Squats, % of body weight included in the lift?

MrBiggiesworth

When doing squats what percentage of your body weight are you lifting in addition to the bar and weights?
How much of a factor does this add to the squat. For instance if a 120lb person and a 200lb person both squat 185lbs(bar and plates) how much more is the 200lbs person actually squatting than the 120lbs person?

crandos

well the 120lbs person is nearly squatting double his body weight so is overall alot stronger lol.

jwdieter

well the 120lbs person is nearly squatting double his body weight so is overall alot stronger lol.

Relative to lean mass would be an interesting take on it.

Regardless, the heavier person is lifting the bar+more weight. 450 lb person just doing a body weight squat is lifting way more than a 120 lb person with 135. Shrugs.

phjorg1

They are both squatting 185lbs. You don't factor bodyweight into the equation. Just like you don't factor in height when talking deadlift or bench due to lever mechanics.

KiltFuPanda

Lifting competitions will keep this in mind - that's where the Wilks formula comes into play. To calculate your Wilks score, they take your lift and multiply it by a percentage based on your weight (and gender and age - the formula's different for men and women, and senior/youths have a different scale as well). For example:

120 lb male, 185 lb squat (154% bodyweight) = 78.5 Wilks score.
200 lb male, 185 lb squat (92.5% bodyweight) = 53.3

To match the 120 lb person, the 200 lb person would have to lift 272 lbs (136% bodyweight). A 360 lb person like myself would need to lift 317 lbs. Wilks takes into account that strength vs bodyweight is a lot higher with lighter people (limits to muscle fiber strength, leverage, etc), so just marking a percentage down is good for personal growth, but comparing to someone else wouldn't be a good comparison.

Personally, I'm squatting 600-615 for my max lifts (depends on the day), which is 170% of my bodyweight, which equates to a Wilks score of 152.

whierd

Lifting competitions will keep this in mind - that's where the Wilks formula comes into play. To calculate your Wilks score, they take your lift and multiply it by a percentage based on your weight (and gender and age - the formula's different for men and women, and senior/youths have a different scale as well). For example:

120 lb male, 185 lb squat (154% bodyweight) = 78.5 Wilks score.
200 lb male, 185 lb squat (92.5% bodyweight) = 53.3

To match the 120 lb person, the 200 lb person would have to lift 272 lbs (136% bodyweight). A 360 lb person like myself would need to lift 317 lbs. Wilks takes into account that strength vs bodyweight is a lot higher with lighter people (limits to muscle fiber strength, leverage, etc), so just marking a percentage down is good for personal growth, but comparing to someone else wouldn't be a good comparison.

Personally, I'm squatting 600-615 for my max lifts (depends on the day), which is 170% of my bodyweight, which equates to a Wilks score of 152.

That wasn't his question.

KiltFuPanda

My apologies if I read it differently. I read it as "how much more effort is person X doing vs person Y?" and not in flat numbers.

I read the first sentence as a "how much are YOU lifting as a percentage?" - I've seen it asked before as a "what should I shoot for" fashion, and assumed the same.

And you can't just say "you're squatting X percent of your body weight as part of the lift" - that's all dependent on how much weight you carry in your legs. And that varies from person to person. If it didn't, then there'd be no funny pics of "no leg day" lifters.

I've said what I wanted to say - just trying to help, not to argue or brag (there's always someone better than you in something).

DavPul

and what if the 120 pound person was on a train headed east toward Cleveland at an average speed of 86.5 mph, and the 200 pound person is heading west from the NYC station at an average speed of 68.94 kph, at what point would anything in this thread be relevant?

whierd

My apologies if I read it differently. I read it as "how much more effort is person X doing vs person Y?" and not in flat numbers.

I read the first sentence as a "how much are YOU lifting as a percentage?" - I've seen it asked before as a "what should I shoot for" fashion, and assumed the same.

And you can't just say "you're squatting X percent of your body weight as part of the lift" - that's all dependent on how much weight you carry in your legs. And that varies from person to person. If it didn't, then there'd be no funny pics of "no leg day" lifters.

I've said what I wanted to say - just trying to help, not to argue or brag (there's always someone better than you in something).

Yeah, he is asking the total amount of weight stress a 200lb guy squatting 180lbs is under versus a 300lb guy squatting 180lbs is under since the 300lb guy would be under a greater weight stress due to his superior mass. It is an unanswerable question. :P


By the way, awesome squat weight.

EmilyEmpowered

and what if the 120 pound person was on a train headed east toward Cleveland at an average speed of 86.5 mph, and the 200 pound person is heading west from the NYC station at an average speed of 68.94 kph, at what point would anything in this thread be relevant?

:laugh:

da_bears10089

and what if the 120 pound person was on a train headed east toward Cleveland at an average speed of 86.5 mph, and the 200 pound person is heading west from the NYC station at an average speed of 68.94 kph, at what point would anything in this thread be relevant?

Philly.

DopeItUp

Easy way to calculate this. Chop off your legs at the knees and then weigh what's left (excluding the knees-down). That's how much bodyweight you're squatting.