280518 Relative strength-are you really as strong as you think you are?
Does your relative strength match these standards? In the following chart* you will find commonly accepted values for determining whether or not your strength is good, excellent or elite in the three power lifts.
| Squat | Male | Female |
| Good | greater than 2 x bdwt | greater than 1.5 x bdwt |
| Excellent | greater than or equal to 2.5 x bdwt |
greater than or equal to 2 x bdwt |
| Elite | greater than or equal to 3 x bdwt |
greater than or equal to 2.5 x bdwt |
| Bench Press | Male | Female |
| Good | >1.25 X bdwt | >0.8 X bdwt |
| Excellent | greater than or equal to 1.75 X bdwt | 1 X bdwt |
| Elite | greater than or equal to 2 X bdwt |
greater than or equal to 1.25 X bdwt |
| Deadlift | Male | Female |
| Good | greater than 2 x bdwt | greater than 1.5 x bdwt |
| Excellent | greater than or equal to 2.5 x bdwt |
greater than or equal to 2 x bdwt |
| Elite | greater than or equal to 3 x bdwt |
greater than or equal to 2.5 x bdwt |
Relative strength means balancing out your lifting. This requires adequate attention to each of the lifts; which in essence means your lifting should be in a ratio of one to the other across the board. It has been suggested by practitioners of the sport and the scientists who support these lifters that a ratio of 1:1.5:1.5 will provide the ratio for success. In this case the first number represents the bench press followed by squat and the dead lift 1 repetition maximum numbers.
*Adapted from Encyclopedia of Muscle and Strength by Stoppani, J Human Kinetics 2006
