Strength Standards Calculator
This strength standard calculator will help give you the most accurate and realistic strength standards for each category in the gym so you can set more realistic strength goals for yourself.
Below we’ll give you some tips for each level on how to set up your training to get to the next.
Here is how we will categorize our strength standards:
Beginner: 1-6 months
Novice: .5-2 years
Intermediate: 2 years+
Advanced: 5 years+
Elite: 5-10 years+
First,
You will need to know your estimated 1-Rep Max for each of the three big lifts (squats, bench press, and deadlift)
You can use our 1RM calculator here if you don’t already know them.
Second,
Enter in your weight, height, and gender to see what category you fall under.
And third,
Set reasonable yet challenging strength goals.
We break down how to make it to the next level below the calculator based on where you currently are.
Tips on how to make it to the next stage
Focus on your weaknesses first.
i.e if your squat and deadlift are both in the Intermediate category, but your bench press is in the Beginner category, stop skipping upper body day to even out the upper portion of your body
Once your lifts are even, work on getting to the next level ahead of where you currently are.
We have tips underneath the calculator for each level on what they need to focus on to get to the next level
Because what the beginner needs to get to intermediate, is not what the intermediate needs to get to advanced
You can also boost your rankings by maintaining your strength while losing body fat, dropping you into the next weight category.
For example, if you weigh 200lbs and can squat 225lbs → that would put you in the beginner category.
If you were to lose 20lbs and get your body weight to 180lbs, but you were able to maintain your squat weight at 225lbs, that would boost you to the novice category.
-
Tips to progress:
Work on refining your form and technique.
Consistently add a small amount of weight to your workouts.
-
Tips to progress:
Ensure your technique is consistent.
Continue to add weight to your core exercises.
Aim to set new personal records (PRs) almost every workout with either weights, reps, or sets.
Keep training engaging by occasionally altering accessory exercises but remain consistent with core lifts.
Consider starting to use a set training program with progressive overload programmed into each week of training (like our 12-week Push/Pull/Leg training program for just $5 over on FS Premium here.)
-
Most lifters never make it out of the intermediate stage. It takes a bit more structure and planning to make it into the Advanced stage.
Tips to progress:
As you notice strength gains slowing, it's time to switch from a linear approach. Implement different methods of periodization where you alternate between heavy and light days, targeting different adaptations.
Start to think about following a set training program that implements different methods of progressive overload. (like with our Advanced 12-Week Push/Pull/Leg or High-Frequency Full Body training programs here.)
Make sure your training intensity is high enough by lifting heavy enough weights for each set (working within 1-3 reps within failure each working set).
-
Tips to progress:
To break from advanced to elite, you'll need specialized programming.
Address your specific weak points in different lifts.
Implement advanced strategies and consider hypertrophy training to build muscle mass, enhancing strength.
Consider a higher frequency training style like full body training to help increase your weekly training volume and is useful to break through strength and muscle gain plateaus. Our Full Body Training Program for advanced lifters is here for just $5/month.
-
Tips to progress:
To make it past this category, ensure optimal training which usually requires using an advanced level coach.
Incorporate specialization phases
And address weak points with precision.
Other common Strength Standards around the Internet ⬇️
Here are the most popular strength standards on the internet today:
Mark Rippetoe’s Strength Standards - Best for non-powerlifters
Tim Henriques Strength Standards - Best for exercises outside of bench, squats, and deadlifts
USAPL Strength Standards - the USA Powerlifting League’s classification tables
How our calculation is different ⬇️
We see one main problem with most strength standards available today:
Your anatomy plays a massive role in how strong you’re able to get
Here are several examples:
First, it can be easier or harder to get stronger on certain exercises because of where your tendons attach to your bones.
→ If your quadriceps tendon attaches a few millimeters further away from your knee, it will improve the quadriceps leverage, which will allow you to lift more weight.
→ If it attaches a few millimeters closer to your knee, it decreases the quadriceps leverage, which will reduce the amount of weight you can lift
And although these anatomical differences are small, this could lead one person to lift up to 25% more than another even if they had the same exact amount of muscle mass
And the biggest one:
Since your bones act as these levers, short or long they are can massively affect how much you can lift
Especially when it comes to the distance traveled for the bar during an exercise
For example:
If you have two people with the same exact amount of muscle, but one has longer arms by just 2-inches compared to the other
And they both bench press the same weight for 10 reps…
The person with the longer arms has to move that weight a total of about 20 inches further than the other over just that set…
Meaning generally speaking, the taller you are, the longer limbs you will have
And the longer limbs you have, the more challenging most lifts are going to be
That’s why we took a combination of the best strength standards across the internet and combined them with height data to give you the most accurate look at your strength.
