Strength Standards
How can you gauge your progress?
Strength Standards are a notoriously difficult beast to wrangle.
There are a wide range of opinions, and more than one of them is correct.
Obvious strength benchmarks for a powerlifter (Squat, Bench, Deadlift) aren't necessarily relevant to an Olympic Weightlifter (Snatch, Clean&Jerk).My goal is to provide as comprehensive a guide as possible for non-specialists to gauge their strength progress.
To put it another way, this isn't definitive for powerlifters, strongmen or olympic lifters.
This is for regular folks who want to know how they're doing, strength-wise, and what they may need to work on.
So whether your strength training includes barbells or kettlebells – there's something here for you.This isn't meant as an “I must get to 10/10 in everything” challenge. (If you're getting all 10s here then everyday strength probably isn't your issue.) Use this tool to see if there's a chink in your strength armour. Do you get a 5/10 in squat and hip hinge, a 4/10 in push and a 2/10 in pull?
Maybe you need to work on your pull!Recognition of those who have gone before (influences on this project and any modifications I've made, and why):
- Using the framework of a very elegant Dan John principle of Squat / Hip Hinge / Push / Pull to classify movements. I've added a fifth movement class (strength-endurance / stability) which covers Turkish Getup and Farmer's Walk. I feel these movements are part of strength and too useful to ignore but don't really fit anywhere else;
- strstd.com (currently broken) 🙁 for a very neat strength graph for back squat, bench, deadlift and press. It clearly shows both further absolute benchmark levels and the lifts relative to each other. It has helped inform my understanding of relative strength. It also provides a great Wendler 5/3/1 calculator;
- ExRx.net for general strength benchmarks and great calculators and tools;
- Bob Takano for a great explanation of the relationship between Back Squat and Clean & Jerk and Clean and Jerk to Snatch Ratios which makes the Olympic lifts easier to compare with powerlifting movements;
- Starting Strength – because no strength standards synthesis would be complete without Starting Strength's Standards. 🙂
For strength standards for Olympic lifting specifically, please check out the Catalyst Athletics Guide.
*Please note: ‘Hip hinge' and ‘pull' both have intentional gaps. I wanted to include only commonly held standards, rather than filler*
That being said, here is my synthesis of strength standards. This is a work in progress. Feedback is welcome and encouraged. 🙂
Strength Standards for Men
Squat Movement
| 1. Squat with proper form |
| 2. Goblet squat: 0.25 BW x 10 |
| 3. Goblet squat: 0.33 BW x 10 |
| 4. 2xKB Front Squat: 0.25 BW ea x 10 |
| 5. Back Squat: 1.25 BW x 1 / Front Squat: 1.00 BW x 1 |
| 6. Back Squat: 1.00 BW x 15 |
| 7. Back Squat: 1.75 BW x 1 / Front Squat: 1.40 BW x 1 |
| 8. Overhead Squat: 1.00 BW x 1 |
| 9. Back Squat: 2.25 BW x 1 / 1.25 BW x 15 / Front Squat: 1.80 BW x 1 |
| 10. Overhead Squat: 1.00 BW x 15 |
Hip Hinge Movement
| 1. Hip Hinge with proper form |
| 2. Kettlebell Swing: 0.25 BW x 20 |
| 3. Kettlebell Swing: 0.33 BW x 20 |
| 4. 2xKettlebell Clean: 0.33 BW ea x 10 |
| 5. Deadlift: 1.50 BW x 1 / Clean&Jerk: 0.95 BW x 1 / Snatch: 0.75 BW x 1 |
| 6. |
| 7. Deadlift: 2.00 BW x 1 / Clean&Jerk: 1.33 BW x 1 / Snatch: 1.05 BW x 1 |
| 8. |
| 9. Deadlift: 2.50 BW x 1 / Clean&Jerk: 1.70 BW x 1 / Snatch: 1.35 BW x 1 |
| 10. |
Push Movement
| 1. Pushups with proper form x 10 |
| 2. 1xKettlebell Press: 0.25 BW x 5 |
| 3. Press: 0.60 BW x 1 |
| 4. 2xKettlebell Press: 0.33 BW ea x 5 |
| 5. Bench Press: 1.00 BW x 1 / Press: 0.60 BW x 1 |
| 6. Weighted Dip: 0.50 BW x 1 |
| 7. Bench Press: 1.25 BW / Press: 0.85 BW x 1 |
| 8. 1xKettlebell Press: 0.50 BW x 1 |
| 9. Bench Press: 1.50 BW x 1 / 1.00 BW x 15 / Press: 1.10 BW x 1 |
| 10. 2xKettlebell Press: 0.50 BW ea x 1 |
Pull Movement
| 1. Batwings: 2xKettlebell 0.16 BW ea x 10 sec |
| 2. Supine Row: (TRX or Rings) BW x 20 |
| 3. |
| 4. Supine Row: (TRX or Rings) BW x 10 – Feet Elevated |
| 5. Chinups x 5 |
| 6. |
| 7. Pullups x 8-10 |
| 8. |
| 9. Pullups x 15 |
| 10. Weighted Pullup: 0.50 BW x 1 |
Strength-Endurance / Stability Movement
| 1. Turkish Getup: 0.12 BW |
| 2. Turkish Getup: 0.18 BW |
| 3. Farmer’s Walk: 0.25 BW each hand |
| 4. 5 minute KB Snatch for reps (0.25 BW) – benchmark 100 |
| 5. Farmer’s Walk: 0.33 BW each hand / Turkish Getup: 0.25 BW |
| 6. 5 minute KB Snatch for reps (0.30 BW) – benchmark 100 |
| 7. Farmer’s Walk: 0.50 BW each hand / Turkish Getup: 0.36 BW |
| 8. 5 minute KB Snatch for reps (0.36 BW) – benchmark 100 |
| 9. Farmer’s Walk: 0.75 BW each hand / Turkish Getup: 0.50 BW |
| 10. The Bear Complex: 60kg |
Strength Standards for Women
Squat Movement
| 1. Squat with proper form |
| 2. Goblet Squat: 0.18 BW x 10 |
| 3. Goblet Squat: 0.25 BW x 10 |
| 4. 2xKettlebell Front Squat: 0.18 BW ea x 10 |
| 5. Back Squat: 1.20 BW x 1 / Front Squat: 0.95 BW x 1 |
| 6. Back Squat: 0.75 BW x 15 |
| 7. Back Squat: 1.65 BW x 1 / Front Squat: 1.30 BW x 1 |
| 8. Overhead Squat: 0.75 BW x 1 |
| 9. Back Squat: 2.00 BW x 1 / 1.20 BW x 5 / Front Squat: 1.60 BW x 1 |
| 10. Overhead Squat: 0.75 BW x 15 |
Hip Hinge Movement
| 1. Hip Hinge with proper form |
| 2. Kettlebell Swing: 0.18 BW x 20 |
| 3. Kettlebell Swing: 0.25 BW x 20 |
| 4. 2xKettlebell Clean: 0.18 BW ea x 10 |
| 5. Deadlift: 1.20 BW x 1 / Clean&Jerk: 0.90 BW x 1 / Snatch: 0.72 BW x 1 |
| 6. |
| 7. Deadlift: 1.60 BW x 1 / Clean&Jerk: 1.25 BW x 1 / Snatch: 1.00 BW x 1 |
| 8. |
| 9. Deadlift 2.00 BW x 1 / Clean&Jerk: 1.52 BW x 1 / Snatch: 1.20 BW x 1 |
| 10. |
Push Movement
| 1. Pushup x 1 (Excellent Form) |
| 2. 1xKettlebell Press: 0.18 BW x 5 |
| 3. 1xKettlebell Press: 0.25 BW x 5 |
| 4. 2xKettlebell Press: 0.18 BW ea x 5 |
| 5. Bench Press: 0.75 BW x 1 / Press: 0.50 BW x 1 |
| 6. Weighted Dip: 0.33 BW x 1 |
| 7. Bench Press: 1.00 BW / Press: 0.75 BW x 1 |
| 8. 1xKettlebell Press: 0.33 BW x 1 |
| 9. Bench Press: 1.25 BW x 1 / 0.75 BW x 15 / Press: 1.00 BW x 1 |
| 10. 2xKettlebell Press: 0.33 BW ea x 1 |
Pull Movement
| 1. Batwings: 2xKettlebell 0.16 BW ea x 10 sec |
| 2. Supine Row: (TRX or Rings) BW x 20 |
| 3. |
| 4. Supine Row: (TRX or Rings) BW x 10 – Feet Elevated |
| 5. Chinup x 1 |
| 6. |
| 7. Chinups x 3 |
| 8. |
| 9. Pullups x 3 |
| 10. Weighted Pullup: 0.33 BW x 1 |
Strength-Endurance / Stability Movement
| 1. Turkish Getup: 0.12 BW |
| 2. Turkish Getup: 0.18 |
| 3. Farmer’s Walk: 0.25 BW each hand |
| 4. 5 minute Kettlebell Snatch for reps (0.25 BW) – benchmark 100 |
| 5. Farmer’s Walk: 0.33 BW each hand / Turkish Getup: 16kg |
| 6. 5 minute Kettlebell Snatch for reps (0.30 BW) – benchmark 100 |
| 7. Farmer’s Walk: 0.50 BW each hand / Turkish Getup: 0.36 BW |
| 8. 5 minute Kettlebell Snatch for reps (0.36 BW) – benchmark 100 |
| 9. Farmer’s Walk: 0.75 BW each hand / Turkish Getup: 0.50 BW |
| 10. The Bear Complex: 40kg |
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