Putting it in perspective

[tkav1980]

We live in kind of a weird world. There’s genuine monsters on this site and we all kind of just compare ourselves to the top .1% of the population in terms of size and strength.
Using myself as an example, I’m 5’7” and 205 lbs while reasonably lean with visible abs. On pro muscle that’s somewhere on the lower 1/3 in terms of muscularity. In the real world that probably puts me in the top 10% globally. So I thought this was a really interesting discussion on how rare elite levels of strength really are in the rest of the worlds population.

 

[b_cornelius]

But do you have magic powers? Do you have unicorn blood in a vial on your dresser?

Remember, there are some damn handsome men in this group that you speak of, but there are also man-eating ogres. Such that a guy needs that special something either to set him apart or for simply protecting himself from what would appear to be mythological creatures that seem to have manifested in real life.

 

[tkav1980]

But do you have magic powers? Do you have unicorn blood in a vial on your dresser?

Remember, there are some damn handsome men in this group that you speak of, but there are also man-eating ogres. Such that a guy needs that special something either to set him apart or for simply protecting himself from what would appear to be mythological creatures that seem to have manifested in real life.

I have an unnatural ability to annoy my wife with my juvenile sense of humor and constant gas. Does that count?

 

[totalrecomp]

We certainly hold ourselves to an elite standard here and in our minds, at least I do. Can you think of any other sport/pastime/hobby/passion where the amateur will compare themselves to the elite of the elite? I don't think many guys playing pick-up ball at the YMCA constantly compare their skills to Jordan? Guys playing QB on their flag football team on Saturday mornings don't consider themselves a work in progress because they can't play like Manning, Farve, Rogers, or Brady. Yet to some degree this is exactly what I and many do.

I am constantly explaining to regular people that I am not lean or muscular by my standards. I have to do this as they look dismayed when I explain that I am dieting( and I only use that term as the average person does not understand a cutting cycle or recomp lol) Compared to the average slob at the local pool sure I look great. Compared to our standards...................well let's just say my lack of pictures on here is NOT an oversight lol.

 

[alfresco]

Perspective . . .

You know those white dashed lines separating the lanes in a highway?

How long are they? When asked to guess the length of the lines from
memory, most people will answer 2 – 3 feet. The real answer is 10 feet.
Yes, 10 feet. (That is the federal guideline.)

And that’s the first problem in life. It’s called perspective. Your perspective
is always driving at 60mph, so they look 3 feet long. Unless you change
your perspective, you never get to see the truth. Worse, much worse,
you go through life confident they are three feet.

Which brings us to the second problem: closed mindedness. Even though
I’ve told you the truth, you still don’t believe it—that’s how powerful your
perspective is. “He must be talking about some other lines, maybe in France?”

Unless you change your perspective, you will never be open to the truth,
to the discovery that what you have thought, for your entire life, is wrong.

Unless you get out of your car and measure those lines, you’ll never accept the truth.

Which brings us to the third problem: if you do try and change your perspective,
get out and measure those lines, you will be quickly dispatched by a minivan to
the face for your lack of faith

 

[opietaylor]

why is this guy even a thing? youtube is a joke. i'll stick to UFO videos, thanks.

 

[FK86]

Ron and Dusty talked a bit about this on their podcast a few months ago. They take questions from people on IG the way Fouad does and then answer them in the video. One of the questions was whether or not benching 225 puts you in the top either 10% or 1% (can't remember which one) strongest people on the planet. Dusty kind of scoffed and laughed about it and immediately said no. Now, Dusty inclines four plates for reps, so his reaction was not surprising. Ron was a little more grounded about it and used this example: if you go to the mall on a typical busy day with lots of people, how many guys that you walk past can actually bench 225? It's likely that it's less than you think.

I also totally agree with totalrecomp's comments. When it comes to physique and image, people are so much harder on themselves. I played soccer and basketball when I was much younger and I never beat myself up because I wasn't as good as Pele or Jordan.

I've seen bodybuilders whine and complain that they're fat on a podcast and they're sitting at 10% with veins everywhere. It's ok to hold yourself to a different standard, but don't ever make a comment like that in front of an actual obese person.

 

[thethinker48]

Desire is a contract you make with yourself to be unhappy until you are able to gain that particular thing

Desire is also found in the blueprints for many a great accomplishments

Just have to find a way to balance this. Don't desire too many things, and still have perspective & gratitude for what you do have (your health,working limbs, living pain free)

 

[totalrecomp]

I read this article a couple of years ago, it made me feel better lol. The OG site it was written on sells supplements so I will copy and paste the article and no link.

What is strong? I've analyzed the national records for several major drug-free powerlifting federations, and compiled my own set of raw strength standards.


What is strong? We live in a world filled with 1000 pound squat and 800 pound bench press Youtube videos. Kind of makes you feel weak, doesn't it? It sure makes me feel weak. There are a couple of key things you need to know about most of these lifts.

1000 Pound Squats and 800 Pound Bench Presses?​

How are these guys able to move Herculean amounts of weight? Here are 2 major reasons.
#1 - Training Gear. The guys putting up these monster numbers are for the most part using training gear. What is training gear? Training gear includes the use of specialized squat suits and bench shirts that are designed to help powerlifters add hundreds of pounds to each lift.
So when you see a guy benching close to 800 pounds with a bench shirt on, there's a good chance he "only" benches 500 without a bench shirt. The same goes for squats suits. A squat of over 700 without a squat suit is fairly rare. Add in a squat suit, along with knee wraps and squat briefs, which go under a squat suit to help move even more weight, and these guys are squatting over 1000 pounds.
Training gear is not magical though. It requires an amazing amount of dedication and practice, and few can master it.
#2 - Drugs. Another factor adding to these monster totals is an obvious one - steroid and human growth hormone usage. Now it is certainly not my intention to label everyone with a big lift as a drug user. I've seen some pretty staggering natural lifts in my day. With that said, drug use is fairly common in the sport of powerlifting, and I'm not going to lie to you and pretend it's not.
There are some natural-only federations. Outside of this realm, your guess is as good as mine as to who is clean and who isn't.

Anti-Gear, Anti-Steroids?​

Before we move on any further, I want to make something very clear. The point of this article isn't to bash lifters who use training gear or drugs. This article exists to provide natural and raw strength standards to lifters who will never use either. Period, end of story. I respect the iron, and the men and women who move it, and am not here to judge or stir up debates.

Raw, Natural Strength Standards​

Let's dive into the topic of raw, natural strength standards by analyzing the national records of several drug-free powerlifting federations. Some of these federations are large, and some modest in size.

• USAPL
• 100% Raw
• NASA
• ADFPF
• UPA-AD

These numbers will give you somewhat of a reasonable look at "elite" strength levels. They are not meant to be elite standards in and of themselves. I will make an attempt to define my opinion of elite standards later on.

Natural Raw Records for Men​

Squats​

Weight Class	USAPL	100% Raw	NASA	ADFPF	UPA-AD
132	479.50	530.90	275.58	247.50	None
148	473.75	550.90	473.99	445.50	220
165	534.50	530	512.57	447.70	529
181	562	601.10	540.13	500.50	529
198	573	610	644.85	550	600
220	650.25	650.30	699.96	583	633
242	705.25	700.70	650.36	621.50	705
275	766	850	755.08	599.50	640
308	854.25	826.70	766.10	599.50	704

Bench Press​

Weight Class	USAPL	100% Raw	NASA	ADFPF	UPA-AD
132	314	330.40	231.48	187	None
148	337.25	360.40	294.31	302.50	165
165	402.25	400	363.76	374	314
181	385.75	385	363.76	385	364
198	443	425	418.87	374	412
220	523.50	490	451.94	423.50	425
242	462.75	485.60	415.57	451	457
275	501.50	585	507.06	511.50	440
308	546.50	520	476.19	484	501

Deadlifts​

Weight Class	USAPL	100% Raw	NASA	ADFPF	UPA-AD
132	578.50	450	358.25	341	None
148	523.50	540	567.68	473	353
165	661.25	630	567.68	535.70	567
181	677.75	641.10	617.29	638	600
198	706.50	661.30	661.38	671	630
220	727.50	672.40	677.91	654.50	677
242	699.75	760.50	722.01	704	645
275	832.00	800	705.47	632.50	650
308	843.25	760.50	810.19	665.50	744

So, what do these numbers tell us? The first thing I noticed is that the following lifts are extremely hard to achieve:

• Squat - 600 pounds
• Bench Press - 400 pounds
• Deadlift - 650 pounds

It's safe to say that if you hit these numbers, you're well into Elite territory for a raw, natural lifter. It should also be noted that it is darn near impossible to hit a 2000 raw, natural powerlifting total. Only a small handful of natural lifters have performed this amazing feat.
The lifting standards I am about to present are merely guidelines. Use them to assess your progress, and potential for future gains. Don't be discouraged by the numbers of the top one percent of lifters. You can make amazing strides forward without having the best genetics, so remain patient and train smart. If you do so you will exceed your expectations.
Before I move forward, here are some simple definitions for standards names.

• Pro Strength - The very best of the best. Superhuman. Supreme strength.
• Elite Strength - You should be extremely competitive at a National level powerlifting meet.
• Extremely Strong - You will be one of the top lifters at most local, natural **broken link removed** meets. Your strength levels land you in the top 1% of humanity.
• Very Strong - In the muscle building and strength training realm, this would be considered intermediate level strength.
• Strong - Your lifts are around a 200 raw bench, 300 raw squat and 400 raw deadlift. This doesn't seem strong compared to powerlifting records, but you are still stronger than 90% of men walking

cont. next post

 

[totalrecomp]

Raw Natural Strength Standards Based On Weight - Men​

Pro Natural Raw Strength Standards​

Weight	Squats	Bench	Deadlifts
132	430	270	440
148	460	300	470
165	500	330	540
181	540	350	580
198	570	380	610
220	610	410	640
242	640	430	660
275	670	450	680
308	700	470	700

Elite Natural Raw Strength Standards​

Weight	Squats	Bench	Deadlifts
132	400	250	410
148	425	280	435
165	465	305	500
181	500	325	535
198	530	350	565
220	565	380	595
242	595	400	610
275	620	420	630
308	650	435	650

Extremely Strong Natural Raw Strength Standards​

Weight	Squats	Bench	Deadlifts
132	325	205	330
148	345	225	355
165	375	250	405
181	405	265	435
198	430	285	460
220	460	310	480
242	480	325	495
275	505	340	510
308	525	355	525

Very Strong Natural Raw Strength Standards​

Weight	Squats	Bench	Deadlifts
132	290	185	300
148	310	210	320
165	340	225	365
181	365	240	395
198	385	260	415
220	415	280	435
242	435	290	445
275	455	305	460
308	475	320	475

Strong Natural Raw Strength Standards​

Weight	Squats	Bench	Deadlifts
132	250	155	255
148	265	175	270
165	290	190	310
181	310	205	335
198	330	220	350
220	350	235	370
242	370	250	380
275	385	260	390
308	405	270	405

I used the following multipliers to determine these numbers:

• Elite = Pro x 92.5%
• Extremely Strong = Pro x 75%
• Very Strong = Pro x 67.5%
• Strong = Pro x 57.5%

The Last Word on Natural Strength​

Most of you aren't **broken link removed**, nor do most of you have the goal of weighing 270 pounds or more. So with that in mind, I want to end by presenting you with an easy set of natural strength standards to remember.

The following goals are perfect for the lifter who wants to get big and strong, but who may never have any interesting in competing in **broken link removed** or powerlifting. Reach these goals while focusing on conventional hypertrophy (muscle building) rep ranges, and you will not only add muscle to your frame, but also have the power and strength to back it up.

• Bench Press - 300 pounds
• Squats - 400 pounds
• Deadlift - 500 pounds
• Power Clean - 225 pounds
• Overhead Press - 225 pounds
• Barbell Row - 300 Pounds

There have been fewer than 85 men who have ever hit a 2000 raw powerlifting total. Of these men, only a very small handful accomplished this feat while competing in major drug-tested federations. I hope this helps put powerlifting numbers in perspective.

The use of bench shirts, squat suits, steroids and growth hormone has made it difficult for most natural athletes to understand just what strong means. I see far too many strong forum lifters refer to themselves as weak, simply because they do not understand what reasonable natural standards are. They talk themselves out of competitive powerlifting because of a misguided vision that everyone is putting up 2000 pound totals. Not true at all.

A 1200 pound 3-lift total (bench press, squats and deadlifts) is more than 95% of gym rats will ever accomplish. A 1500 pound 3-lift total is a huge accomplishment, and will be hard to beat at most local, natural powerlifting meets.

For those of you who are doubting this, let me leave you with some numbers from my first powerlifting experience. In 2011 I competed at a local ADFPF meet. This was my first competition and I had no idea what to expect. I certainly had no clue that I would be the strongest lifter at the meet. My 3-lift total was 1501 that day. The second best total was approximately 200 pounds below this level.

This reveals that a 1300-1500 pound total at most local, raw and natural powerlifting meets is fairly impressive. Those that achieve these levels usually move on to national-level competitions.

I currently hold 2 national-level deadlifting records, one in the ADFPF, and one in the UPA. Certainly not a legendary achievement (far from it), but my records do provide further evidence that a 1500-1600 pound total is noteworthy in the natural lifting world.

THESE NUMBERS ARE NOT UP TO DATE FOR 2021 I REALIZE

 

[whacked]

Perspective . . .

You know those white dashed lines separating the lanes in a highway?

How long are they? When asked to guess the length of the lines from
memory, most people will answer 2 – 3 feet. The real answer is 10 feet.
Yes, 10 feet. (That is the federal guideline.)

And that’s the first problem in life. It’s called perspective. Your perspective
is always driving at 60mph, so they look 3 feet long. Unless you change
your perspective, you never get to see the truth. Worse, much worse,
you go through life confident they are three feet.

Which brings us to the second problem: closed mindedness. Even though
I’ve told you the truth, you still don’t believe it—that’s how powerful your
perspective is. “He must be talking about some other lines, maybe in France?”

Unless you change your perspective, you will never be open to the truth,
to the discovery that what you have thought, for your entire life, is wrong.

Unless you get out of your car and measure those lines, you’ll never accept the truth.

Which brings us to the third problem: if you do try and change your perspective,
get out and measure those lines, you will be quickly dispatched by a minivan to
the face for your lack of faith

mannn I love this !! Lol great stuff!!