Does anyone know the average strength of the average people?

[Gabe]

I remember one time when i was in school (grade 9 or 10), and we were doing a weight training unit in gym class, and i tried to bench 135 lbs, but I couldn't do it.

But this was when i was about 15 years old and didnt work out.

[4amWorkouts]

Just wondering if they ever took any polls or statistical information on the average strength of people.

If so, please do tell.

If not, what do you all think? How much do you think the average person can bench, squat, deadlift, etc?

Thanks in advance.

Ehh, its about average...

[Pro]

When I started training with free weights at 13 I could only do a max of 75 lbs on bench. When I was younger I usedthe Firm Flex (in 5th grade, got presidential on my physical fitness test, mean while i had only got participation in 5th grade; the middle is national), so I wasn't completely untrained either. When I first started lifting way back in around the 4th grade, I remember my father had two 25 lb dumbbells and would military press one of them with both hands for a few reps. I would sneak it because my father thought I was too young to lift. Ah, the good old days, I always wondered where I would be at now and I am going to have to keep up my insane training so I don't let myself down in the future.

So anyway, I weighed probably double that or somewhere around there and 75 wasn't that easy. I built my strength up to around 115-120 before I stopped lifting (maybe once every few months) for about 2 years before I finally came to this site and my true lifting journey began.

So yeah, 75 was my max and I was kind of big for my age and thats where I started.

[Tormented]

I would say the bicep is still a mirror muscle.

Why? Have you ever done much real-life lifting and moving work? Have you moved furniture? Have you carried rocks, climbed trees, or loaded hay bails? If you had, I'm sure you'd find that biceps are actually much more functionally important muscles than chest or triceps.

[NewBlackDak]

Why? Have you ever done much real-life lifting and moving work? Have you moved furniture? Have you carried rocks, climbed trees, or loaded hay bails? If you had, I'm sure you'd find that biceps are actually much more functionally important muscles than chest or triceps.

And if you're manning a whipsaw all day triceps and chest are just as important. Lets not get into one of those pissing matches.

[Joaorv]

Bench press is the least sport specific, real world specific, day to day task specific exercise there is. It is not surprising that the average sedentary untrained adult wont be able to bench over 135 lbs first time. The progress will probably be quick once they start training though.

[GoJu]

http://brookskubik.com/tip19.html

[eazy_mas]

your qustion is too abroad

[Tormented]

And if you're manning a whipsaw all day triceps and chest are just as important. Lets not get into one of those pissing matches.

Ok, I'm not saying triceps and chest aren't important, I just get annoyed by powerlifters saying biceps are only mirror muscles simply because they're not implicated in their primary lifts.

[Fetus Soccer]

most people are extremely weak in the deadlift, squat, bench and any other exercise you wanna name. the average man who doesnt train cant bench 100 pounds using strict form so i have heard. the only people who will be able to deadlift or squat a decent amount are furniture movers and any other guys who have very psychical jobs moving heavy stuff around... and even then, their lifts wont be anything amazing it'll just be very good by first time standards.

the bench press is very functional if you go around pushing people all day or go in a lot of mosh pits lol. but even then leg strength comes into it a lot... so i guess the push press is the best functional move there...

[Memnoch]

Considering the declining health of the average American and the soaring obesity numbers, I doubt that the average person has much strength at all. Bodyweight repping is unlikely.

However it's fitness which shows the greatest fall as cardio power is I'm sure very low amongst the average American.

Also the average gym user isn't that strong or fit as most of them don't know much about working out or having a proper diet. True strength is tied to the culture and in America It's getting more and more acceptable to be fat/weak/unfit.

The average Swedish male is bound to be stronger because their culture doesn't see the pursuit of physical strength as marginal or "weird". Thus they have some of the strongest people in the world over in the Northern European countries.

[adoniscomplex]

teh original poster want stats
here they are
http://www.pipeline.com/~dada3zen/average.htm

[The Kurgan]

I would say the bicep is still a mirror muscle.

For a powerlifter or Olympic Lifter, maybe, but ask any Strongman whether they value large, muscular biceps or not. Of course, the same Strongman won't be seen doing 10 rep machine curls, either.

[Danimal]

I would say the strength level of the average person is about average.

[Tank87]

When I was 15 I remeber maxing out on bench at like 115 lol and squating maybe 100 for 10 reps. Sad thing is though I was on my varsity hs team lol and was laying people out. When I was 16 thats when I started lifting serously, I benched 135 like 6 times lol and squated 165 8 times, but let me tell you I dnt no what the hell I did but look at my stats in just about a year in a half of hard core training it seems like since then I been going up in weight everyweek and still am going strong!!

[al1]

teh original poster want stats
here they are
http://www.pipeline.com/~dada3zen/average.htm

I find it very hard to believe that the average untrained man can benchpress 180lbs. I can't benchpress 180lbs even after training for two years.

[keepshruggin]

I would say the strength level of the average person is about average.

But how much does a pound of feathers weigh?

[NewBlackDak]

I find it very hard to believe that the average untrained man can benchpress 180lbs. I can't benchpress 180lbs even after training for two years.

It also says the average man is ~175lbs. I would think most men in their 20's can bench their own bodyweight.

[Invictus180]

My dad is in his early 40's and probably 6ft and about 235 lbs and doesnt work out but he benched 205 the other day for a rep, it suprised me. But i would say 135-165 being average bench. I have a home gym and alot of the time when alot of my friends are over we go get on the bench to see who can bench the most and the ones that dont work out never get above 165. actually only one of them has even gotten that. And there all in the 19-22 year old range.

[GoB]

When I started I was a buck 50 with these lifts:

B: 125 X 1
S: 135 X 8
D: 135 X 8

[Tormented]

I find it very hard to believe that the average untrained man can benchpress 180lbs. I can't benchpress 180lbs even after training for two years.

Did it say those numbers were average for untrained individuals? I thought it was average overall, including trained and untrained alike.

[breathingmurder]

I could only benchpress 100 when I started. It wasn't as weak as it sounds cause I was 13 and only weighed 100.

I think the strongest person LB. for LB. I've seen who didn't work out was this guy I know he's 5'4" 130 lbs 22 yrs old. He deadlifted 305 with no warmup and he had torn his ACL 2 weeks before. He also has a 6'2'' arm span though. He benched 145 for 6 reps. My brother deadlifted 275x5@145 BW his second time deadlifting, now he does 500 at 160.

[Entz]

The average people at my school benchpressed was 30 to 50 fo reps for girls and 35 to 60 for reps for guys. THis is for those that didn't train though.

[stout92]

I could only benchpress 100 when I started. It wasn't as weak as it sounds cause I was 13 and only weighed 100.

I think the strongest person LB. for LB. I've seen who didn't work out was this guy I know he's 5'4" 130 lbs 22 yrs old. He deadlifted 305 with no warmup and he had torn his ACL 2 weeks before. He also has a 6'2'' arm span though. He benched 145 for 6 reps. My brother deadlifted 275x5@145 BW his second time deadlifting, now he does 500 at 160.

i know a kid in highschool, he's 16 now. a year ago he was about 5'3" 110 lbs, but could bench 180, squat 265, and deadlift 315. He was a strong little guy who I tried to convince to go into powerlifting, but he became very lazy and is now about 5'3" 100 lbs, and hasnt lifted in 6 months.

[Ironwil_]

I just got started on grip training - never did that before, and I was able to close the #1 on the first try. That was a relief, as my forearms are nothing to get excited about. One person in my office (besides me) could close it. I just got the Trainer 2 days ago. What a difference! That one I could close 15 times in a row, and again, only 1 other person could close it. I work in software development, which seems to develop soft people.

[tinyman5000]

first time i benched i did 75 for twelve reps at a bodyweight of like 125-128
first pull was 135x8
first squat was 155x5, i didnt start squatting until like my 3-4th month of lifting

[Jason2459]

strong search and bump going on today.

[tinyman5000]

strong search and bump going on today.

theres trolls about lol

[sickonstorm]

130 pounds. That's pathetic. I benched that when I was 13. I mean even with crappy genetics, you should bench more than a 6'th grade kid. I guess that just shows how out of shape people let themselves get.

i know this post is from a long as s time ago but this guy was bragging about benching 135 plus as a 13 year old, and his age is 20 and hes only got a 300x1 bench in his sig. strong progress.


either way when i started training i couldnt do 1 pushup. then after a2 months icould pump out 7 pushups i went and maxed on bench press at a 45 pounds.

[DaBurg3r]

some poster at a gym I used to work out at said the average man can bench 90% of his body weight.

In high school I couldn't do 135 once.