MY BIG 3.... is it decent?

[stevenjamesvick]

I'm 20 years old, and I've been training for overall fitness for around a year, without really focusing on improving my big 3. I've been mostly just concerned with gaining weight hoping strength would come along with it. (Stupid I know, but I've learned my lesson.)

I'm 156 lbs and my big three are as follows.


Bench - 201 x 2

Dead Lift - 250 x 2

Squat - 310 x 2 (Parallel)




Give it to me straight, please.

[stevenjamesvick]

Bump for answers

[JamesW129]

In competative powerlifting it is not great, but to the average gym goer you are pretty strong man keep it up

How is your squat so much higher than your deadlift lol?

[lee__d]

In competative powerlifting it is not great, but to the average gym goer you are pretty strong man keep it up

How is your squat so much higher than your deadlift lol?

These. gjdm

[Jasonk282]

you squat 310 but only pull 250?

[Livestrong7]

Not bad for 150 I was the same way in high school and the same weight, tho my dl was 335
that's a badass squat for your weight
keep it up everyone starts somewhere

[NotInMedSchool]

You're fine, bro. Keep working hard. The strength gains will come with the effort.

Good luck, OP!

[stevenjamesvick]

you squat 310 but only pull 250?

How is your squat so much higher than your deadlift lol?

I know it may sound retarded, but in highschool my coach mentioned that my legs are so strong because I always walk on my toes, ever since I was a kid. I've never really trained my back, though, and when I try to pull heavy I can feel my back muscles screaming "NO!". Where as the starting point for a squat is less back-oriented.

IDK if there's any truth to the whole tip-toeing building leg strength but its the only explanation I have to offer. All I know is the name "twinkle toes" followed me around until my last year.

[Jmadden44]

I know it may sound retarded, but in highschool my coach mentioned that my legs are so strong because I always walk on my toes, ever since I was a kid. I've never really trained my back, though, and when I try to pull heavy I can feel my back muscles screaming "NO!". Where as the starting point for a squat is less back-oriented.

IDK if there's any truth to the whole tip-toeing building leg strength but its the only explanation I have to offer. All I know is the name "twinkle toes" followed me around until my last year.

Lol do you deadlift on your toes? Then 250 would be impressive. Upload some form vids and I'm sure we could help you increase your numbers.

[danheller88]

Not great, but certainly not bad. My cousin, who is also my lifting partner, started lifting 11 months ago at 15 and 155-160lbs, and is not 16 at 189lbs. He was barely squatting 135, benching 95, and deadlifting 205. Now, 11 months later he is squatting 345, benching 230, and deadlifting 425.

Keep pushing forward and keep working, you have a huge advantage starting young, make the best of it!

[Kcabo]

Just focus on progression and not arbitrary standards.

[ironmaniac508]

As long as you are hitting PRs you are doing good. Some good goals for people that are into all around fitness, not sole concentration of strength are

BW Overhead
2x BW Squat
1 1/2 X BW Bench, Front Squat and Weighted Pullup
2 1/2 X BW Deadlift

[stevenjamesvick]

Just focus on progression and not arbitrary standards.

This actually made me feel a hell of a lot better. Thanks, and greens incoming soon.

Lol do you deadlift on your toes? Then 250 would be impressive. Upload some form vids and I'm sure we could help you increase your numbers.

lol no, just walk on them. I'm just new to dl's and lack the back strength, but have some solid leg strength. I'll upload a video tomorrow for some pointers. I already know my form is off, and that my negatives are sloppy, but like I said, I'm new to the whole thing. Assuming I remember...

[stevenjamesvick]

http://v5.tinypic.com/player.swf?file=2v84r3r&s=5.vid

[davisj3537]

Your press and squat are pretty good. Most people never get that far. Your DL is awful. Sorry, had to address the elephant in the room. If you put in work on your deadlift it will shoot up pretty damn quick though, especially considering your squat.

The good news is that Kcabo is right. As long as you are improving then it doesn't really matter where you are or where you started. It is all about beating your own PRs. I don't think focusing on gaining weight was stupid. I'm sure you look a ton better than you did before. Keep lifting and you will continue to improve. Unless you are a power lifter then your numbers don't matter.

Edit: Just watched your DL video. Your form does need work, but that is an easy fix. A few quick things. Don't hyperextend your back at the top of the pull. Don't let your knees buckle and dont' let your hips rise before your back. They work in unison. From that video it is easy to see you can pull more than 250x2.

If you are serious about it I'd watch this series a few times, (9 videos I think) the link has them all. It is LONG AS FUARK, but it covers DL so ridiculously well.

[stevenjamesvick]

Your press and squat are pretty good. Most people never get that far. Your DL is awful. Sorry, had to address the elephant in the room. If you put in work on your deadlift it will shoot up pretty damn quick though, especially considering your squat.

The good news is that Kcabo is right. As long as you are improving then it doesn't really matter where you are or where you started. It is all about beating your own PRs. I don't think focusing on gaining weight was stupid. I'm sure you look a ton better than you did before. Keep lifting and you will continue to improve. Unless you are a power lifter then your numbers don't matter.

Edit: Just watched your DL video. Your form does need work, but that is an easy fix. A few quick things. Don't hyperextend your back at the top of the pull. Don't let your knees buckle and dont' let your hips rise before your back. They work in unison. From that video it is easy to see you can pull more than 250x2.

If you are serious about it I'd watch this series a few times, (9 videos I think) the link has them all. It is LONG AS FUARK, but it covers DL so ridiculously well.

So basically what I'm getting from this is, if I wasn't so sloppy, I'd be better. That its not that I CANT do it, but rather that I dont KNOW HOW to do it, correct?


And yeah, I realized how far I bent backwards when I uploaded it. I look ridiculous.

[davisj3537]

So basically what I'm getting from this is, if I wasn't so sloppy, I'd be better. That its not that I CANT do it, but rather that I dont KNOW HOW to do it, correct?


And yeah, I realized how far I bent backwards when I uploaded it. I look ridiculous.

Correct. Fixing your form will go a long way towards lifting more weight. With good form you'll also make faster improvements strengthwise on your deadlift.

[ItsmeBK]

Your numbers don't really make any sense. Aka you have a huge muscle imbalance.. you shouldn't be able to deadlift only 50 pounds more then you can bench press... and your squat should definitely not be heavier then your deadlift...

[alexanderberg]

Strong imbalance. It's a bit hard to decide if your numbers are decent if we don't know where you started at.

I began training at 17 and I've been training for a little over a year, these are my best lifts:

Squat:
150 kg x 5 (331 lbs)
160 kg x 3 (353 lbs)

Bench press:
90 kg x 4 (198 lbs)
100 kg x 1 (220 lbs)

Deadlift:
160 kg x 4 (353 lbs)
180 kg x 1 (397 lbs)

When I started out, couldn't even bench 40 kg (under 90 lbs) and I didn't train legs for months lol.


I'd suggest you to do more bent-over rows, chin-ups and obviously deadlifts to strengthen your back. I also like deficit SLDLs and they will carry over nicely into your squat, also esp. Romanian deadlifts.

[rjones416]

i bet those squats are extremely high. everyone at my gym says they go to parallel but all i see is quarter squats. you're probably doing the same.

[Ampyo]

In competative powerlifting it is not great, but to the average gym goer you are pretty strong man keep it up

How is your squat so much higher than your deadlift lol?

Mine is complete opposite , I
Can deadlift about 375 but can only squat like 225, is that normal?

[Jasonk282]

Mine is complete opposite , I
Can deadlift about 375 but can only squat like 225, is that normal?

Yes, you should be able to pull more then you squat

[justroberson]

in for video of a "parallel" 310x2 squat with a 250x2 deadlift.

[Jasonk282]

in for video of a "parallel" 310x2 squat with a 250x2 deadlift.

co-signed.

[stevenjamesvick]

As you can see by my video I'm working out from home until i can find a gym that doesn't sell narcotics. I don't have a squat rack at home but will deliver a video as soon as i get to one.


Related note: This isn't the first time I've been told i have a "muscle imbalance". Is this moreso a medical condition to see someone about, or something that i caused myself that can be fixed?

Would i just modify my routine, for instance, work my back a few times a week or what.


If i sound clueless, its because i am. I've been lifting for about a year but I've never really tried deads until recently. I came here for help, guys.

[Jmadden44]

As you can see by my video I'm working out from home until i can find a gym that doesn't sell narcotics. I don't have a squat rack at home but will deliver a video as soon as i get to one.


Related note: This isn't the first time I've been told i have a "muscle imbalance". Is this moreso a medical condition to see someone about, or something that i caused myself that can be fixed?

Self inflicted. Can fix it. Doubt you have muscular imbalances. Your form is off. If your truly squatting that much more than you pull, and your form is on point in both lifts, then you'd have an imbalance. (Strong quads, weak posterior chain.)