How Strong Should I be?

This is a question I get all the time. As always, I’m going to answer it in the most digestible, concrete way possible. (If you’re new here: What is Strength Training? What is Strength Training? 2.0)

Regardless of age, height, weight, experience…

Men: 135lb press, 225lb bench press, 315lb squat, 405lb deadlift.

Women: 80lb press, 105lb bench press, 205 squat, 250lb deadlift.

For some people in the world (…almost no one) these lifts won’t seem very heavy or impressive.

But for 99% of people this is very, very strong. And you know what – it shouldn’t be. With proper training and consistency, these lifts are attainable for 99% of people, regardless of starting age/height/weight.

The majority of people don’t reach these lifts for 4 reasons.

  1. Programming issues.
    • Without knowing it, most “functional fitness” programs don’t actually program for strength… at least not very well. If you get on a true strength program, you’d be shocked at how strong you can become!
  2. Limiting beliefs.
    • I’ve seen this a million times – and experienced it myself. (Read my story here). People progress… reach a milestone – say a 200lb squat, and then knowingly or not, think “Well that’s about as strong as I can get… time to find a new goal”, when that is not true and is very self limiting!
  3. Consistency.
    • You are a beginning lifter for 6-18 months, regardless of where you start. Think about that – if you train 3x/week productively (you sleep well, drink water, eat well, etc) for 80 weeks in a row, and you are still probably a beginner. Most people people just don’t train long enough or consistently enough to get anywhere near their potential. (Sometimes 1x/week is best.) (Just showing up is KEY.) Think about this in terms of someone’s career. Say you’re in accounting… and you’ve been working as an accountant for 1 year. Are you an expert or advanced? You might be for someone that has been doing it for 1 year but people that have been doing that has a 35 year accounting career would think you are just starting!
  4. Nutrition – and other lifestyle factors.
    • Nutrition is a significant reason. Everyone is absolutely, positively paranoid about gaining weight. But here’s the thing… muscle… has weight. Bone density… has weight. Most people will never get nearly as strong as they could be because they want to become extremely strong while becoming skinny. It just doesn’t work that way. You have to eat in a caloric surplus to build muscle, and building muscle is a healthy thing to do – even if the scale goes up! You’ll be much healthier right now if you gained 10lbs of muscle. Other lifestyle factors matter as well – sleep, hydration, managing, stress, etc. Whatever you weigh + 30lbs of fat… is unhealthy and should be scary. Whatever you weigh – regardless of what you weigh now – +10, +20 or +30lbs of muscle is freaking awesome – more muscle, more toned, better shape, healthier! (And the beauty of it, if for some reason you sprout giant, huge muscles that everyone wants and no one can get – and you don’t like it, you can just go back!)

If you want to get strong, bust plateaus, build muscle, and reduce your back pain, come work with one of our Spark Fitness personal trainers!

Coach Connor

Book a Free Consultation Here

Find me on instagram @connorgreen3000 and the gym @sparkfitnessla

Find me on YouTube here @connorgreen3000 and the gym here @sparkfitnessla

About the Author

Connor, owner of Spark Fitness, has been helping average people get strong, lose weight, and feel better for almost 2 decades. Unlike most in the industry, he really struggled on his journey for many years – making every single mistake imaginable – so now, you don’t have to. You can find him on Instagram/YouTube @connorgreen3000.

What do people say about us?

  • Great gym. Connor and his team of trainers are the best. Connor tailors individual workout plans very well and is very knowledgeable to get clients to their goals. Gained a lot of strength in a short amount of time and have seen great results on my current workout and meal plan. Definitely would recommend this gym to anyone looking to improve their health and overall strength.

    Angel G.
  • I LOVE MY NEW BOX!!!!!!!!!!!!! Connor, Lil and Gabe are Great ….no wait, they are phenomenal coaches that provide an amazing training program tailored to different levels. I actually enjoy working out since I became a member at parkside lol. #JUSTSHOWUP #LETSGETHUGE #lightweight #yeahbuddy #tacoaboutawod

    Joselyne J.
  • I’ve been a member at Parkside for over a year now and I have found a box home that’s full of love and like minded individuals. I’ve done XFit at other gyms but Parkside is truly something special. Owner, Connor is so genuine and really cares about everyone reaching their true potential and meeting their own goals. The community is also super supportive and won’t leave anyone behind (literally) and will run an extra 400 meters to cheer you on to finish the workout. I’m so grateful for my Parkside fam and for Connor!

    Andrea F.
  • Connor is patient and a hardworking trainer and coach.
    Parkfit XFit has a team spirit with all kinds of great people working out there and encouraging one another.
    Their positive attitude and encouragement helps keep me motivated and I appreciate their patience with me.
    I highly recommend.

    Mark R.

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