How do you gauge your strength training success?

YouHadMyCuriosity
YouHadMyCuriosity Posts: 218 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
What are some ways in which you "measure" whether you are getting stronger? I thought this would be a fun topic.

For me, I time wall sits (have over doubled my time in 3 weeks! I know, newbie gains), planks, and have a couple lifting workout that I "score" either by timing them or by counting how many reps I can do. I want to start seeing what my highest deadlift and squat weights are, but I am waiting till after Christmas to buy additional weight plates.

Just looking for other ideas, and curious what others do to check their progress!
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Replies

  • Shawshankcan
    Shawshankcan Posts: 900 Member
    When next weeks weight is more than this weeks.
  • YouHadMyCuriosity
    YouHadMyCuriosity Posts: 218 Member
    When next weeks weight is more than this weeks.

    I truly can't wait to have the rest of the weights I need to track this! What is your favorite move to see higher weight on?
  • CipherZero
    CipherZero Posts: 1,418 Member
    More reps per set, more total reps, more sets, more weight - all show more strength
  • k_stew_
    k_stew_ Posts: 38
    Deadlifts and back squats are my favorite to see increase, but I have to work harder for increases on my push presses and jerks.
  • navyrigger46
    navyrigger46 Posts: 1,301 Member
    The weight on the bar is my indicator.

    Rigger
  • VegasFit
    VegasFit Posts: 1,232 Member
    Depends on the activity but for kettlebell classes and regular weight training it's the weight I'm using. For instance I used to loath snatches and used a low weight just cause I didn't really love them but now even with a heavier weight they are no problem. Also my recovery time between sprint work and when I would gas out during has improved tremendously. When i first started taking Hot Pilates took a lot of breaks and now none unless the instructor says water break. Little things like that.
  • tuckerrj
    tuckerrj Posts: 1,453 Member
    When fellas 35 years YOUNGER than me stop & gawk in awe as I crank out a set of ten incline dumbbell presses with 85 pounders. Okay, bragging's over.
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    when I can lift more weight than the session before....

    although weight isn't everything for building muscle
  • YouHadMyCuriosity
    YouHadMyCuriosity Posts: 218 Member
    When fellas 35 years YOUNGER than me stop & gawk in awe as I crank out a set of ten incline dumbbell presses with 85 pounders. Okay, bragging's over.

    Love this response- was hoping to get some fun ones! :) My fun one- I do love it when my husband, who has always known me as a weakling, asks me to help him with moving a bulky piece of furniture (we just moved) and I lift my side of that same piece of furniture that I had been grunting and whining about moving 3 months ago with ease. I like to surprise him with the fact that my lifting bar wasn't a waste of money ;)
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    when my numbers increase and when real world stuff that used to be heavy feels light.

    i order special canned food for my kitty every month and there used to be a time when the box was too heavy to pick up and i pushed it. then there was a time months later where fedex came, i took the box in one hand and signed with the other and was like "where is the rest of my order? :mad: " . turns out i had somehow turned into she-ra and the same food felt light.
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    Increased iron on the barbell. Realizing 30 lb dumbells are not enough for me. Having my size get smaller while not losing any weight. My flexed muscle pics. Being able to carry $100+ in groceries into the house on one arm. Being able to push 960 pounds of concrete on a flat cart at Lowe's. I could go on...and on...
  • uconnwinsnc
    uconnwinsnc Posts: 1,054 Member
    When fellas 35 years YOUNGER than me stop & gawk in awe as I crank out a set of ten incline dumbbell presses with 85 pounders. Okay, bragging's over.

    You got that mature muscle. That's where the real strength is at.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    ummmm...... i don't understand the question?
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    ummmm...... i don't understand the question?

    Think in terms of your general badassery.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    Increasing endurance and strength are not the same thing.

    Increasing 1rm is the way you tell if you're getting stronger.
  • YouHadMyCuriosity
    YouHadMyCuriosity Posts: 218 Member
    ummmm...... i don't understand the question?

    Think in terms of your general badassery.

    This. I didn't intend this to be too serious of a question. What makes you feel LIKE THE HULK!?!?!
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    Increasing endurance and strength are not the same thing.

    Increasing 1rm is the way you tell if you're getting stronger.

    This too.
  • YouHadMyCuriosity
    YouHadMyCuriosity Posts: 218 Member
    Increasing endurance and strength are not the same thing.

    Increasing 1rm is the way you tell if you're getting stronger.

    Actually, for how much I wanted this to be a light hearted silly discussion, this is actually a very thoughtful, concise, and smart answer to my dumb question :) Thanks for that! Like I said, still waiting for my other weights till after xmas to get accurate results on my 1rms.

    Question- what you the number of pushups you can do count as? Endurance or strength?
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    Increasing endurance and strength are not the same thing.

    Increasing 1rm is the way you tell if you're getting stronger.

    Actually, for how much I wanted this to be a light hearted silly discussion, this is actually a very thoughtful, concise, and smart answer to my dumb question :) Thanks for that! Like I said, still waiting for my other weights till after xmas to get accurate results on my 1rms.

    Question- what you the number of pushups you can do count as? Endurance or strength?

    They're not mutually exclusive. They often come together, esecialy for newbies. But if you find yourself doing 50 pushups at a time, being able to do 55 doesn't mean you've gotten stronger.

    Past a certain number of reps, more reps doesn't really indicate more strength, which I really think of as the ability to produce force.
  • annekka
    annekka Posts: 517 Member
    I do mainly bodyweight exercises, so for me it's when I can hold longer or the exercise feels easier to hold than it was. Currently trying to work up to read military style pushups, I'm pretty much done with doing pushups on my knees but am having trouble making the leap to military style. And by pushups on my knees, I'm relying very little on the knees to keep me up.
  • _SABOTEUR_
    _SABOTEUR_ Posts: 6,833 Member
    Increase in weight and/or number of reps.

    Not strength related but speed with which I can do something/increase in number of reps within a specified time limit.
  • ZombieGeezUs
    ZombieGeezUs Posts: 476
    Increased iron on the barbell. Realizing 30 lb dumbells are not enough for me. Having my size get smaller while not losing any weight. My flexed muscle pics. Being able to carry $100+ in groceries into the house on one arm. Being able to push 960 pounds of concrete on a flat cart at Lowe's. I could go on...and on...

    Remember that time you lifted my car out of the mud? Or when you smashed Loki with one arm?
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    ummmm...... i don't understand the question?

    Think in terms of your general badassery.

    This. I didn't intend this to be too serious of a question. What makes you feel LIKE THE HULK!?!?!

    Ahh, I both get it now and understand why i didn't get it before. i don't go for that sort of thing anymore. i've been doing it for too long, i guess. i used to appreciate things that made me feel like a bad *kitten* but now i just put things on my checklist and cross that shish off like zorro and yelling "NEXT!" without really feeling any emotion about it. just business gettin handled.

    it's better your way tho, so carry on
  • djc315
    djc315 Posts: 585 Member
    When I first started lifting (a few weeks ago), I did 10 reps, 3 sets. Then I increased to 15 reps, 3 sets. Tonight I increased the weight and when back down to 10 reps, 3 sets. Tonight was the first time I felt like I was getting stronger, even though increasing my reps showed that as well.
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    Increased iron on the barbell. Realizing 30 lb dumbells are not enough for me. Having my size get smaller while not losing any weight. My flexed muscle pics. Being able to carry $100+ in groceries into the house on one arm. Being able to push 960 pounds of concrete on a flat cart at Lowe's. I could go on...and on...

    Remember that time you lifted my car out of the mud? Or when you smashed Loki with one arm?

    Shhhh, no one was supposed to know I took down Loki!!! ;)
  • YouHadMyCuriosity
    YouHadMyCuriosity Posts: 218 Member
    Increasing endurance and strength are not the same thing.

    Increasing 1rm is the way you tell if you're getting stronger.

    Actually, for how much I wanted this to be a light hearted silly discussion, this is actually a very thoughtful, concise, and smart answer to my dumb question :) Thanks for that! Like I said, still waiting for my other weights till after xmas to get accurate results on my 1rms.

    Question- what you the number of pushups you can do count as? Endurance or strength?

    They're not mutually exclusive. They often come together, esecialy for newbies. But if you find yourself doing 50 pushups at a time, being able to do 55 doesn't mean you've gotten stronger.

    Past a certain number of reps, more reps doesn't really indicate more strength, which I really think of as the ability to produce force.

    Ok, awesome. I am a total newb, and have been really excited about the fact that in a couple months, I've gone from not being able to do a single good form pushup to 15. So in that case it's still an increase in strength, but once I'm less of a wimp it will be less of an indicator, correct?
  • losingwhatican
    losingwhatican Posts: 26 Member
    I held a plank for three minutes a couple of weeks ago, and I've definitely never done that before. Also, just admiring my biceps or periodically poking my stomach to feel the fat-muscle ratio changing is fun. Insanity's Fit Test was a great way to gauge progress when I was doing the program, too, and I wonder if it would be appropriate to test my gains from the class I'm in now.
  • YouHadMyCuriosity
    YouHadMyCuriosity Posts: 218 Member
    ummmm...... i don't understand the question?

    Think in terms of your general badassery.

    This. I didn't intend this to be too serious of a question. What makes you feel LIKE THE HULK!?!?!

    Ahh, I both get it now and understand why i didn't get it before. i don't go for that sort of thing anymore. i've been doing it for too long, i guess. i used to appreciate things that made me feel like a bad *kitten* but now i just put things on my checklist and cross that shish off like zorro and yelling "NEXT!" without really feeling any emotion about it. just business gettin handled.

    it's better your way tho, so carry on

    I gotcha. I hope I one day get to the point where I'm taking increases in strength as a check in the box, and moving on to the next goal. I would rather be Zorro than the Hulk eventually ;)
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    Increasing endurance and strength are not the same thing.

    Increasing 1rm is the way you tell if you're getting stronger.

    Actually, for how much I wanted this to be a light hearted silly discussion, this is actually a very thoughtful, concise, and smart answer to my dumb question :) Thanks for that! Like I said, still waiting for my other weights till after xmas to get accurate results on my 1rms.

    Question- what you the number of pushups you can do count as? Endurance or strength?

    They're not mutually exclusive. They often come together, esecialy for newbies. But if you find yourself doing 50 pushups at a time, being able to do 55 doesn't mean you've gotten stronger.

    Past a certain number of reps, more reps doesn't really indicate more strength, which I really think of as the ability to produce force.

    Ok, awesome. I am a total newb, and have been really excited about the fact that in a couple months, I've gone from not being able to do a single good form pushup to 15. So in that case it's still an increase in strength, but once I'm less of a wimp it will be less of an indicator, correct?

    Less of an indicator of raw strength, sure. Don't worry about it: just focus on constant progress. That's what matters. This week you should be able to do more whatever than last week, but not as much as next week. The thing to really focus on is that if you're doing more than 15 or 20 reps it's time to make the movement more difficult with more weight or a different body position.
  • ZombieGeezUs
    ZombieGeezUs Posts: 476
    Increased iron on the barbell. Realizing 30 lb dumbells are not enough for me. Having my size get smaller while not losing any weight. My flexed muscle pics. Being able to carry $100+ in groceries into the house on one arm. Being able to push 960 pounds of concrete on a flat cart at Lowe's. I could go on...and on...

    Remember that time you lifted my car out of the mud? Or when you smashed Loki with one arm?

    Shhhh, no one was supposed to know I took down Loki!!! ;)

    well, you weren't very quiet about it....

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