What percentage body weight are you actually lifting?

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Seekerman
Seekerman Posts: 58 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
My GF part time trainer told her you must consider your half your body weight when comparing upper body exercises to squats. In terms of raw weight lifted. Kind of makes sense I guess. Where in a bench press or shoulder press you are only lifting the weight. She tells me then effectively I am squatting 240 pounds or 1.26 my body weight (145 squat plus 190/2). I don't think that is right though and I am squatting only .77 of my body weight. I bench 1.66 my body weight which does not sound as impressive as the raw number of weight lifted lol

She wants to bench 1/2 her squat which is at 205lbs but if you add half her body weight then the number is 272 pounds. Her bench is up to 85 pounds. I like to think she squats 1.53 times her body weight and not 2.03 x her body weight and she benches .63 her body weight.

Feel free to post your numbers. I want to get a idea of normal percentage of body weight numbers.
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Replies

  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,834 Member
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    That's a lot of unnecessary math. in my opinion. You lift was will get your muscle to fatigue in 6-20 reps, depending on your needs. I actually only leg press 240, but I do it high reps for stamina training.

    I duuno.
  • Seekerman
    Seekerman Posts: 58 Member
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    I agree it would be dependent on whether one was power lifting, body builder, casual lifting, stamina lifting etc. or injuries, how much time a effort one puts into a particular exercise.
    I hate squat and rarely do them so it explain my numbers. I rather do alternate body weight lower body or weighted lunges.
  • wonderwoman234
    wonderwoman234 Posts: 551 Member
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    This seems arbitrary. You can only lift what you can lift. I am progressively lifting so what I am lifting now is not what I will be lifting next week.

    Unless you are talking about the assisted dip and chin up machine where you are totally lifting your body weight (minus the weight you add on the machine), what is the point of factoring this into your lifting?
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
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    Sites like this one:

    http://www.exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/StrengthStandards.html

    Can give you an idea of your strength level for your body weight.

    Its really only important that you try to improve from the last time you lifted while maintaining good form.
  • stumblinthrulife
    stumblinthrulife Posts: 2,558 Member
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    Technically correct, but totally unnecessary and you won't have a like to like comparison if you start comparing to other lifters like this.

    Count the bar, and what's on the bar, and nothing else. Or be prepared to be embarrassed when someone asks you to demonstrate your 240 pound squat and you proceed to load 145 pounds on the bar and then waffle about the weight of your body.
  • facecrack
    facecrack Posts: 2
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    You must look like Johnny Bravo, lol. Seriously, nobody adds their own weight to the numbers for a squat. Whats the point? Do you say you carried half your body weight when you go for a walk??
  • Nikkisfitblog
    Nikkisfitblog Posts: 149 Member
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    I walk press 100% BW all day every day...
  • CipherZero
    CipherZero Posts: 1,418 Member
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    Totally unneeded; point your browser to http://strstd.com and http://wilkscalculator.com/ to see how your lifts are stacking up.
  • KinoM
    KinoM Posts: 359 Member
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    You forgot to adjust for gravitational differences & barometric pressure.
  • SarahxApple
    SarahxApple Posts: 166 Member
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    I feel you (or the trainer) is unnecessarily complicating this?

    I had to read it twice to understand what you were saying and agree with other posters you don't calculate that you are carrying your bodyweight when you walk, or it is calculated in caloric burn. What about if it's raining or windy? Why is it important to stretch your numbers this way, just lift progressively.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    Technically correct, but totally unnecessary and you won't have a like to like comparison if you start comparing to other lifters like this.

    Count the bar, and what's on the bar, and nothing else. Or be prepared to be embarrassed when someone asks you to demonstrate your 240 pound squat and you proceed to load 145 pounds on the bar and then waffle about the weight of your body.

    This.

    Totally unnecessary and outside industry standard.

    And honestly it's a different weight you are lifting- because it's an integrated weight. It's not full dead weight. Sure it's weight- but it's not the same as a 300 pound obese man trying to do a pull up with 150 pounds of dead weight hanging. I could see factoring that in just because- but jumping through mental hoops for weight squatted it's totally undeeded. The bar and the weight on it.

    If you really want to get into weight per pounds moved and body weight- go through something like the wilkes formula and compare that way.
  • Seekerman
    Seekerman Posts: 58 Member
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    Johnny Bravo. I had no idea who he was. Naa I think he could bench 600 and squat 200 just because his legs are so short.

    Oh " gravitational differences & barometric pressure" damm ya I forgot

    To those who actually replied respectfully THANK YOU
  • shmerek
    shmerek Posts: 963 Member
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    I walk press 100% BW all day every day...
    lolz
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    You forgot to adjust for gravitational differences & barometric pressure.

    :laugh:
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
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    My GF part time trainer told her you must consider your half your body weight when comparing upper body exercises to squats. In terms of raw weight lifted. Kind of makes sense I guess. Where in a bench press or shoulder press you are only lifting the weight. She tells me then effectively I am squatting 240 pounds or 1.26 my body weight (145 squat plus 190/2). I don't think that is right though and I am squatting only .77 of my body weight. I bench 1.66 my body weight which does not sound as impressive as the raw number of weight lifted lol

    She wants to bench 1/2 her squat which is at 205lbs but if you add half her body weight then the number is 272 pounds. Her bench is up to 85 pounds. I like to think she squats 1.53 times her body weight and not 2.03 x her body weight and she benches .63 her body weight.

    Feel free to post your numbers. I want to get a idea of normal percentage of body weight numbers.
    Are you saying my forearms and hands weigh nothing? Do they contain helium or something? Why can't I add that amount to my bench numbers?
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    My GF part time trainer told her you must consider your half your body weight when comparing upper body exercises to squats. In terms of raw weight lifted. Kind of makes sense I guess. Where in a bench press or shoulder press you are only lifting the weight. She tells me then effectively I am squatting 240 pounds or 1.26 my body weight (145 squat plus 190/2). I don't think that is right though and I am squatting only .77 of my body weight. I bench 1.66 my body weight which does not sound as impressive as the raw number of weight lifted lol

    She wants to bench 1/2 her squat which is at 205lbs but if you add half her body weight then the number is 272 pounds. Her bench is up to 85 pounds. I like to think she squats 1.53 times her body weight and not 2.03 x her body weight and she benches .63 her body weight.

    Feel free to post your numbers. I want to get a idea of normal percentage of body weight numbers.
    Are you saying my forearms and hands weigh nothing? Do they contain helium or something? Why can't I add that amount to my bench numbers?

    Dear Pizza,

    It has come to our attention that your hands and forearms are indeed made of helium.
    As such, please stop fudging your bench press.

    Thanks for your cooperation,
    Everyone on MFP








    (Srs how else do you think he could lift ALL the pizzas?)
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
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    I move the weight twice as far for squats as I do for bench press...so for equal weight, I'm doing twice the work for squats as bench.

    My question is, to make these comparable, do I double the weight for squats or do I halve the weight for bench press?
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
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    My GF part time trainer told her you must consider your half your body weight when comparing upper body exercises to squats. In terms of raw weight lifted. Kind of makes sense I guess. Where in a bench press or shoulder press you are only lifting the weight. She tells me then effectively I am squatting 240 pounds or 1.26 my body weight (145 squat plus 190/2). I don't think that is right though and I am squatting only .77 of my body weight. I bench 1.66 my body weight which does not sound as impressive as the raw number of weight lifted lol

    She wants to bench 1/2 her squat which is at 205lbs but if you add half her body weight then the number is 272 pounds. Her bench is up to 85 pounds. I like to think she squats 1.53 times her body weight and not 2.03 x her body weight and she benches .63 her body weight.

    Feel free to post your numbers. I want to get a idea of normal percentage of body weight numbers.
    Are you saying my forearms and hands weigh nothing? Do they contain helium or something? Why can't I add that amount to my bench numbers?

    In my humble opinion, you can definitely add that weight. Just amputate your arms at the shoulders, weigh them, then re-attach. You may need an assistant for this. However, make sure you perform this surgery on a platform or it doesn't count.
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
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    I move the weight twice as far for squats as I do for bench press...so for equal weight, I'm doing twice the work for squats as bench.

    My question is, to make these comparable, do I double the weight for squats or do I halve the weight for bench press?

    You just reminded me, who was that guy who was hassling Sara about her being able to out-squat him? Something about he was taller and therefore his bigger ROM meant he was actually stronger than her? That was a good time.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    I move the weight twice as far for squats as I do for bench press...so for equal weight, I'm doing twice the work for squats as bench.

    My question is, to make these comparable, do I double the weight for squats or do I halve the weight for bench press?

    You just reminded me, who was that guy who was hassling Sara about her being able to out-squat him? Something about he was taller and therefore his bigger ROM meant he was actually stronger than her? That was a good time.

    <----aware and loling. That dude is a riot. Pretty sure it's the same dude with the shrug video.

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