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How physically strong are you in real life?

This is a question I'm sure jocks would have fun with, tho bragging and condescending will just make you look conceited and unfun to be around.
I'm usually the one to help people carry in heavy objects that are too big for one person to carry. Things like couches, mattresses, and one time a washing machine. I'm not sure how many pull-ups I can do, but I think the most I've done is 12 or 13 maybe (don't quite remember). Even weighing somewhere over 150 lbs I can still do pull ups.
I don't really know how much I can dead lift because I'm kinda scared to. I don't wanna hurt my back. In my weight lifting class when we were learning how to dead-lift, I'm pretty sure I did at least 150 lbs just fine.
I remember decline bench pressing reps of 115 lbs.
Despite some of the heavier things I've lifted, my weak shoulder muscles cause me to struggle with shoulder pressing a 65 lb barbell.
I am probably not a jock, or at least not as much of one as people who are often called jocks.
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I assume myself to boast an averagely low strength. I was once said to mow a part of the lawn with a pushmower but I couldn't fulfill it. The grass I saw too tall and too durable and the machine just stopped when it hits the grass. Even if it did, it would just push the grass down with little effect.
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A fly could beat me in an arm wrestling contest.
For my size, I'm actually abnormally strong. I'm 5'7"/169cm tall and weigh 190lbs/86kg muscle weight mainly with bits of flab on me. I'm not trim, I'm just big. About 3-4 years ago I was able to bench press 315lbs/143kg and do 5 reps. Last time I checked though, I've gotten slightly weaker. The most I could do is 280lbs/128kg and 8 reps. I can't do any pullups or chinups though rofl. My upper body strength is a little weird. I can punch pretty hard, downside though is I get tired easily, my stamina has declined overtime.
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I've been able to benchpress 75 pounds; however I'm out of shape, but I'm also tall and skinny.
I no longer have interest in SMW Hacking as I did when I first started several years ago.
I used to do martial arts (Tae Kwan Do and Ju Jitsu) and did quite well in both. As time has gone on, I stopped doing martial arts and transitioned into more aerobic forms of exercise (swimming, dance, etc.), so I cannot really get an accurate picture of how strong I am. I can carry heavy loads without getting overly tired, so perhaps my body strength has not changed much.
I can bench a one rep max of 80 pounds. I might be able to do a few pounds more, though I'd still on the weaker side for guys my age.
I may be average-low, though I'm starting to do push-ups and pull-ups, and that starts to help me a bit.
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I think I can even lift a table with my strength. I may be strong, but this doesn't stop me from doing push-ups and pull-ups.
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Used to be decently strong, but not so much anymore. I've been thinking of getting back into weight lifting and aerobics lately though, so we'll see if anything actually comes out of that.

(I do have a fairly strong heart and lungs though. All of the running I do is to thank for them.)
I don't really know, but probably not very strong, considering I don't ever do anything for it.
I've been going to the gym since about 10 months or so, so I do things like bench presses relatively often ever since. Though I gained most of the strength I have currently from the market work I do every week, carrying boxes around and all that.

My strength in bench press has increased over the past 10 months. Where I had difficulties doing even 3 sets of 6 reps on 30 kg (66 lbs) in July 2011, I am now at the level where I do 1 set of 10 reps on 40 kg (88 lbs) to warm up, 3 sets of 8 reps on 55 kg (121 lbs) for the general exercise and 1 set of 12 reps on 40 kg (88 lbs) again to cool down. The actual bar weighs 20 kg (44 lbs), so to get to 40 kg I put one weight of 10 kg at each side of the bar, and to get to 55 kg I put 17.5 kg at each side of the bar. It's as simple as that, really.

My primary goal in bench pressing is to eventually be able to lift my own weight, or more than my own weight. That would mean I would have to be able to do 3 sets of 8 reps on at least 67.5 kg (149 lbs) in the future. I wonder when I'll be able to pull that off. That would basically mean a bar with 23.75 kg on each side. I've attempted a bar with 20 kg on each side before, but I got nowhere near the 3 sets 8 reps - after the fourth rep my triceps, deltoid and pectoralis major don't seem to have any power left anymore.

I really prefer the "strength exercisies" over the "long-during exercises", mainly because I find the latter to be rather boring. The former actually makes you feel like there is some kind of impact on your body. Though obviously I know I have to balance it out a little, so I sometimes do those exercises as well, such as cycling, running and rowing.
I do various other "strength exercises", not just bench pressing, but I can't assign any weights to them here as they vary. Though my favourite dumbbells are those of 12 kg (26 lbs) and 14 kg (31 lbs), with which I train various muscle groups such as the shoulder deltoids, the biceps/triceps and the pectoralis. Recently I've been doing more quadriceps and hamstring exercises on the respective machines for them. Those muscles form the upper leg muscles, respectively the front and back of it.

e: As for pull-ups, 8 or 9 reps is basically my maximum. I do want to work on this more. Given my average weight (67 kg about, body length being 1.65m/5"5) I have a little bit of an advantage on this one.

e2: And I actually never do dead-lifting. Not sure why, it just never comes to me. To train my back, I usually use those "rowing machines" where you basically pull a weight and keep your chest stretched and your back right-up.
--------> Don't follow "Find Roy's Dignity", my hack. Because it's pretty outdated. <--------
I suppose I'm somewhere around "a bit above-average" in my age/between my acquaintances, but it's actually a result of going to the gym at least 3 times a week and active workouts; unfortunately, I wouldn't be half as strong without doing this.

I remember when I started going to gym frequently (around Fall of 2009, though there were long "breaks"), I couldn't lift 50 kg (110 lbs) on the bench, while nowadays it's usually what I use to warm up. I started bench pressing with 35-40 kg (77-88 lbs) and around Spring 2011 I managed to lift my own weight and even a bit more (I was around 65 kg (143 lbs) and I could do 2 reps of 70 kg (154 lbs)). Now I'm about 70 kg and usually work out with 60-65 kg (doing ~5 sets with 7-9 reps).

As for other exercises, I like using one-hand weights (usually working with 13-15 kg (29-33 lbs) for each hand), the Scott Bench (lifting about 28 kg (61 lbs)) and various pulling-rowing exercises (usually with 50-60 kg (110-132 lbs)).
I can do pullups too, though it's not my favorite, about 6-8 any time and even 12-15 when I feel energetic.

Originally posted by Slash Man
About 3-4 years ago I was able to bench press 315lbs/143kg and do 5 reps. Last time I checked though, I've gotten slightly weaker. The most I could do is 280lbs/128kg and 8 reps.


o_o Damn, that's surely something. I knew a guy from a gym nearby and he could lift ~120 kg, and he was like a star of the gym (everyone watched him when he did the bench pressing, it was really cool). So yeah, 143 kg...that's pretty amazing.

Originally posted by Roy
My primary goal in bench pressing is to eventually be able to lift my own weight, or more than my own weight. That would mean I would have to be able to do 3 sets of 8 reps on at least 67.5 kg (149 lbs) in the future. I wonder when I'll be able to pull that off. That would basically mean a bar with 23.75 kg on each side. I've attempted a bar with 20 kg on each side before, but I got nowhere near the 3 sets 8 reps - after the fourth rep my triceps, deltoid and pectoralis major don't seem to have any power left anymore.


Yeah, I can bear out that reaching your own weight and even surprassing it is a pretty hard job, and I've heard (and slightly experienced, too) that advancing after reaching your own weight takes twice of the time than before reaching it. Good luck with your goal, though!
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Originally posted by Kaijyuu
A fly could beat me in an arm wrestling contest.

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Originally posted by Hadron
o_o Damn, that's surely something. I knew a guy from a gym nearby and he could lift ~120 kg, and he was like a star of the gym (everyone watched him when he did the bench pressing, it was really cool). So yeah, 143 kg...that's pretty amazing.


Haha, I have such a guy in my gym too. His name is Jan and he has massive arms. I think he too benches at around 120 kg. At first I thought the guy was on steroids (due to his massive arms), but later I learned - after he and various other people, including the gym instructor, told me - that he had actually went to the gym for only 2 years straight. The thing is that he has a great discipline - he goes 5 days a week and every day he exercises there for 2.5 hours straight. That's something.

Originally posted by Hadron
Yeah, I can bear out that reaching your own weight and even surprassing it is a pretty hard job, and I've heard (and slightly experienced, too) that advancing after reaching your own weight takes twice of the time than before reaching it. Good luck with your goal, though!


Yes, I've heard this more often. I am not really looking forward to that phase. Though, despite often being encouraged by a good friend of mine and a few people on the gym, I won't resort to taking "additive resources", if you know what I mean. Creatine may be a legal additive which is also produced within your body, but somehow I feel as if I would ruin the "game" if I were to use that additive. I also don't feel like spending actual money on whey protein - I'm a little bit too greedy for that. Since about half a year I've been eating pure cottage cheese, which actually tastes pretty good.
--------> Don't follow "Find Roy's Dignity", my hack. Because it's pretty outdated. <--------
according to mark rippetoe, i'm somewhere around the 'intermediate' strength level. i've only been trainign for nine months though.

i'm 5'7, 130ishlbs; here are some calculated 1rms:
bent over row - 143
dead lift - 231
lat pull down - 138 ;this is the only machine i use
bench press - 162
squat - 221
overhead press - 96

according to some app on my phone these are the most reps i've done for calisthenics:
push up - 32
dip - 18
pull up - 13
leg raise - 19
plank - 142sec/2:36~min

i think i would be slash's level if i ate more food; lately i don't feel like cooking. i remember it was like a month or two into it when i told my gf(at the time) i benched 100lbs (which was just one rep, and some guy helped me with it) it was like the best feeling ever seeing her impressed by that. now i do 95 x16~ as a warmup. although i'm becoming paranoid that i'm doing all my exercises incorrectly..

Originally posted by Ixtab
although i'm becoming paranoid that i'm doing all my exercises incorrectly..

I know that feeling. I'll never be able to confidently pull off a squat without thinking I have buttwink or I'm not using the power of my legs properly and are lifting with my back.

I should seriously write down what my lifts are, but from what I remember:

6'1" 165:
bench: 130
squat: the same, but it's more because I can't pull off a proper rep because my form sucks. a couple more gym sessions and i'll probably be able to add a good 10kg/25~lbs
cable row: not sure really, because the weights only have 1-15 written on them. it's either 100kg or 100lbs ...
ohp: 80

pull up: a good 3? lol
chin up: 10
dips: 20

I've been trying to increase my food intake. It's hard, but it's starting to show.

Can't wait for tomorrow so I can lift more. :(
How many reps do you guys usually prefer in such strength exercises, anyway? Once, I've read that there are three body types: ectomorph, mesomorph and endomorph.
Being ectomorph would mean you have a tall, skinny body, and while you easily lose fat, it's hard for you to gain muscles.
Mesomorph refers to an athletic body with average height. This body type is ideal, because muscle is easily gained and retained, while fat is lost easily as well.
Endomorph bodies are usually small and can easily build up masses of fat. However, these bodies can gain muscle just as easily as mesomorph bodies.
Nobody really has one kind of body type. It is usually inbetween one of these (ectomorph-mesomorph vs. mesomorph-endomorph). I see my body as a combination of mesomorph and endomorph, but I'm not sure what body state I am closer to.

So, what's the relevance of these three body types? Well, they require a different way of how to tackle your exercises. For example, take the amount of reps you should use. People who are ectomorph should not have more than 5-8 reps in each set, whereas mesomorphs should have 9-12 reps ideally. Mesomorphs are somewhere inbetween that range.
--------> Don't follow "Find Roy's Dignity", my hack. Because it's pretty outdated. <--------
Well, I follow Rippetoe's recommendation of 5 reps. Usually, though, I add 3 more for the little extra challenge. If the weight is easy to lift then I do 10, which is usually for warm ups.

It's added 10kg to my bench over the last month, so I'm confident with the rep range. I don't think your body type matters much.