#Strength standard calculator full#

I usually program RDLs between five and 10 reps and most commonly from six to eight reps. I use this method for lifts we don’t test maxes for, such as: This athlete can bench press 1.36x their body weight, which is really good for a male and insane for a female.įor other lifts, I’ll determine relative strength by a weight they can handle for a common amount of reps. 300-pound bench press at 220-pound body weight.

Usually, this is measured as their one rep max in the lift divided by their body weight. These standards are benchmarks I use to determine an athlete’s relative strength, which is the load they can handle well compared to their body weight, or how strong they are in certain movements or lifts. Continuing to progress maxes for a team that doesn’t need them is a waste of time and a huge opportunity lost. Using this information to drive programming decisions is really what matters. Using this information to drive programming decisions is really what matters, says Click To TweetĪgain, we need to define what “strong enough” is and measure how close we are to achieving it. We need to define what ‘strong enough’ is and measure how close we are to achieving it. Once this happens, the emphasis of training must shift toward methods that will directly transfer. This means that solely increasing 1RM strength will not lead to any further on-field improvement (training transfer).

#Strength standard calculator full#

Judging an athlete solely by the weight on the bar is not a fair or accurate measurement, because it doesn’t tell the full story.Īlso, at a certain point we become strong enough. If a 160-pound male and a 200-pound male can both bench press 225 pounds, are they equally strong? Per relative strength, the 160-pounder is much stronger with a relative strength ratio of 1.4x BW compared to the 200-pounder, who is actually pretty weak for his size with a relative strength ratio of about 1.12x BW. We must define what it means to be strong if we’re going to say whether we are or not.ĭifferentiating between larger and smaller bodies is also valuable. Are we strong? It’s hard to determine progress if you don’t have anything to compare to.