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The average man/woman
- Thread starter Micker
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ghettostudmuffin
New member
Those standards are inflated. Quite abit actually.
A guy I work with is 5'9", 165lbs and has an average build. He is white. We work in excavation and I would say that because of the work we do he is stronger than the average guy that doesn't do some heavy physical labor. He doesn't workout, but I have gone climbing with him and this is what I noted.
Pullups-barely 1, barely
I was hang snatching 135 overhead no problem, he could deadlift the weight ok, but could not generate the strength to get his arms to bend even half-way. Even using leg drive he could not get the weight up to shoulder height.
Could barely do 1 hanging leg raise to parallel let alone head height
Another guy at my gym ended up training with me a couple times. He was just starting lifting. He is black. About 5'9", 160lbs, very lean and muscular looking. Could do chinups bodyweight+30x4. Dips-bodyweight+60x5, full back squat 115x5, deadlift 185x1. Could barely clean 135, barely
He has much better genetics than my co-worker and better bodybuilder genetics than me. BUT, although his strength levels are very good in the upper body muscles his basic leg, lowerback and full body strength are lacking. And he is definitely above the average.
Those numbers are STUPID.
A guy I work with is 5'9", 165lbs and has an average build. He is white. We work in excavation and I would say that because of the work we do he is stronger than the average guy that doesn't do some heavy physical labor. He doesn't workout, but I have gone climbing with him and this is what I noted.
Pullups-barely 1, barely
I was hang snatching 135 overhead no problem, he could deadlift the weight ok, but could not generate the strength to get his arms to bend even half-way. Even using leg drive he could not get the weight up to shoulder height.
Could barely do 1 hanging leg raise to parallel let alone head height
Another guy at my gym ended up training with me a couple times. He was just starting lifting. He is black. About 5'9", 160lbs, very lean and muscular looking. Could do chinups bodyweight+30x4. Dips-bodyweight+60x5, full back squat 115x5, deadlift 185x1. Could barely clean 135, barely
He has much better genetics than my co-worker and better bodybuilder genetics than me. BUT, although his strength levels are very good in the upper body muscles his basic leg, lowerback and full body strength are lacking. And he is definitely above the average.
Those numbers are STUPID.
mrbigstuff
New member
Those number seem to more to based on the average guy that WORKS OUT. The average guy can't even do 20 push ups without getting winded...far less pullups
Heh, 14 minutes must include 13 minutes of foreplay
.I think that the pullups and pushups are probably not full. Pushups probably from the knees and pullups assisted somehow. I don't know anyone over 50 who could do even one pullup who doesn't workout. As far as benching body weight, that is good if you don't workout much, but I think doing bodyweight 10 times is good if you workout, more if you workout a lot.
blut wump
New member
That's it, I'm crushed again. I can do bodyweight (~260 lbs) for 5 or 6 reps and it's taken a lot of work to get here.Micker said:Heh, 14 minutes must include 13 minutes of foreplay
I think that the pullups and pushups are probably not full. Pushups probably from the knees and pullups assisted somehow. I don't know anyone over 50 who could do even one pullup who doesn't workout. As far as benching body weight, that is good if you don't workout much, but I think doing bodyweight 10 times is good if you workout, more if you workout a lot.
There's a bench assessment calculator here which reflects others I've seen in similar vein:
http://www.brianmac.demon.co.uk/bpress.htm
anotherbutters
New member
I'm decidedly average 
Wheen I first started doing pullups recently, I couldn't even do 5 sets of 5, by the 5th, I need help. Now I can do 10 reps with 15lbs. attached to me. Pullups use muscles in a way that you really need to do pullups to get better at pullups. I can do a lot more pullups palms facing me then palms away, but that probably because I have to use a narrow bar and I can't get a nice wide grip to get my lats into it.
I think saying how much someone should be able to bench depends on a lot. If you are 180 and 5'7" you probably have a lot moroe muscle mass then someone 180 and 6'3". The shorter guy doing his bodyweight is easy, where for the taller guy its much harder. If someone has very lowbody fat, they will weigh less and doing their bodyweight is easier(same muscle mass, less weight). I don't think bodyweight for any amount of reps is representitive of anything really, too many factors. Now if you are doing competitions, then strength for bodyweight matters, as you will be in a higher/harder weight class.
I think saying how much someone should be able to bench depends on a lot. If you are 180 and 5'7" you probably have a lot moroe muscle mass then someone 180 and 6'3". The shorter guy doing his bodyweight is easy, where for the taller guy its much harder. If someone has very lowbody fat, they will weigh less and doing their bodyweight is easier(same muscle mass, less weight). I don't think bodyweight for any amount of reps is representitive of anything really, too many factors. Now if you are doing competitions, then strength for bodyweight matters, as you will be in a higher/harder weight class.
ghettostudmuffin
New member
Based off what I have observed in the last 25 years this is my guess on what the "average" 155-175lbs man can do "untrained":
bench press 135-155lbs
Barbell full squat 135lbs
barbell squat to parallel 135-155lbs
deadlift 155-205
full range pullup 1-3 reps
full range chinup 1-5 reps
below parallel dip Bodyweight only 1-7 reps
standing barbell press 75-100lbs
strict curl 60-75lbs
strict hanging straight leg raise to parallel 1-10
situps 25 nonstop
I'm probably even being generous on most of these.
Seriously, I think we lifters tend to over-estimate the strength of the average guy. The average guy is a weak fuck to be honest. The "average" lifter probably weighs 165-185lbs and has above average strength, but still nothing impressive.
If you can strict bench 250 or more, raw full squat 275 or more, deadlift 350 or more, then you are ALOT stronger than the average guy and have what I like to term "suplex or pile-driver strength" in comparison to the"average man". Lol...still nothing impressive to an accomplished lifter, but still ALOT stronger than the average guy or even average lifter.
Next time you're in the gym, take a look around. I mean really take a look at all the lifters. You'll probably be surprised to notice that most are not that strong, weigh less than 200lbs and have arms 16" or smaller on average. And these are guys that actually lift.
Think about it.
bench press 135-155lbs
Barbell full squat 135lbs
barbell squat to parallel 135-155lbs
deadlift 155-205
full range pullup 1-3 reps
full range chinup 1-5 reps
below parallel dip Bodyweight only 1-7 reps
standing barbell press 75-100lbs
strict curl 60-75lbs
strict hanging straight leg raise to parallel 1-10
situps 25 nonstop
I'm probably even being generous on most of these.
Seriously, I think we lifters tend to over-estimate the strength of the average guy. The average guy is a weak fuck to be honest. The "average" lifter probably weighs 165-185lbs and has above average strength, but still nothing impressive.
If you can strict bench 250 or more, raw full squat 275 or more, deadlift 350 or more, then you are ALOT stronger than the average guy and have what I like to term "suplex or pile-driver strength" in comparison to the"average man". Lol...still nothing impressive to an accomplished lifter, but still ALOT stronger than the average guy or even average lifter.
Next time you're in the gym, take a look around. I mean really take a look at all the lifters. You'll probably be surprised to notice that most are not that strong, weigh less than 200lbs and have arms 16" or smaller on average. And these are guys that actually lift.
Think about it.
Tweakle
New member
thats true GSM.. in fact you're being generous, I think most ppl in my gym are maybe 180 with 15" arms, if that.
anyone else have this thing where your perception of joe average is skewed as fuck? I mean I know that even joe-hockey guy strutting around like he's cock of the walk is only a soft 200 at 6'2", but it's weird how the bigger you get the bigger everyone else seems to get
anyone else have this thing where your perception of joe average is skewed as fuck? I mean I know that even joe-hockey guy strutting around like he's cock of the walk is only a soft 200 at 6'2", but it's weird how the bigger you get the bigger everyone else seems to get
JL_204
New member
Tweakle said:thats true GSM.. in fact you're being generous, I think most ppl in my gym are maybe 180 with 15" arms, if that.
anyone else have this thing where your perception of joe average is skewed as fuck? I mean I know that even joe-hockey guy strutting around like he's cock of the walk is only a soft 200 at 6'2", but it's weird how the bigger you get the bigger everyone else seems to get
So true.
My buddy is a hockey player and hes a soft 215ish guy and everyone asks him if hes on juice. WTF??? Now he walks around like hes some meathead.
Im a lean 205 lbs and way stonger than him but I feel like hes stronger than me just becuase hes bigger.
strange shit.
ghettostudmuffin
New member
It's because we all have varying degrees of muscle dismorphyia lol.
Morrigu667
New member
lol in my gym for the past 2 years ive noticed that the average joe doesnt even bother doing chinups or anything that requires alot of effort plus for bench press ive seen noone near my strength when i started 2 years ago which is saying something about the current average man too much drinking and not enough excercise.
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