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Where Do You Stack Up?


Bill Piche

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I'm lacking in the DL and squat but right on par with the bench

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I disagree with their definition of strong from the outset. It is kind of the powerlifter/football coach parameters of strong that turn me off a bit, I guess. It is not that I don't consider the numbers listed in the article as strong numbers but I know a lot of people, gymnasts, dancers, armwrestlers, parkour participants etc that could not do half of the numbers presented in this article at their weight but possess impressive strength nonetheless. I would by their standards be pro in terms of natural bench and very strong in terms of deadlift and squat. My opinion is that pulling strength (muscles in forearms, biceps and back) may not get the recognition of the three "main lifts" or even other compound exercises but are equally impressive. Then again, I am a bit biased. As evidenced by the existence of this board, hands are pretty important too :)

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I like the concept of the list.

I make "Pro" in the deadlift in four weight classes. My squat and bench rank a bit lower at the "Extremely Strong" level.

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I'm lacking in the DL and squat but right on par with the bench

Me too because of injuries .

Edited by CANCRUSHER
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I'm lacking in the DL and squat but right on par with the bench

Me too because of injuries .

Yep me too. Had both knees repaired. Stupid ACL and LCL injuries.

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Firstly - I don't train these lifts very often if at all - they don't have much to do with any of my current goals - but I do track them a couple times a year for my 70 by 70 list. Secondly are we talking lifts done during our lifetime - or say within the last year or so? Third - I haven't done a max straight bar bench press in decades probably.

So

Lifetime best (at 175 or 180# BW) - in competition - age 19 or so

Squat - 400#

Bench - 300#

DL - 495#

Last year or so - (at BW of 200#) - in training only - age 66

Squat - 365# - touch and go to a box set right at parallel - belt only

Bench Press - 70# DBs for 20 (no idea of a straight bar max?)

DL - 415 or 420# - not sure without looking - belt only

Just remember - "somewhere a little Chinese girl is warming up with your max".

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Not currently lifting, but I tested these lifts last spring/summer and based on those results:

Squat and Dead: Very strong

Bench: Extremely strong

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Firstly - I don't train these lifts very often if at all - they don't have much to do with any of my current goals - but I do track them a couple times a year for my 70 by 70 list. Secondly are we talking lifts done during our lifetime - or say within the last year or so? Third - I haven't done a max straight bar bench press in decades probably.

So

Lifetime best (at 175 or 180# BW) - in competition - age 19 or so

Squat - 400#

Bench - 300#

DL - 495#

Last year or so - (at BW of 200#) - in training only - age 66

Squat - 365# - touch and go to a box set right at parallel - belt only

Bench Press - 70# DBs for 20 (no idea of a straight bar max?)

DL - 415 or 420# - not sure without looking - belt only

Just remember - "somewhere a little Chinese girl is warming up with your max".

Hey Chris,

A question that is probably not for this thread, but after all these decades of training, how does your body feel? Super arthritis or still killing it after all these years?

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Bench: 350#

DL: 500#

Squat: 405#

Overhead Press (no push): 205#

205 BW

Edited by Lucasraymond
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I saw this when it came out ... def an interesting read!

Squat - very strong

Bench - elite/pro

DL - just under elite

My raw squat used to be a lot higher, but after almost 30 years of hard training and an assortment of lower body injuries, not so much anymore. Lol

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I was off the charts in school. Now my weight has increased exponentially with my decrease in strength.

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Extremely strong across the board even with 30-40# of extra fat. Close to bumping up a level across as well.

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Firstly - I don't train these lifts very often if at all - they don't have much to do with any of my current goals - but I do track them a couple times a year for my 70 by 70 list. Secondly are we talking lifts done during our lifetime - or say within the last year or so? Third - I haven't done a max straight bar bench press in decades probably.

So

Lifetime best (at 175 or 180# BW) - in competition - age 19 or so

Squat - 400#

Bench - 300#

DL - 495#

Last year or so - (at BW of 200#) - in training only - age 66

Squat - 365# - touch and go to a box set right at parallel - belt only

Bench Press - 70# DBs for 20 (no idea of a straight bar max?)

DL - 415 or 420# - not sure without looking - belt only

Just remember - "somewhere a little Chinese girl is warming up with your max".

Hey Chris,

A question that is probably not for this thread, but after all these decades of training, how does your body feel? Super arthritis or still killing it after all these years?

A couple years ago I blew out yet another disk in my back ( that was #7 I think - nothing to do with lifting). At that point I finally decided it was time to lift in what I call my "feel good" workout manner. Whatever I do it has to feel good doing it - feel good just after - and good down the road (not counting just plain old muscle soreness - only the bad sore of joints or tendons etc). This meant a pretty big change in intensity, volume etc. The surprise has been that when I do test different lifts - I am actually as strong or somewhat stronger than in recent years of lifting harder in quite a few things. I move better now - climb better - I actually just plain feel better. I do more mobility (a lot more) etc. I have a little arthritis that flares up now and then but a huge collection of old injuries from various car crashes and assorted accidents (a couple pages worth really). I have developed a series of therapy programs that seem to be working pretty well for me for the messed up pieces and parts. I've been surprised at how little it takes to maintain strength and actually feel better than when I trained like a madman. I definitely can move better these days. Still killing it? Sort of I guess - I can when needed but I don't have to all the time anymore. I almost feel guilty some days when I leave the gym ............... almost. :)

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Benched over 500 in competition at 220 and upper 400's raw in 1999-2002. My current bench is probably the bar and a couple of times so I guess it depends on when? lol

Deadlift wasn't much more than my bench and Squats were terrible and not worth posting.

I'm with James on defining strength. It's such a subjective thing and there are way too many ways to measure it. I get what the author is saying but its not the only way to look at the topic at hand....he might even agree.

Chris I'm always amazed at what you've done and what you've continued to do into your 60's. About as impressive as anything I've seen in a long time.

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I'm about 270 at the mo, maybe a few pounds more. At my best I benched 418 and can still seated press 220+ so strong enough.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I don't make a single list (not even the bottom one)...in fact I'm not close to any of them.

I'd go hide in the corner and cry if I didn't have more pressing matters...like bending the Gold Nail.

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I don't make a single list (not even the bottom one)...in fact I'm not close to any of them.

I'd go hide in the corner and cry if I didn't have more pressing matters...like bending the Gold Nail.

Exactly.

Wait, you don't think it would be more useful to judge yourself by someone else's narrow parameters of strength??

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I think deadlifting and squatting are probably the 2 best indicators of overall strength. I would even throw the overhead press in there. Closing grippers, pinching plates, bending steel are all nice hobbies but if they dont translate over into total body strength their purpose is to simply wow some people on this board and youtube. One of the strongest steel benders in the world, Pat Povilaitis, is also incredibly strong all over.

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I think deadlifting and squatting are probably the 2 best indicators of overall strength. I would even throw the overhead press in there. Closing grippers, pinching plates, bending steel are all nice hobbies but if they dont translate over into total body strength their purpose is to simply wow some people on this board and youtube. One of the strongest steel benders in the world, Pat Povilaitis, is also incredibly strong all over.

Rick - I agree if we are talking about "lifters" but I think more generally the deadlift would be my choice if we could only test one thing throughout a population. I think taking the skill factor out would be a better metric for what is "strong". The squat has a pretty high skill factor if we try to measure laborers etc - whereas construction workers etc can all do a deadlift (sure the DL has a skill factor but I think less so). I'm sure Pat lifts but his walks through he woods lifting and stacking natural stones would make him pretty darn strong even if he didn't.

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My bests over time around 230lbs

Squat in the low 5's

Dead in the 5's

Bench 350 for a couple - gym lift with no pause

Incline 315

Power Clean 315x3

No idea on overhead or rows, I've done them but never real heavy

What do those numbers mean, nothing.

Like others have said, strength can be shown in lots of ways and the gym isn't always the deciding factor.

A guy I played football with could not bench 185lbs, 6'4" 330lbs - aka not strong.

The same guy picked up the back of a toyota truck with no effort, I mean it was like picking up a 6 pack of beer effortless, and held it while some friends blocked it up to take the wheels off.

When his uncle needed a chevy 305 engine loaded in the back of a truck he went to get a cherry picker. When he came back with the cherry picker it was already loaded by hand - aka strong.

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I think deadlifting and squatting are probably the 2 best indicators of overall strength. I would even throw the overhead press in there. Closing grippers, pinching plates, bending steel are all nice hobbies but if they dont translate over into total body strength their purpose is to simply wow some people on this board and youtube. One of the strongest steel benders in the world, Pat Povilaitis, is also incredibly strong all over.

I took the liberty to edit your post so I can be in complete agreement with it.

While social interaction can feel good and add to the mix, I believe the true purpose of grip training is the personal pursuit of improvement.

Feats are simply milestones to shoot for.

I wrote my original post in this thread to try and prevent anyone here (including myself) from allowing a label to dictate their goals.

I'll never squat more than 260 or so. I've got a bad back and a heart condition. But I will still be able to train to get strong enough to bend Gold.

Paul, Justin, Tommy, E.J., Alexander, Pat are all what I'd call brutally strong.

While bending a piece of 3/8" steel or squatting 600lbs are not particularly productive things, it's the pursuit of these goals that matters.

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While bending a piece of 3/8" steel or squatting 600lbs are not particularly productive things, it's the pursuit of these goals that matters.

Well said sir!

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