A lot of clients who walk into my studio see an open gym space, with minimal equipment. Few bars, a set of dumbbells and kettlebells, and ask where the machines are.
Commercial gyms are filled with equipment, the floor space is limited, and general pop usually hop from one machine to the next.
Machines have their place, they’re great for beginners to learn the movement patterns without the risk of injury and they’re great at the end of workouts for intermediate to advanced lifters to maximise mechanical tension in order to overload a muscle and finish with a pump.
However, I’ve found those who are looking to get stronger rarely carry over that strength from machines to the real world – especially when beginning their fitness journey.
This is likely for a number of reasons; not working at the right intensity, not progressively overloading the muscle, and not having a plan in place to build strength workout to workout.
Over the last 12 years as a personal trainer, I’ve come up with my own strength standards that everyone should achieve and strive for if you want to live longer and stronger.
It’s no secret [as we age that we lose strength](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3940510/#:~:text=Between 30th to 50,%2C 16%2C 20%2C 26.), this study shows that we begin to lose the most strength after the age of 40. Dan John, a legendary strength coach often mentions our goal should be to get as strong as we possibly can before the age of 40, as after that it becomes much harder.
The study linked above shows we lose 15% of our strength PER DECADE after the age of 50. On average it concluded we lose between 16.6% and 40.9% of our muscle strength after the age of 40, compared to those younger than 40.
So if you’re in your middle 30s it’s a pretty good idea to start as soon as you can.
It’s also why I focus on getting my clients strong with their own body weight first – also known as relative strength – before transitioning to absolute strength.
I recently met a couple that hired a coach for the last two years, and this isn’t anything against them – but they still can’t complete a single press up, or kneeling press up, or even hang from a bar longer than 20 seconds. Something there doesn’t add up if the goal is to be physically strong so you can spend quality time with your kids and age well.
I was listening to Peter Attia, the author of Outlive – a wicked book on longevity. He mentioned the importance of deadhangs in his clinic, and their role in highlighting shoulder health, grip strength, and overall longevity. He also mentions how strength is more important than muscle mass for longevity.
“It’s a three-fold reduction in all-cause mortality when you compare high strength to low strength.”
It’s why I use deadhangs as a benchmark because they have such a strong carryover to everyday life. If your grip strength is good, we’ll likely catch ourselves if we fall, reducing the risk of injuring ourselves as we age from little trips and falls that can often be so detrimental to our health.
You’ve probably noticed how vulnerable your parents are, especially when they have a fall, and how much of a problem that can be. In 2014, over 4000 people died in the UK from a fall. And falls account for 70,000 fractures per year – or 4 million hospital beds per year.
I think I’ve hammered home how important strength is for longevity, so let’s look at the strength standards to see where you match up
| ACCEPTABLE | D | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Deadhang | 1:30 | 1:00 |
| Pull Ups | 5 | 1 |
| Squat | 1.5x BW (10 reps) | 1x BW (10 reps) |
| Press Ups | 30 | 7 |
| Deadlift | 1.5x BW (5 reps) | 1x BW (10 reps) |
| RFE Split Squats | 50% BW (10 reps) | 50% BW (10 reps) |
| GREAT | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Deadhang | 2:00 | 1:00 |
| Pull Ups | 10 | 6 |
| Squat | 2x BW (10 reps) | 1.5x BW (10 reps) |
| Press Ups | 50 | 15 |
| Deadlift | 2x BW (10 reps) | 1.5x BW (10 reps) |
| RFE Split Squats | 75% BW (10 reps) | 75% BW (10 reps) |
These of course may change a little depending on your circumstances, previous injury history, and a few other factors but they’re good goals to strive for.
Especially if the goal is to look better. Rather than focusing on your scale weight, simply turning your attention to how close you’re getting to these helps shift the narrative in your mind.
If one of my female clients achieves their first pull-up, and deadlifts 1.5x their bodyweight for 10 reps whilst being able to complete 15 full press-ups – how do you think they’re going to look? Pretty good if you ask me.