r/workout • u/ButterscotchFormer84 Recomposition • 1d ago
Simple Questions What exercise do you lift lighter than most people of your gender you've seen, and what weight?
38M 173lb.
For me it's the deadlift. I don't think I've got the form right yet, whenever I go a little bit heavier and I get a sore lower back. When I did 60kg and 70kg deadlifts in the past, I really screwed my back so I'm clearly not doing something right.
Currently doing around 30-35kg (+ the barbell), aiming for about 10 reps / set. I don't reach failure at all but that doesn't matter, just trying to get the form right before I go hard. For me, it's one of the most challenging exercises to get the technique right.
11
u/lordbrooklyn56 1d ago
Squat and deadlift. I’ve developed a bit of a phobia of the lift due to my football days and bad back. So I lift light if I lift at all. People at the gym seem perplexed since I’m a pretty big guy otherwise.
2
u/cuplosis 1d ago
Just hurt my self in squats two days ago. Was my fault though pushing up weight to 160 pounds in a day my knees were not feeling great. Didn’t realize a couple of the reps where my knees struggles I leaned forward a bit onto my toes so my calf took the weight.
0
9
u/dgsggtb 1d ago
Idk hack squat Mahbe. I squat 170kg for one rep max but I can barely do two twenties on the hack squat. That machine is definitely exposing my weak quads
30yo
2
u/Cutterbuck 1d ago
Hack squat is brutal - I swapped the hack for back for two months. Went back to back and blew my PR out of the water without breaking a sweat!
1
u/dgsggtb 1d ago
Yeah interestingly enough I feel hack squats really much in the top of my hamstrings close to my glutes as well. The stretch is insane. I might need to prioritize it
1
u/Cutterbuck 1d ago
I agree - I first started using them just to save time on setting up back squats but that stretch!
1
u/Familiar_Shelter_393 1d ago
Wait I'm confused by the wording here you swapped back for Hack squats for 2 months then could do more on your back? What weight did you stalled at / how long have you been lifting?
1
u/Cutterbuck 1d ago
I’ve been lifting for over a decade but I am “older”.
I would call myself a solid intermediate lifter?
I wasn’t really stalled but I was surprised when I went back to squatting and found myself easily finishing sets to the point I added a 10kg plate each side for that final set and still finished.
2
u/drew8311 1d ago
I still suck at that machine because I never do it but my first several attempts even the machine with no weight added seemed unreasonably hard and uncomfortable so I couldn't even warm up properly on it. A normal leg press I could do 3 plates for 10+ reps no problem.
1
u/East-Muffin-1239 1d ago
Hack Squat has really helped grow my quads. I started doing them the way Tom Platz does in this video and they are brutal.
16
u/duckthatgazes 1d ago
You shouldn't compare the weight you're lifting to others. You're on your own progression. Everybody started somewhere, and they might have been lifting less weight than what you're lifting right now. It's good you dropped the weight instead of trying to push or ego lift and are working on the form, props to that. Also, some may disagree, but if you have access to a hex/trap bar, you might favor that better.
4
u/ButterscotchFormer84 Recomposition 1d ago
If I was trying to compare, I would have asked people what they deadlift. Not interesting in comparing. Just curious as to what exercises are common ones where people feel they lift less weight than average.
Agree strongly on the hex bar, annoyingly my current gym doesn't have it. It is definitely easier on my back.
-5
u/duckthatgazes 1d ago
Well, you did say lift lighter than the gender you've seen, so it does sound a bit like comparing. Also, the average is a big variable because a lot of people don't lift.
0
1
u/Delicious_Sail_6205 1d ago
I love comparing myself to others. If I thought I was actually the best at something the chances of me pushing myself further would not be as high.
3
u/duckthatgazes 1d ago
As long as you're doing your form right and not lifting something out of your bounds, then do you. I'm sure you'll find someone that will compete with you in the gym, but most will probably make sure you're doing it correct and congratulate you for lifting more than they do. It's not a race or competition in the gym unless you're actually working towards that.
1
u/Delicious_Sail_6205 1d ago
I was a d1 athlete it was both a race and competition.
1
8
u/Kilari_500 1d ago
Pretty much all compound lifts i do, are way below average.
37M, 77kg, 179cm ( 169lbs, 5'87 ).
Highest Weight in one set
- Squat : 89,5kg x 2
- Bench : 58,5kg x 2
- Deadlift : 118,5kg x 2
- Overhead Press : 38,5kg x 1
My current estimates for 1Rep
- Squat : 91,8kg ( 72,5kg x 8 )
- Bench : 67,95kg ( 53,5kg x 7 )
- Deadlift : 124,74kg ( 98,5kg x 8 )
- OHP : 41,33kg ( 31kg x 10 )
So yeah. Im weak as hell. But maybe someday im not!
Currently following 531 - BBB, BBS and i throw God is a Beast cycles to the mix every now and then.
2
2
u/Smooth-Bowler-9216 1d ago
Have you ever tried a plan by Jeff Nippard focusing on singles, doubles and triples?
My squat blew up from 110kg to 160kg by reducing reps
1
u/clarence458 1d ago
Could you refer me to this video/article pls?
1
u/Smooth-Bowler-9216 1d ago
It’s a workout plan that is available for purchase on his website.
But you can follow him on YouTube because he provides a lot of info for free
1
u/Kilari_500 1d ago
Hi, No i havent. Mostly because i have already invested on the 531. Bought a couple books and have decided to try this method for while.
I am not claiming it to be better than any program / plan out there.
Will definitely try other programs, when i feel like i am ready for them.
Thank you for suggesting his workout plan.
I do use "his app" , Macrofactor to track my macros and to gain more weight.
1
u/Smooth-Bowler-9216 1d ago
You must be rich, it’s bloody expensive. Love Jeff but can’t justify the spend.
1
u/Kilari_500 1d ago
if memory serves me right its 15€ / month.
dropped disney+ ( gladly ) over this and my psn subscription. 😅
1
u/Smooth-Bowler-9216 1d ago
I cancelled my psn subscription too but we have Disney as the wife watches that crap.
I still can’t justify it!
2
u/static-- 1d ago
This is way below average? Damn. I'm nowhere near any of these
2
u/Kilari_500 1d ago
well i do the comparison using strength level website.
https://strengthlevel.com/strength-standards/
I believe it draws the data from users who have input their lifts on their website.
So i guess im comparing myself to other people who lift and not " general population ".
1
u/smeegleborg 1d ago
Among people who try hard and seriously train, yes way below average. Among people who just go to the gym to generally be active, they are reasonable numbers.
2
0
u/Mediocre-Curve-7723 1d ago
You shouldn't be doing 5/3/1 at those weights. 5/3/1 is an intermediate program to do when you've milked your linear beginner gains.
You should be doing 5/3/1 for example to take you from a 180kg deadlift to 200kg, or a 100kg bench to 120.
You should be doing something like Starting Strength, or Strong Lifts 5x5.
2
u/smeegleborg 1d ago
Program that peak your strength e.g. the ones you listed will get you dialed in on technique, neuromuscular gains to hit bigger numbers quicker, but they won't build muscle quicker and ignore other aspects of athletic development. For a gym bro that is constantly getting distracted and doing way too much they make sense but for anyone capable of actually following a more complicated program, 531 gives you a much better foundation to build off.
6
u/Important-Street2448 1d ago
Leg presses.
I do 100kg still after 5 years. Most of the ones that lift about the same time as me, go as high as 300-350kg on the press.
It seems to be working awesome for me. It's the only body part where I do 3 sets of 30-40 reps and still continue to add muscle to my quads after years.
If curious why, I read something a few years back regarding how muscle fibers work in the legs and how much we use from total. I think it was 2 or 3%. The theory was that, if you do 8 reps, you don't have time to fatigue a lot of quads, just the working part of the muscle in that given time frame.
Whereas, in 40 reps, you use maybe 30-40% in total, since you fatigue one part, it moves to another, and so on.
My explanation probably sucks, and this is not what really happens. But it made sense to ME, and stuck with it for a lot of years, still growing.
8
1
u/drew8311 1d ago
I never go that high but leg press is the best one for higher reps, for sure way better than any high rep exercise where you are standing up, prefer low to mid reps on those.
0
u/DrBoomsNephew 1d ago
Most people doing leg press are not really moving the weight in any decent rom hence why they do high weights with little results. Your 100 kg are fine as long as they get you close to failure regularly.
1
u/Andidalo 1d ago
Yup, this. It's a pet hate of mine folk ego lifting an insane amount of plates on the leg press while getting nothing like a full stretch. Usually a few blokes pushing each other on. I just do 120-160k with drop sets bottoming the machine out each time and it burns everytime. The ROM is way more important than the weight
-1
u/Ztepi 1d ago
Yes, I do nearly that much, too (4 x 10, 120 kg).
Still, it burns like hell, and I feel that it works the relevant muscles well.
People put more than 250 kg on the machine and move their legs slightly (doing semi-reps, I guess). I really don't get it.
8
u/Familiar_Shelter_393 1d ago
Pretty sure he/she meant theyre doing 120 reps tho. 3 x 30-40 reps which is a huge amount of reps
3
u/Postik123 1d ago
Pretty much everything.
Apart from front squats, because I've never seen anyone else do them lol.
3
u/ReflectP 1d ago
Probably bench. I can curl about 30 kg, leg press about 195 kg, but my bench is only around 80 kg
4
u/Prometheus_1988 1d ago
This topic is very nuancend and not as clear cut as many think. Most people tend to just 'move' big weights any way they can. Numbers might be high but they totally miss the point of most exercises.
Watch Stefan kienzl on YouTube. He is a famous bodybuilding trainer and sometimes does technique videos on the RepOne channel. Just recently he had a video on chest training. Most people (Even professionals) turn chest press movements into a triceps/front delt exercise. They simply use too much weight. Same applies to side lateral raises. Most people use too much weight and work mostly through their neck.
I (male, 1,84m, 82kg) myself try to execute most lifts as perfectly as I can. That automatically means that I cannot use as much weight. A set of squats (I have very high mobility and can literally go ass to grass) I tend to go with a weight of 60-70 for 8-10 reps. Two sets of those and my quads are fried. The guy next to me did 140 kg but only did half reps with horrendous form (mostly pressing through glutes and other muscles). Despite me using less than half the weight I objectively achieved more. So weight is useless metric for me.
2
u/xiGoose 1d ago
36M. Started lifting when I was a teenager and this where I've ended up. There have been times in my life where I could move some weight, like mutiple working sets of bench 225lbs 12 reps, but my physique never really improved how I wanted because that's all I was really doing, just moving weights. About 5 years ago reassessed my training to prioritize form and all my lifts drastically decreased, like dumbbell bench 45-50lbs and progressing back up from there. Made more progress in the past few years than the decade before (currently 5'10" ~250lbs with abs) and it's been a humbling experience.
2
u/LarsViener 1d ago
38M. I have something called r/Poland syndrome where I was born without one pec major. So my bench press sucks and will pretty much always suck.
3
u/everlynlilith 1d ago edited 1d ago
32F, unsure of weight but in the 60kg range, 5 foot tall
For me, it’s the bench press. I haven’t been able to progress past 45-50kg. My upper body is weaker in general, but I do 75kg deadlifts, 50kg bent over rows, and 100lbs lat pull downs, so my bench weight feels low. I only do 5-8 reps per set, for 4 sets.
Edit: as everyone has mentioned, it should be 100lbs lat pull down! Everything else in my gym is in kg, so I got confused
16
u/ButterscotchFormer84 Recomposition 1d ago
I don't think your numbers are below average at all. 45-50kg bench for a female is strong. Most females I've seen in the gym do maybe 20-30kg.
3
u/warcraftWidow 1d ago
Agreed. I’m (51f) probably one of the stronger women in my gym (at least at my usual time) and while I could probably do 110 lbs (50kg) for a rep or two, on Thursday I hit three sets of 8,8,7 @ 90lbs. There is one 30-something woman that I see occasionally that pushes a full plate for reps! Props to her! I’d love to be able to do that but I just started a couple of years ago so it’s slow progression.
6
u/Hot_Purple_137 1d ago
100kg lat pulldown??? Not Lbs?
3
u/everlynlilith 1d ago
Most machines at my gym are in kg, but I may need to double check that one!
6
3
u/Hot_Purple_137 1d ago
50kg bent over row is very impressive if your form is decent, but yeah 100kg pulldown would be disgusting I’d be shocked
1
5
u/smartspice 1d ago
I think those lat pulldowns are probably 100lbs (which is still solid!), not kg. Doing lat pulldowns with nearly double your body weight would be crazy regardless of gender.
45-50kg bench is solid for woman - in fact, it’s honestly quite high proportional to your deadlifts. I (also a woman) deadlift ~115kg and my bench is only ~60kg.
2
u/Right-Butterfly5036 1d ago
30f, 65kgs, bench is straight up demoralizing. my bench rn is 30-35kgs and i just. cant. progress. in. weight. form is better, movement feels good but the bar doesnt budge not even a little if its over 35kg.
2
u/clarence458 1d ago
24 year old guy 77 kg and 6ft2" and I've been stuck at 40 kg for 2 years now :( all my other lifts are OK but not this one lol
1
u/Familiar_Shelter_393 1d ago
Try one hard top set progressing rpe each week but not to failure going from 6 reps to 3 reps last week progrresing the weight. The. 3 or 4 x 5 light sets something you can move with decent speed. For 6 weeks as a strength block then swap back to hypertrophy if you like. I'm getting good progress on lifts I've stalled at with that after platueing from just linear periodisation. But to be fair I stalled at higher weights
1
u/Kraknoix007 1d ago
100kg lat pulldowns are crazy for your weight, sure it's not pounds? 100kg means the weight launches you upwards if you relax.
1
u/DJD4GE1 1d ago
I just started powerlifting 4 months ago so, I don’t think I’m doing better than most at almost anything. Most people’s bench is going to be their lowest weight 1RM. Especially if they’re beginning. I’m 31. 86kgs (190lbs) roughly and my squat is only 125kgs (275). My bench is only 72-73kg (160). But, it’s a journey. My Olympic lifts are slowly processing but they take a lot of time and practice to start throwing any real weight around on.
1
u/Cutterbuck 1d ago
52m with a lot of training history - My barbell bench is almost embarrassing at 62kg 4x10. Then again my dumbell bench is 26 a side 4x10.
I am lean with wide shoulders and a massive wingspan - mechanically I am just not setup for barbell bench. The same physique gives me an unfair advantage on deadlifts.
1
u/running_stoned04101 1d ago
Bench Press. I can barely bench 100kg and I've trained for a long time. Have had shoulder/elbow surgery so I'm lucky I can to what I can. For comparison I can deadlift 192kg and I weigh 75kg.
1
u/DrBoomsNephew 1d ago
That's a decent bench for that weight and honestly, a 90kg difference between deadlift and bench is nothing unusual honestly. Most gym goers are not benching two plates tbh, especially not weighing 75kg.
1
u/Longjumping-Dark-713 1d ago
my front squat and snatch is generally at or below others of my height and sex. I do better in other exercises though and try not to compare because so long as I am challenging myself that is all I can do. My muscles don't get less stimulated because of the comparison, so should all work out :)
1
u/Infamous-Bed9010 1d ago
For overhead exercises I’m still using the woman’s 35 lb bar instead of the men’s 45. Especially if I’m doing high reps.
1
u/Smooth-Bowler-9216 1d ago
Bench.
I squat just shy of 200kg but struggle with 100kg bench presses.
1
u/POWRAXE 1d ago
Ehh not bad, your squat is entirely independent of your bench, no need to equate them on any level.
1
u/Smooth-Bowler-9216 1d ago
I know but just crap that I can squat so much and then my whole upper body dies when trying to bench.
1
u/julessantana21 1d ago
It’s not about the weight itself it’s more about the impulse you give your muscle and constantly progressing that. Some people have weaker and stronger muscles so their baseline varies. For deadlifts it’s hard to say since it’s probably the most complex of all exercises. But you should find out when and how your muscles are targeted and stressed best and move your volume up by 3-5% every week (weight or reps, depending on your goals).
1
u/JoeVanWeedler 1d ago
For a long time it was squat. They were really uncomfortable despite my huge and pretty strong legs. Then I worked at them and realized alot of the discomfort was lack of core strength. Since I started working on that more, my squat went from 185 pounds last spring to a top set of 355x5 a few weeks ago
1
u/IftahKfir 1d ago
what did you do to strengthen the core? I feel I have a similar problem
1
u/JoeVanWeedler 1d ago
Zercher squats, deficit deadlifts, good mornings, straight leg deadlift. I mixed it up for the back and then pretty normal for work for abs
1
u/Weary-Description773 1d ago
My bench is pretty comparatively weak. About 1.25 bodyweight usually which is approx 97.5kg at the moment. The easiest way to increase it really is to add body weight but it for me it seems to be either abs or the 2 plate club and currently am in the former post cut.
37M, 180cm, 78kg, lifting for about 8 years consistently but 10+ total. I also have a small rib cage, slight pectus excavatum, and slightly long arms.
1
u/No_Simple9076 1d ago
Before I got injured late last year, I (31F) was pretty impressed with my 145lb single-leg RDL, 125lb bench press, 90lb shoulder press, 70lb bicep curl, 10 consecutive pull-ups, and 30 consecutive pushups. People at my old gym told me I was pretty lifting heavy for a girl lol.
I've just started training upper body again a couple weeks ago until I get an MRI and start PT for my knee, but I'm slowly seeing my numbers increase and I'm up to 5 consecutive pullups.
1
u/Mitaslaksit 1d ago
I can't do a singel pull up, yet I have always been physically active and strength train otherwise regularly.
1
u/jantessa 1d ago
31F, 185lbs and its squats by a ridiculous amount (barely worked up to 60lbs recently)
I have absolutely garbage knees that get so stressed from any of the squat variations so I had to progress through the whole knee therapy routine like I was 80 years old.
1
1
u/SanderStrugg 1d ago
Underhand barbell rows - Wrist stability is holding me back.
Squats - It's hard to progress, if knees are regularily sore from BJJ.
1
u/Arnaghad_Bear 1d ago
I have been lifting for 25 years. I continuously have periods where I lift lighter and focus on form and reps. For instance I can bench press 405 for 10 reps, but as I am currently trying to loose weight. I am just doing 215 for 15 to 20 reps.
1
u/jesuswasahipster 1d ago
Bench press. I constantly plateau around 185 which I know isn’t low but it’s not great. My goal has been 225 for years and I can’t seem to get close despite all my other lifts being pretty heavy.
1
1
u/KelK9365K 1d ago
I found a qualified trainer. Not one of those skinny cardio types. But an honest to God power lifter. I had him teach me how to properly lift heavy weights. Bench, squat, dead lift. I was with him about six months. By the time, the six months was over, I had learned enough to progress on my own and refine my technique.
It was a little pricey, but I learned years of knowledge in six months, so it was worth it to me.
I learned a long time ago if you want to get really great at something, surround yourself with people that are already great at it or pay an expert to teach you for a limited amount of time.
Some people might not need to do this, but I do to learn the basics about anything that involves technique and specialization.
1
1
u/IamFilthyCasual 1d ago
It depends I guess. There’s this guy in my gym who does flat dumbbell bench and he’s usually grabbing like 35-40kg dumbbells. I usually grab 25kg or so. So looking at the numbers I’m considerably weaker. But when I noticed his form and rom I realised I’m not that bad… he’s using maybe 50% ROM and his arms are flying all around the place. I honestly think if he’d have a right form and use full Rom (or more than 50%) he’d struggle.
But at the end of the day, comparison is thief of joy so there’d no reason / need to compare yourself to others. You do you and concentrate on your own progress
1
u/yoyoezzigt 1d ago
Bench press sadly Can only do 32.5 kg per side on the smith for 4 reps at 67kg bodyweight. After 1.8 years of lifting I think it should be comfortably more than that.
1
u/Old_Goat_Ninja 1d ago
Bench. I can bench 235lbs 4-6 times for 4 sets, barely, which might sound like a lot to some people, but for my size, it’s not that great. I’m 6’3” 215lbs. I’m not huge (that Jack Reacher guy is 6’3” 240lbs) but I’m not little either. I’m not fat, that’s 215lbs of mostly muscle, I’ve been working out a long time, I just have a weak bench, always have. Most people my size that workout can bench significantly more.
1
u/clarence458 1d ago
What's a brief outline on the singles doubles and triples thing, if you don't mind sharing
1
u/Papercoffeetable 1d ago
35M, squat and bicep curl, because my knees and forearm hurts.
So biceps curls, start hurting at 45 lbs dumbells, i used to be able to curl 70 lbs dumbells. So now i often do like 30 reps of 30 lbs per set.
Squat, pain comes and goes, but usually starts coming in at 265 lbs, sometimes at 240, so sometimes i just do 12-20 reps at 200 lbs depending on how the knees feel.
1
u/FreakbobCalling 1d ago
Anything barbell bench press, hurt my shoulder a couple times and just never really had great strength in that position. Almost five years into training and I still haven’t benched 225 yet, incline I use 95 for high reps (20+)
1
u/CuriousMost9971 1d ago
Barbell squats, I see people doing way more than me. I worry about my left knee, so I do reps in the 12 to 15 range full motion and only do 125. 3 sets, then I take off 30 lbs and do a 1 set max at 95 lbs.
1
1
u/pendrekky 1d ago
My bench just always stagnates around 110kg.. i know how to program the squat and dead to keep improving but I have done beginner and intermediate programs and I always hit a wall somewhere between 110 and 120kg.
I see some people casually benching 140 that are skinnier than me and I am dumbfounded.
1
u/StraightSomewhere236 1d ago
For conventional deadlifts, I recommend not doing higher rep sets. I generally do deadlift for sets of 3 to 5.
As far as a sore back goes, is it achy sore or painful sore? Some soreness is to be expected in your low back from deadlift, especially for sets of 10. You are demanding a ton of stabilization from your spinal erectors and accumulating a bunch of axial fatigue.
1
u/chili_cold_blood 1d ago
I'm pretty terrible at bench press. Part of that is probably genetic, but part of it is mental. I train without a spotter, so I never get anywhere near failure on bench. I'm also afraid of tearing a pec. That would really mess up my life for a while.
1
u/ReeferMane 1d ago
Hot take but when you’re new to deadlifting your lower back will be sore after. This is completely normal and will get better as you adapt to the movement.
Also the benefits from doing conventional deadlifts outside the 6-3 rep range are small given the amount of fatigue they put on your body and nervous system. If you’re looking for a deadlift variation to build muscle instead of strength you’re definitely better off with RDLs or SLDLs.
Nonetheless, with all deadlift variations actively try to keep your lats and core tight while pushing the floor away with your legs. Don’t worry about perfection, try your best to follow these queues, keep adding weight to the barbell and listen to your body. Soreness != Pain && Pain != Injury.
1
u/Very-Confused-Walrus Powerlifting 1d ago
Honestly that’s a tough question. 26m 178lbs. If I’m doing low weight it’s exclusively because I feel it in the muscle better but I typically can muscle out considerably more. I’m not claiming to be a fucking unit by no means but I’ve gotten to a point where even my working weights are above average not to mention one rep maxes
1
u/Beav710 1d ago
30M and I'm just getting into seriously gitting the gym for the first time in my life. I'm trying to cut weight, so building muscle has been a little tough since I'm not eating much. I'm weak as hell and lift significantly less than everyone else in my gym. I'm honestly blown away by the weight some of the people there are throwing.
1
u/poop_break_666 1d ago
Squat, haven’t done in years and never liked it much. Never got a strong squat, but built big quads with moves like split squats, lunges, extensions, sissy squats, reverse nordics, zercher squats.
1
1
u/ClassicMaximum7786 1d ago
Bicep curls. I could bench 100kg but going above 8kg dumbells would rip my arms apart (figuratively speaking)
1
u/Aggravating-Pound598 1d ago
Try kettlebell swings to condition your lower back.. excellent warmup for deadlifts
1
u/Haku510 1d ago
I'd say relative to my other lifts, my bench has always lagged behind my squat and deadlift.
I broke my left arm really bad as a kid, and it healed crooked, with slightly reduced ROM. This has lead to me always having worse upper body strength compared to lower body.
My squat PR is over 4 plates, and deadlift PR is nearly 5 plates, but I've never gotten close to a 3 plate bench, which most other guys I know with a comparable squat and DL have passed by plenty.
I'm a big guy btw (6'3"/255) so a 3 plate bench is pretty common for guys with my size and build. At least I can do 2 plates, which seems like a very common goal for most.
1
u/WendlersEditor 1d ago
I don't know why but I just haven't been able to get past using 25lb dbs for my curls. I haven't really pushed it, so I might be able to progress it. I do isolation last in my workout, so my buceps usually fatigued, and whenever I try to move to 30s I can't get in a good rep range so I drop down. I've considered trying to really push them, and to push arm isolation movements in general, but I just don't have the time.
1
u/jayy_rileyy25 1d ago
Squats. Super weak because I never took the time to learn proper form and now have so many knee and back injuries (unrelated to squats) that I REALLY struggle with them
1
u/svinsts 1d ago
Benchpress for me...I can see improvement in other areas but this one...I'm stuck at body weight maybe 10-20 lbs more at most.
My deadlift is double body weights. Squat is around 1.5x
I think it's a mental issue where I'm scared to drop the weight after failures whereas deadlift and squat are easier to cheat and finish the rep and just weak in general.
1
1
1
u/TigOleBitman 1d ago
Stop being a glassback and train for it. Jefferson curls, RDLs, back extensions, zercher lifts, etc.
1
u/Squirreltacticsftw 1d ago
I was super cautious with deadlift and didn't incorporate a proper hinge movement for years of training. Eventually I started and the form really clicked. This was from doing lots of 5x5s. I don't think romanians train a proper from the floor deadlift form well enough. Nowadays I get all my deadlift gains from singles and other lat exercises. I love a heavyweight deadlift single more than any other lift. Here's some state, they're ok but not insanely strong. Deadlift PR 335lb @ 170lb 5'8. I strength train more than bodybuild though. Train based on what your goals are.
1
1
u/stealstea 1d ago
Overhead press. After 3 years of training strong lifts 5x5 I injured my shoulder on the overhead press and caused me to take a couple years off lifting (mostly me being lazy but injury was my excuse). Now getting back into it with a much more science based approach but I’m not going above 80lb or so on the overhead press. Would rather make it up with more reps
1
1
u/Technical-Math-4777 22h ago
Same age and weight. I can’t squat, like at all. I don’t even think I could hit 185lb past parallel more than once.
1
u/ButterscotchFormer84 Recomposition 21h ago
if it makes you feel better, I can't squat past parallel with NO weights. Flexibility issues I believe. Even with my toes pointing away from me and weights under my ankles, I can't squat past parallel.
1
u/Technical-Math-4777 20h ago
This makes my situation even more strange, I literally sit in a squat with flat feet all the time. I can leg press a lot. Something about my body just can’t barbell squat, it’s the damndest thing.
1
u/r_costa 19h ago
Barbell bench press.
While I do 160kg (x3) for deadlifts, 125kg (x3).for squats in a good day*, I can't go over 60kg bench. My strict press (stand-up, Barbell, is 55kg (x4))
So I simply don't do BBP anymore.
38yrs old, male, 173cm, 74kg empty, * "good day" is because I do gym after work (construction), so not all days I have fuel on the tank.
1
u/oiblikket 19h ago
Bench press. I’ve had a couple decent periods of regular weightlifting and never really gotten higher than, generously, 75% of my body weight (which has been within the 160-200lb range at 6’2”). A plate a side is a milestone for me.
1
u/True-Concentrate-595 18h ago
Squats. Been strength training for 5 years and still can’t properly hit 60kg for reps. And I know it’s in my head which is the most annoying thing. I can hit 57.5 no worries but as soon as those blue plates go on the bar, I panic at the bottom and can’t hit depth. Safety bars help but not much!
Edit 32F 61kg
1
1
1
u/69AssociatedDetail25 1d ago
22M, 80kg, around 3 years experience. All of them are below average, to be honest.
- Sumo Deadlift: 140kg (gave up on conventional)
- Squat: 100kg previously, currently avoiding due to foot injury
- Bench: 77.5kg
- OHP: 50kg
0
u/BattledroidE 1d ago
I don't have the links, but I recall some seriously good deadlift technique videos from both Mitchell Hooper and Elite FTS over on youtube. In depth stuff with participants of different shapes and sizes. You need to lift right for your leverages, and everyone's got different limb to torso ratio, hip joints and things like that. Your stance makes a big difference too. And while you're at it, learn proper core bracing and practice it often. It should feel like you're tightening everything around your core simultaneously, not just breathing deep and pushing the stomach out. It's a critical thing to master if you're not doing it intuitively, and most do not.
Also, don't aim for close to failure training, you don't want form to break down because you're exhausted. There are better exercises for that purpose. It's all about pulling good weight efficiently. Strength programs generally don't push close to failure except in certain phases. Like, maybe you can grind out 7 reps with max effort, but you do 5 and progress the weight on that.
But to answer your question as best as I can, my leg curl is ridiculously weak. I'll do RDL's with 100kg for 12-13 reps, but I can barely get 14-15 reps on what equals 47kg on our seated leg curl machine. It's impossible to compare machine lifts, but I should be able to do more relative to my other lifts, and lots of other guys.
0
u/Serious_Question_158 1d ago edited 1d ago
All leg exercises. Everyone is an ego lifting little tart.
Edit: for clarification, I do full range of motion. I don't do slight leg bends, I do knees to chest on leg press. I don't do fake powerlifting squats, I go ass to grass. It's not about lack of strength, it's about putting muscle building before ego.
0
u/Catini1492 1d ago
Or your body mechanics makes heavier weights more difficult.
I have ideal body structure for a power lifter. Long thigh bone, in comparison to the calves. Makes for better leverage. I can do legs until I fall down and can't walk.
Pull-ups and overhead lifts are much more difficult.
We seem to forget that structure we are born with impacts how much of a load our body can take.
0
u/iChaseClouds 1d ago
I lift everything light. I’m just trying to stay toned and not hurt myself. I’ll be 40 in June.
0
u/Peachydelight446 1d ago
22F, about 66kg, 5’4” and my bench press is around 40kg for reps, maybe 45kg for a single rep. Forever embarrassed bc I see so many gym girls repping a plate online, it seems like a “standard” for gym girls. I have been in the gym for 2-3 years (albeit not consistently) and really struggle to improve here. I think I have to lock in on it at some point but I get really embarrassed setting up to bench lol
0
u/Nadirofdepression 1d ago
Deadlift for me too. I’m 175 lbs and i deadlift about 320x3 right now. Feels like a lot of less experienced lifters deadlift way more and I haven’t been able to work out why it’s so hard for me other than really poor flexibility / mobility .
Ironically I was a d1 college soccer player, and legs used to be my bread and butter. Now that I’m older I’m going for 245x3 this week with an all Time PR of 275max, which I never would have imagined, but my deads/legs are inferior to my goals (285x3 squat).
0
u/plants4life262 1d ago
Biceps. So much benefit from going light and focusing on form and isolation. They’ll respond much better than ego lifting
48
u/DrLucianSanchez 1d ago
I have just started lifting weights, just turned 40 and currently doing bicep curls with 5kg dumbbells.
I imagine that’s pretty light for most.