effort. Switching up your workouts shocks your muscles which helps to keep you from plateauing and builds mass. Back work is also a good supplement as Duke was saying.

The key is to set realistic goals that you can achieve. Don't worry about what's "average" or "good." Just do your best, and forget about where other guys are at.

Good luck.

10/9/2007 4:14:03 AM

The more important question is "what is your squat and deadlift?"

10/9/2007 6:41:47 AM

Quote :

"but while the benchpress is a great exercise and a pretty good metric of upper body strength, don't get fixated on it."

Agreed, you see all sorts of people go in the gym, work arms and chest and leave. I'm by no means a fintess expert, but I only saw real gains when I had a workout program that worked all the major muscle groups at least once a week. Not to mention, an un-balanced over-development of your chest and / or abs can lead to back problems later in life.

10/9/2007 7:30:31 AM

I can bench my body weight...barely.

10/9/2007 7:51:51 AM

I used to be able to do 1.2 x (my weight) x 10+ reps. But, now that I've gained 20 pounds and sit in a cubicle all day, it's impossible

[Edited on October 9, 2007 at 9:31 AM. Reason : fatty catty chubby wubby]

10/9/2007 9:31:06 AM

yeah, depends on your goals. some decent sites for general fitness are http://www.crossfit.com and http://www.gymjones.com/schedule.php and http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/index.html just depends on what you really want to do.

10/9/2007 10:42:03 AM

really gonna depend on your body type too id imagine. im a really small framed guy so benching my weight is tough for me even after working out for a bit (though i dont do it "intensely").

10/9/2007 11:16:21 AM

It's all relative

10/9/2007 11:23:10 AM

Quote :

"Agreed, you see all sorts of people go in the gym, work arms and chest and leave. I'm by no means a fintess expert, but I only saw real gains when I had a workout program that worked all the major muscle groups at least once a week. Not to mention, an un-balanced over-development of your chest and / or abs can lead to back problems later in life."

thats what my roomate does

10/9/2007 12:27:11 PM

working out upper back is an essential muscle group that a lot of people neglect.

Same goes for the hamstrings which people will overlook when on a hardcore leg work out which usually just focuses on quads and gluts. This opens up avenues to muscle imbalance and increased % of injury .

10/9/2007 12:40:24 PM

The relative strength index is used to asses this and other common exercises.

Adequate bench press would be about 80-100% of your body weight. x 10 repetitions
Good bench press would be about 100-120% of your body weight. x 10 repetitions
Excellent bench press would be anything above 120% of your body weight. x 10 repetitions

For females, the index is adjusted (not exactly sure why, because females are capable of achieving the same goals.)

For female, adequate bench press would be 65-85lbs x 10 repetitions
For female, good bench press would be between 85-110lbs x 10 repetitions
For female, excellent bench press would be anything greater than 110lbs. x 10 repetitions
Note: Most females who weight lift regularly use the standard index for men (above.)

So, for example: I'm a 115lb female and my 10 rep. max is 125lbs - (125/115 = 108% - would be considered "good" using the male scale.)

10/9/2007 12:40:52 PM

yeah squat n deadlifting kickass. my squats were never as high as they should be for a guy my size but i have always had shitty knees. my squats are still pretty heavy though. and i miss the hell out of deadlifting, i just dont seem to find the time to work it in. im lucky these days if i can get chest, legs, back n arms into a week....and i always did deadlifts as a stand alone, just personal preference.

and josh i feel ya in the joint pain department. the years of lifting/pushups have killed my wrists. during the police academy i developed really bad arthritis in my wrists from all the pushups and years of lifting. i now have to wrap the hell out of my wrists to do certain lifts and especially dips. that and my knees have pretty much sucked since high school football

10/9/2007 12:47:57 PM

i've had trouble with getting bench weight up, in my high school weight training class i only gained about 25 pounds where every other area went up a lot.

10/9/2007 12:49:26 PM

Whenever I take a break from lifting awhile it is always my chest gains that go down faster then any other muscle group.

10/9/2007 12:52:39 PM

Quote :

"doing your bodyweight 10x is good. you are by no means a benchpress badass, but it puts you ahead of the vast majority of the general population."

I think I could do that even though I'm a good 30 pounds overweight and I haven't done a bench press in three years. I'm gonna have to try it sometime. 10x might be pushing it though. This will be interesting.

[Edited on October 9, 2007 at 12:59 PM. Reason : l]

10/9/2007 12:54:37 PM

Quote :

"i've had trouble with getting bench weight up, in my high school weight training class i only gained about 25 pounds where every other area went up a lot."

if you aren't seeing big gains in the bench, this is what i would do to get an extreme boost:

1) Dumbbell Incline Bench. Work with heavy weights, this will build your stabilizer muscles... once these are built up your bench will jump.

2) Dumbbell Incline Flies

3) Flat Bench with Dumbbells, same reason as #1

Basically work with dumbbells to build the stabilizer muscles... if you only do barbell bench you will build a strong chest, but the outlying muscles will be underdeveloped... slowing your gains.

10/9/2007 1:13:55 PM

I used to be able to get well over 100 pounds over my body weight, but i don't think i could anymore. (body weight went up, haven't lifted weights in years.)

10/9/2007 1:20:12 PM

In high school when I was 135, I put up 221 (once)

10/9/2007 1:33:30 PM

I've been able to hit 275 for a couple reps at 175 before when I had focused on my bench (and worked out with a spotter).

There was actually a good 9 week program for a short-term boost to your bench from Mario Williams that was in Men's Health not long after the draft. IIRC it involved isometric pushup holds before and after lifting chest, one phase with incline and decline dumbell presses, an intermediate phase with maybe a dumbell day and a flat bench day, and a final phase with one cluster set day and one strip set day for 3 weeks.

Another good tip is to strengthen the front of your deltoids, which could really make a difference in your bench. Whatever you do, don't focus just on bench and arms, though. I currently prefer to lift incline bench, flat dumbell presses, incline flys, and cable crossovers form my chest work, but also do plenty for my arms, back, and legs.

10/9/2007 2:00:49 PM

^^that's roughly equivalent to 120% of your weight for 10 reps

10/9/2007 2:04:16 PM

Quote :

"For females, the index is adjusted (not exactly sure why, because females are capable of achieving the same goals.)"

haha

[NO]

10/9/2007 2:22:38 PM

It's not like testosterone and muscle mass have anything to do with how much someone can bench...

10/9/2007 2:28:01 PM

^^ haha who posted that

10/9/2007 4:02:36 PM

aaprior

10/9/2007 4:08:38 PM

Quote :

"Quote : "For females, the index is adjusted (not exactly sure why, because females are capable of achieving the same goals.)" haha [NO] It's not like testosterone and muscle mass have anything to do with how much someone can bench..."

Believe it or not male and female muscles can be trained to the same RELATIVE capacity. Testosterone has nothing to do with that fact. Females who train hard can achieve the same lean muscle mass vs. weight ratio as a man (barring illegal enhancement usage!)

So, if you have a 115lb female up against a 115lb male of the same age (which is exceptionally uncommon) you shouldn't expect them to perform at such a different capacity!!


Just so you know what a casual female weightlifter that weighs a 115lbs can do, heres a look at some of my achievements:
Bench press (10 rep max approx. 125lbs; 1 rep max approx. 145lbs)
Olympic Bar Bicep Curls (10 rep max approx. 75lbs; 1 rep max n/a)
Dips (10 rep max approx. 185lbs plate loaded)
Standard Push-ups (60+ in cadence)
And so on....

My point isn't to say "look at me" its to show you that just because females don't commonly add weight training to their workout doesn't mean they aren't highly capable of weight lifting!

I should add that that I use no supplements or the like, I just weight lift because I find it to be an enjoyable workout activity. So, spare me any immature finger pointing about steroid use etc because thats not the case here.

10/9/2007 4:18:29 PM

post a pic.
censor your face if you're shy due to the lack of testosterone

10/9/2007 4:26:33 PM

Quote :

"yeah squat n deadlifting kickass. my squats were never as high as they should be for a guy my size but i have always had shitty knees. my squats are still pretty heavy though. and i miss the hell out of deadlifting, i just dont seem to find the time to work it in. im lucky these days if i can get chest, legs, back n arms into a week....and i always did deadlifts as a stand alone, just personal preference. "

So drop the crappy body part split. Bodypart splits came about due to steriods. Unless you are on gear (from the sound of your workout plan I hope to god, not), you should find a push pull split, upper lower split, or full body workout. You can't make yourself go 5 days a week, so recognize it and adaopt. Your posture and body will thank you.

Actually I just re-read this, you like to them as stand alone. I can understand this. Deadlifts are taxing on the CNS. But, they are GOOD for you. Mix them in to a workout (not a bp slit ).

10/9/2007 4:45:05 PM

I picked up a good all-body workout from MH a while back:

Group 1:
Incline Bench, Squat, Romanian Deadlift, Chin up. Do one set of each exercise back to back for 4 rotations. Rest a couple of minutes and then:

Group 2:
Dips, Weighted Lunges, Seated Row / Inverted Row, Roman Chair. Again, each exercise back to back for four rotations.

I did that 3 days a week and it is a smoker that will work your cardio some as well. You shouldn't do it two days back to back, but you can run through it in just over an hour if you push yourself and it will smoke every major muscle group in your body. It is an excellent workout for folks who can't get to the gym every day.

10/9/2007 4:53:28 PM

Quote :

"Believe it or not male and female muscles can be trained to the same RELATIVE capacity. Testosterone has nothing to do with that fact. Females who train hard can achieve the same lean muscle mass vs. weight ratio as a man (barring illegal enhancement usage!) "

1) How can you make the claim that testosterone has nothing to do with muscle building, yet claim that steroids (essentially artificial testosterone) have an effect in the next sentence?

Are you claiming that women have as much testosterone in their bodies as men?

2) Females biologically have a higher body fat percentage. To achieve the same muscle mass vs. weight ratio for the same peak capacity, what are females replacing with muscle? Organs? Bone? Water?

3) If you are claiming that females naturally have better endurance, that is certainly arguable. Then again, that is a separate argument.

10/9/2007 5:02:30 PM

I think she was just referring to:

"believe in yourself and you will achieve great things"

don't take her literally. She's a woman

10/9/2007 5:07:12 PM

Or maybe, "Women can lift, to look like brad pitt, too!"



But yes, women can lift the same way as men. However, they will never gain mass the same way (unless they are really a homophradite or injecting).

10/9/2007 5:11:23 PM

hermaphrodite

10/9/2007 5:18:36 PM

hah

[Edited on October 9, 2007 at 5:20 PM. Reason : close enough---not really]

10/9/2007 5:19:51 PM

currently in weight training...here is how we are graded:

Men: [Weight Lifted x Reps (1-10)] / Bodyweight = RSI

Women: [Weight Lifted x Reps (1-10)] / [Bodyweight x .7] = RSI

RSI Range - 10 pt. Grading Scale:

12.2 = 10
11 - 12.1 = 9.5
9.9 - 10.9 = 9
9.0 - 9.8 = 8.5
8.2 - 8.9 = 8
7.2 - 8.1 = 7.5
6 - 7.1 = 7
5.5 - 5.9 = 6.5

10/9/2007 5:50:20 PM

"Believe it or not male and female muscles can be trained to the same RELATIVE capacity. Testosterone has nothing to do with that fact. Females who train hard can achieve the same lean muscle mass vs. weight ratio as a man (barring illegal enhancement usage!)"

I take it that you have no understanding of how the androgen testosterone works in the body.

10/9/2007 7:02:38 PM

there is no way a female who does the same workout program as a male can achieve the same amount of muscle mass...

testosterone increases muscle mass by increasing muscle protein synthesis

PS 145 lb max even for a 115 lb male who casually lifts is great for a female, but nothing special for a male

i knew wrestlers in high school who were only 16 or 17 and benched more than that at around that weight



[Edited on October 9, 2007 at 7:45 PM. Reason : /]

10/9/2007 7:44:37 PM

hey if you dont beat for a while does that mean you have more testosterone therefore building muscle quicker?

10/9/2007 7:45:39 PM

lol i googled that question...

Quote :

"Question:is testosterone like sperm? will i lose testosterone if i masturbate? Answers: Testosterone is a naturally occurring steroid hormone which primarily plays key roles in health and well-being. Examples include enhanced libido, energy, immune function. It's effects include growth of muscle mass and strength, increased bone density and strength, and stimulation of linear growth and bone maturation. Usually at puberty a deepening of the voice, growth of the beard, sideburns or mustache hair occur. Testosterone is produced in the testes, the male generative glands which require testosterone for sperm production. So you ejaculate sperm when you masturbate which in turn leads to more testosterone production and more sperm. NO, You Do Not Lose Testosterone when you Masturbate! "

[Edited on October 9, 2007 at 7:49 PM. Reason : .]

10/9/2007 7:48:45 PM

good to know lol

10/9/2007 7:54:33 PM

I think I failed to make myself clear in my previous post.

When I said females can train their muscles to the same relative capacity - I meant in terms of strength and not MASS. I know very well the physiology involved in muscle anabolism including the effects of testosterone, prohormones, inhbitors, antagonists etc... I never even attempted to claim otherwise! Obviously, its general knowledge that testosterone has a greater influence than any other factor on muscle mass acquisition.

My point was...

If you have a 200lb male with 10% body fat and a 225lb 10 rep max on bench press, what would you expect a 115lb male with 10% body fat to achieve on the same lift?

Since body fat is constant we use a simple ratio based on body fat to determine the expected 10 rep max in the 115lb male - which is approx. 130lb bench press. (This is in fact the same method used to determine grading in the weight training course at NCSU.)

My entire point is that females (weighing the same as the male in the example-- 115lbs) are capable of a 130lb lift and that the scale shouldn't be adjusted "just because" they are females.

In any case, both males and females are capable of meeting the same relative strength scores. I don't deny that males are better equipped physiologically to EXCEED it...

Now as far as hermaphrodites go... you should reconsider your logic. True hermaphrodites are intersexual organisms who are capable of successfully reproducing as both a male and female. No such human has ever medically existed as far as reported literature is concerned. So, any intersexual humans are actually pseudohermaphrodites. These individuals have a genetic condition called Androgen insensitivity syndrome. Genetically, they have a single X and a Y chromosome (characteristic of males) As the name of the condition suggests, they are males with an insensitivity to androgens including testosterone (inactive) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT-- the active form.) They physically look like under-developed females and cannot functionally use or bind testosterone to receptors. They would be typical females in the gym.

On a side note, 1 in 20,000 people are born with said condition which means that statistically there are probably a few of them that are members of this online community. So perhaps its not the most appropriate joke to use... If this sort of thing interests you, you can learn all about it in GN301 or PSY430- two very good courses.

10/9/2007 8:36:54 PM