What is "good" for Stronglifts?

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timesinfinityplus2
timesinfinityplus2 Posts: 57 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So I know that this answer will completely depend on the weight/size of the person and how long they've been lifting among many, many other factors. I guess it's more of a comparison so I can get an idea if I should be proud of what I do or shamed into the corner. I am curious where others are in the Stronglifts routine (especially those with similar builds to mine) or what others think is a pretty good amount of weight to do.

I am 6'3.5" and 281 pounds and my most recent lifts were:

Squats - 225
Rows - 150
Bench - 150
Press - 125
Deadlift - 225

I know I can do more on squats and deadlifts, just haven't gotten there yet. Bench press I can probably continue increasing for a while and rows will be stalled sooner. Press I am not sure I will be able to do 130 before I stall.

Anyway, curious if this is pretty good for a guy who used to weigh 337 pounds and is working on a new life. Validation, dammit!

Thanks
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Replies

  • default
    default Posts: 124 Member
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    Weightlifting standards, by size.

    http://www.exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/StrengthStandards.html
  • JenMc14
    JenMc14 Posts: 2,389 Member
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    You absolutely cannot compare yourself to others, much as you want to, because no one else started exactly the same way as you. Have your lifts improved? Yes, then be proud. Did you go from completely sedentary to lifting? If yes, be proud. I can't break the 30 minute mark for my 5K. I ran a 10K with a friend, and she had a time a whole4 minutes better than mine. But, you know what? I'm proud anyway because, dammit, I put my mind to it, trained and finished! Regardless if J beat me or not or I finish at the top of my age group or not.

    Now, that being said, I lift nowhere near you, I'm a 5'4", 135 pound 36 year old female. My max bench is about 65, I can squat (to parallel) 130 for 4-5 reps, and I have deadlifted 135 in the past (at a slightly lower weight than I am now.) My husband, a 5'5", 205 pound (almost) 36 year old does more than that. He's also been lifting for over 10 years.

    His 1RMs are:
    Squats - 495
    Bench - 350
    Deadlift - 535
  • timesinfinityplus2
    timesinfinityplus2 Posts: 57 Member
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    You absolutely cannot compare yourself to others, much as you want to, because no one else started exactly the same way as you. Have your lifts improved? Yes, then be proud. Did you go from completely sedentary to lifting? If yes, be proud. I can't break the 30 minute mark for my 5K. I ran a 10K with a friend, and she had a time a whole4 minutes better than mine. But, you know what? I'm proud anyway because, dammit, I put my mind to it, trained and finished! Regardless if J beat me or not or I finish at the top of my age group or not.

    Now, that being said, I lift nowhere near you, I'm a 5'4", 135 pound 36 year old female. My max bench is about 65, I can squat (to parallel) 130 for 4-5 reps, and I have deadlifted 135 in the past (at a slightly lower weight than I am now.) My husband, a 5'5", 205 pound (almost) 36 year old does more than that. He's also been lifting for over 10 years.

    His 1RMs are:
    Squats - 495
    Bench - 350
    Deadlift - 535

    Thanks for that. And I know I can't compare to others, but the problem that I am finding is everything is about 1RM and I am doing SL5x5 so I don't know what my 1RM is. Should I take a week off of SL5x5 and find out what my 1RM is? When I started the program, I started from the bottom (other than deadlifts and squats which I raised a little right away) and am working my way up.
  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
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    Good = more than you lifted last time
  • Philllbis
    Philllbis Posts: 801 Member
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    Why are you concerned with your 1RM? The purpose of Stronglifts is to gain strength. As long as you're progressing with good form you're doing great!
  • HelloDan
    HelloDan Posts: 712 Member
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    Good = more than you lifted last time

    Was just about to write the exact same thing.


    While still a beginner, just keep up the good work, and take the gains, until they slow down, and you have to reassess.
  • timesinfinityplus2
    timesinfinityplus2 Posts: 57 Member
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    Why are you concerned with your 1RM? The purpose of Stronglifts is to gain strength. As long as you're progressing with good form you're doing great!

    It seems most everything telling me where I "should" be is all about 1RM. I have been working on my DL form as well as my rows form, but everything else is good, and I have progressed each day of the program, so I guess that's good :)
    Good = more than you lifted last time

    That works. I am fairly certain on Friday I will stall out on my press but I guess that will eventually happen no matter what. I've yet to stall on any lift otherwise.
  • Drunken_WarHero
    Drunken_WarHero Posts: 306
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    Good = more than you lifted last time

    Best oneliner ever. and true.
    That works. I am fairly certain on Friday I will stall out on my press but I guess that will eventually happen no matter what. I've yet to stall on any lift otherwise.

    Do this:
    http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/how_to_build_pure_strength
    Eat A LOT.
    End thread.
    Anything advised after this is superfulous. Period.
  • michaelmadonna
    michaelmadonna Posts: 105 Member
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    I've been doing Stronglifts since July, however I've been strength training for a few years before that with a trainer doing split routines with both compound and isolation excercises. I didn't start with just the bar as the program suggests bc it was too light for me and I knew I would've gotten board with it before it got heavy enough and sometimes either bc it was too light or bc of my bad math skills I've gone up more than the 5lbs each week. I don't know my 1RM on any of the lifts.

    I'm m 5'11" now 225lbs (227 when I started) and this is where I'm at now:

    Squat 245 - I believe I still have room for another 25 - 50lbs
    Bench 225 - got them all today but the 4th set was tough (even tougher than the 5th)
    Row 165 - definately still have room (accidently went up 15lbs today from the last set - again bad math)
    OHP - 150 - failed only got 4 on the 4th set managed 5 on the last but my form was detriorating
    Dead 245 - still plenty of room to go up

    As mentioned - difficult to compare but as long as you're making progress and still lifting it's all good!
  • FrnkLft
    FrnkLft Posts: 1,821 Member
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    Hey man, the 1RM is not nearly as important as people make it out to be. It's just a benchmark, a tool to determine your progress, and in many programs it's used to determine what weight to use. It also varies considerably depending on how you're feeling and what you've eaten... how much you've rested, etc... I've actually never tested my 1RM, and I lift 5 days a week, hitting everything twice a week. Started training back in Nov.

    My Stats:

    Male / 150lbs / 5"4'

    Squat: 240 x 5
    Bench: 200 x 5
    Press: 130 x 4
    Deadlift: 265 x 15

    If you want to determine your 1RM, try using a 1RM calculator. There are a few out there and they are somewhat accurate. Also don't sweat it. Strength is a lifetime goal, and if you've just started lifting you'll see some really nice improvements very quickly.

    Once again though, this is a good reference. It's compiled from strength training competitions and general sports training:

    http://www.exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/StrengthStandards.htm
  • wolfgate
    wolfgate Posts: 321 Member
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    Good = going back consistently and following the program.

    Anything else is, in the big scheme of things, irrelevant.
  • scottb81
    scottb81 Posts: 2,538 Member
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    I've just finished the fourth week of stronglifts so all your stats are better than mine right now. 6'0", 183 lbs

    Squat 160
    Bench 120
    Row 95
    OHP 90
    Deadlift 205

    I have no idea what my 1RM is. At this point everything is changing so fast that it is probably pretty much irrelevant anyway.
  • FrnkLft
    FrnkLft Posts: 1,821 Member
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    Also from what you said, you're in the middle of your program... your numbers don't matter yet lol
  • jlapey
    jlapey Posts: 1,850 Member
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    So I know that this answer will completely depend on the weight/size of the person and how long they've been lifting among many, many other factors. I guess it's more of a comparison so I can get an idea if I should be proud of what I do or shamed into the corner. I am curious where others are in the Stronglifts routine (especially those with similar builds to mine) or what others think is a pretty good amount of weight to do.

    I am 6'3.5" and 281 pounds and my most recent lifts were:

    Squats - 225
    Rows - 150
    Bench - 150
    Press - 125
    Deadlift - 225

    I know I can do more on squats and deadlifts, just haven't gotten there yet. Bench press I can probably continue increasing for a while and rows will be stalled sooner. Press I am not sure I will be able to do 130 before I stall.

    Anyway, curious if this is pretty good for a guy who used to weigh 337 pounds and is working on a new life. Validation, dammit!

    Thanks


    Seriously? No shame, EVER! I don't care how much or how little you lift. The simple act of at least trying is admirable.
  • timbrom
    timbrom Posts: 303 Member
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    1RM matters in a competition. 1RM matters if you're in a life and death situation where you need to get something heavy out of the way. Testing your 1RM, especially as a beginner, is an absolutely senseless way to injure yourself.

    And remember, you don't stall until you're under the bar and the weight won't go up anymore. I was convinced I was about to stall on my squat at about 180. I just did 275 for 3 sets of 5 yesterday, still haven't stalled on squats. Don't go into a workout thinking you're going to stall.

    And, as people have said, if you're still adding weight to the bar each workout, you have no basis for comparing yourself to anyone. Any comparison you do is completely apples to oranges.
  • Beertroll
    Beertroll Posts: 29
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    I've been doing stronglifts for a couple of weeks. The thing that jumps out at me is that it seems like everybody else who has posted here is deadlifting at least as much as they're squatting, which hasn't been my experience at all. At this point, my lifts are as follows (I'm 6'3 and about 255#, down from 330# or so):

    Squat: 295
    Bench: 180
    Row: 120
    OHP: 110
    Deadlift: 170

    I don't have access to free weights at the moment, so that might be part of it. Another contributor might be that the deadlifts and rows are particularly hard to approximate on the machine I'm using. I end up using the curl bar, which makes the angles all wrong. I've recently started replacing the rows with a lat pulldown. I know it isn't a perfect substitution, but I can't even get close to the right posture for the rows without smacking myself in the face with the weight blocks.
  • timbrom
    timbrom Posts: 303 Member
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    Oh - slightly off topic, but a suggestion on your press - I did stall pretty hard on my overhead press and got to the point where I couldn't make 5lb jumps anymore. I could get 115, but just couldn't do 120. Tried deloading, got stuck at the same place. Picked up some heavy washers (5/8 lb each) and started adding just 2.5 or 1.25 lbs per workout, and just got 120. It's a technique called microloading and is really useful especially on the bench and overhead press, since they use fewer muscles overall. Allows you to keep making linear progression for longer, even if it's going a little bit slower.
  • michaelmadonna
    michaelmadonna Posts: 105 Member
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    Oh - slightly off topic, but a suggestion on your press - I did stall pretty hard on my overhead press and got to the point where I couldn't make 5lb jumps anymore. I could get 115, but just couldn't do 120. Tried deloading, got stuck at the same place. Picked up some heavy washers (5/8 lb each) and started adding just 2.5 or 1.25 lbs per workout, and just got 120. It's a technique called microloading and is really useful especially on the bench and overhead press, since they use fewer muscles overall. Allows you to keep making linear progression for longer, even if it's going a little bit slower.

    Good advise, thanks, my gym only has 2.5 but it might be worth picking up a couple of smaller fractional plates, especially for my OHP - especially if the deload doesn't help.
  • bobbystrongarm
    bobbystrongarm Posts: 72
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    Just keep with the program until you stall out a couple times and can't break the plateau, then switch to the next phase.

    Don't worry about 1RM yet. Taking a week off in pursuit of this will just likely stall you out. Not too mention, always trying for that 1RM can lead to injury. Leave it to the guys who can't keep their eyes off the mirror and act like everything is a pissing contest.

    Strength isn't just measured in your 1RM. If you can just lift 5lbs more in a working 5x5 routine, you are getting stronger. Just like if you were able to do more reps per set with the same weight, you are getting stronger.

    It looks like your progress is just fine. You've lost a substantial amount of weight and you are getting stronger, pat yourself on the back. Making gains on a deficit is hard work.
  • JenMc14
    JenMc14 Posts: 2,389 Member
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    I have no clue what my 1RMs are. I used my husband's because he knows them. I honestly have no clue what program he's running right now.

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