The TRUTH About Natural Strength Standards
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- Опубліковано 29 вер 2024
- Are you actually strong, or capable of a lot more?
Here's the truth about natural strength standards...
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Disclaimer: Alex Leonidas is not a doctor or a medical professional. Always consult a physician before starting any exercise program. Use of this information is strictly at your own risk. Alex Leonidas will not assume any liability for direct or indirect losses or damages that may result from the use of information contained in this video including but not limited to economic loss, injury, illness or passing.
#strength #musclegain #strengthtraining
Boys I just hit 315 on the bench
Fantastic!!
Yeahhhhhhhhhh well done, Luke!! The Big 315 💯
Gamin
Boooooya! I'm 10lb away. Coming in hot.
Me tooo
A few points to consider while decoding his message:
1) He assumes his audience strives to reach their full, physiological potential as naturals and they're 100% dedicated to this.
2) He assumes the required full control over your own life and training are granted.
3) Due to 1 & 2, he thinks the biggest limitating factor for his audience is how high they set the bar.
This makes it easy to understand he's just trying to help by raising the bar.
Some people are annoyed by this in the comment section and I can see why:
1) He uses the word 'standards' to refer to both average strength standards and the natural strength limit. And he does not always clarify which one he means.
This makes it sound like he thinks EVERYONE should (be able to) reach natural limits.
I think he doesn't necessarily claim that but he just hasn't thought of that at all because of his first 2 assumptions, stated above.
2) For most people physiological limits are absolutely irrelevant as they will never be able to adopt a near optimal training regime + lifestyle due to practical reasons and lots of contextual, personal and random factors.
This makes the video useful to only the fraction of people that strive to reach the natural limit & in theory could adopt an optimal lifestyle but only don't because they think they've already reached their limits and would want to go further if they knew they could. That's a tiny amount of people, though likely a reflection relevant to himself.
Another thing to note: the absolute limit regarding any performance is proven only by 1 person at a time, and therefore, by definition, only obtainable by 1 person at a time. The idea that masses can reach the limit is therefore always nonsense. Old limits will in time be obtained by more people, yes. And expanding knowledge will make it obtainable by more people, but this video can easily be interpreted to contain very misguiding messages.
Just go and pick up heavy sh@#t you f@#ing nerd.
i wanted to tell you im very proud of you. you never gave up and i respect you as a man.
Love this! I’m training my ass off to become overly strong and flexible to overcome and overcompensate for a litany of serious injuries.
Both my feet were crushed. Thighs hit from hip to knee. And ulnar nerve damage in my right arm. Back up to curling 20lbs dumbbells for 30 rep sets about to start using 40lbs and I’ll do so for the next 6-9 months.
My long term goal is to become Olympic athlete jacked to overcome my injuries and take up boxing for 5 years. I need to do it to grow a backbone and to overcome my neuroticism about not being able to protect because of my past injuries. When I was 25 I could barely move and was shitting my pants. Now I’m 28 and doing 1000 times better. No more of that. In another 9 months my arm will be a normal arm again. And I’ll be adapted to doing 40lb tib raises as well for my feet. This is the best investment I’ve made yet.
Remember when everyone used to comment about Alex liking big butts only OGs remember- Excellent video as usual bro
Man I am weak compared to all these guys. I'm truly humbled. I am aiming to be as strong as possible and I thought I was strong but just realized I've barely scratched the surface on my strength level.
Alex telling it like it is as per usual. We need to push this natural community to the MAX
MAX EXPECTATIONS or go home!
Alex this is a GREAT vid man. It is so evident to see who in the gym has low expectations! And those who stay natty and never stop increasing their standards, eductate themselves outside of the gym, and push themselves in the gym ALWAYS achieve some awesome gainz, strength and whatever else they're looking for. Expectations and mentality have such an immense effect its crazy, when you stop limiting your expectations, you also stop limiting your results man. The natural limit is a fucking myth.
Just attempted a 225 bench after six weeks of your novice program and actually hit a few reps. It required effort but the weight moved 🤷🏽 looks like a 3 plate bench is closer than I thought 💪🏽
Wow!!!!!! Well done brother, looks like you have high potential 💯🔥🔥🔥
@@AlexLeonidas thanks! and thanks for all the info you put out there for us!! Can’t wait to update this thread when i do three plates and beyond
@@043Tarzanhow long have you been lifting
@@deus6950 six consistent weeks. I’m using/milking his novice program. But you gotta eat. Get your protein in and try to keep the junk out
Fuck, I have been training for a year, and barely benching 85 kilos.
Genetic is a bitch.
Love the John Phung reference, I discovered his channel through you. That dude is a beast, doesn't really uploading training vids anymore though sadly.
I hit 405 natty bench, I now will make a UA-cam and track my progress to 500 natty
Subbed
0:20 “The bar had risen” yeah cuz we do barbell lifts lol
Nice anavar and GH
Are you retarded?
There's a reason teenagers are passing those numbers y'all been popping peds by handful
Alex is going to be the reason naturals learn to evolve themselves to surpass all, even ped users I dare say
Great message as always Alex, cheers
Cheers brother, glad you loved it
I got 225 in under 10 months and im up to 250 now that im coming up on My first lifting anniversery. Also at a 363 squat and a 440 deadlift
3/4/5 plates next up
Wonderful progress, you're gonna match me one day bro!!
@@AlexLeonidas thats My goal! My names Alex too and youre videos have Been a huge help i watch all of them, My grandpa Back in his Day did 142.5/185/205 in kilos and after i Match him im coming For you💪
alex, thank you for constantly providing us no-bullshit fitness content. you are healthy, strong & looking good. keep it up!
Even by “old” standards, I’m a weak and untalented lifter, but even I finally hit a 225 bench, possibly with another rep in the tank, or a few more pounds, a 10lb increase over my old 1rm WITH a body weight 10-20lbs less than when I hit that old 1rm. And all this while no longer “strength” training, but focusing on hypertrophy. So while I do consider myself challenged, incredibly far from elite, my standards for myself have increased too. I used to think I could never possibly hit a 315 in my lifetime, but now I don’t see why I shouldn’t try
Every video uploaded by the only person I border on idolizing with regards to lifting is a dopamine hit man
what an amazing thumbnail! holy hell :x
Bro is deluded. He needs to train a large portion of the regular population to find out it’s not all like high performing influencers and comp powerlifters. You’ve lost you’re roots my man.
So glad you mentioned @andrewrichard93 ,mans is such a beast. I still cannot believe the weights he ohp's
I'm honestly at a loss for words. Andrew is like a Unicorn.
Excellent video, fam! 🫡
Got the Handicap genetics
I think most peoples' approach is a limiting factor too. I got very strong, very quick, training high volume at submaximal load from the get-go
pulled 220kg with my long arms and short torso. i need to take body building seriously. this woke me up!
14:20 that is an insane deadlift, especially since you appear to be no more than about 170lbs. 500lbs is my current goal. I already repped 405 for 3 at 165lbs a few months ago, so I think I can get there within two years
With proper programming, diet, and dedication you can definitely hit 500 in a year!
If I could do it with poverty deadlift leverages, than most lifters definitely can as well!! Keep grinding, Spencer.
@@nowayitskendo yeah, given what I see from Alex and other people, I think it’s probably just as simple as getting to about 175lbs. 165 was my all time top-weight. I was 135 only two years ago. But I’m not in any hurry. My plan is to get to about 172 this winter, maybe creep up a bit higher based on feel and get leanish again next summer. In the following year, I will see about getting to about 178. Basically just one big game of “higher highs” and “higher lows” each year for both body weight and strength
But of course. I'm on the same level as you and think I can even hit it in one year.
As my old sifu used to say “happy, but not satisfied”
Loving the Ben Yanes slander
How about a 365 bench and a 635 deadlift
Based Zelda OOT and DBZ references
Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhh
Us personally tends to be 120kg which is 265 pounds on all the big lifts bench squat and deadlift and for overhead press about 70kg about 145 pounds.
800lbs deadlift @ 15 is achievable for the vast majority of people if they started lifting @ 14 fr
I'm only @ 550 rn tho
Have you ever thought about bloatmaxxing to a 405 strict ohp? That would be pretty amazing.
Yeah I am slowly reaching out intermediate just taking my time having fun with it.
Scene people faces when I do 225 touch and go bench for a set of 3x8 is funny. I want to hit a 5x10 this year with it
I'm 5ft 7in, 165lbs. I've been lifting for a few years but can't squat or bench 225. Should I do your novice program? Maintain or bulk?
Incredibly Based 💪
Real recognize 💪
Alexander is the truth as well✊🏿
Real recognize, Eric! 💯
Strength is a spectrum. A 225 lb bench is good, and depending on starting point and frame, it might take longer than 2 years. I think you're starting to undervalue the level you've achieved, so your scale is off. Yours is absolutely incredible. The strength standards we have, especially on sites like strengthlevel, are great in the context of "degree of my potential", rather than "compared to the best in the world". We already know there's another category or even two after Elite where the best athletes lie. About a 600 or 700 lb deadlift is elite for most men on strengthlevel, but those outliers can do even more. I don't think the solution is to demean novices and intermediates. The last thing we should do is discourage people from feeling accomplished by their progress. Yeah, shouldn't aim too low, but the best mindset is that there is no end, only the continuous lifelong journey, anyway, so then there are no targets.
👏
i agree i feel like he is loosing the plot comparing himself to normal ppl
i can bench 255lbs after 7 years of training
My cousin adult male can’t even bench the bar.
Same with our roommate. They are about 5’6-5’10 And the Texas power bar fell on their chest lol.
The premise of what you’re saying is true, (natural strength standards have for sure elevated in our era of more knowledge and more testimonials and information, you are correct for sure) but I do believe you are kinda engulfed in your own bubble and own insane achievements. There’s so many variables to “elite” strength numbers and most of us are normal everyday casual lifters with jobs, stresses, etc, who can’t really eat sleep breath just lifting as a way of life, and that’s very vital to hit those elite numbers you’re kinda downplaying. Most of us don’t do this for a living. Your numbers are incredible, coming from your insane intelligence, experience, hard work and should not be taken lightly, you, Alex, are truly elite. But simply put.. the average Joe isn’t you… (not in terms of genetics, cause that’s an overstated argument), but just lifestyle/goals etc. i think any average lifter like myself would be enamored being able to rep 3 plates or even hit it once!!! (My Current lifetime pr is 305 at 170lbs) love you Alex, and you’re always spot on, but I think you may have fallen victim slightly to your own bubble of greatness
I think it's a matter of what you want out of lifting. If you want to go pedal to the metal, then don't set strength limits upon yourself. Aim for elite and beyond, you know. However, if you're an average guy who wants to be in shape, decently strong, doesn't care for maximising their potential etc. (which actually comprises a lot of gym-goers), 1/2/3/4 plates is a fantastic baseline. I'd even raise that a bit to 1.5/2.5/3.5/4.5 for looking pretty jacked and in-shape. From there you can make steady improvements year on year, or maintain if that's your thing.
It all depends on your goals and what you want out of your time spent in the gym.
Saying that people are too "busy" or can't dedicate their life to the gym is just cope. Most people are held back by their mindset. The regular gymgoer would hit their goals long before becoming advanced, maybe even before intermediate
@@tomashorst9544 Nope, some people can't live in the gym
8 hour workshifts and school are a thing, people doing NPC duties
Feels kinda intimate to be here, 12 seconds after you uploaded this.
😂
And now I’m gonna make it more awkward
22 mins*
Ayooo 🤨🧐
I hear you. I'm moaning too
Lol, alot of delusions in this comment section. There are limits to what you can do naturally. Whether or not you believe in it is up to you. The teens hitting 315 bench and 600+ squats and deadlifts are absolutely blasting steroids. Also, just because a meet is drug tested. It doesn't mean drug free. You can cycle off before the competition to test clean for PEDS. The only reason that world records are being broken is because steroids and designer drugs got better in time. To the people feeling bad about themselves because of this video. You just have to realize majority of social media influencers you're comparing yourself to are not natural.
I think guys like Alex put far too much faith in the honor system.
I'm glad I found Alex's channel, he's been showing me that I can be bigger and stronger than what I thought was possible when I started going to the gym 2 years ago.
Proud of you brother!!!
@@AlexLeonidas thanks
I appreciate the message but I don't like the overall negative tone of the video. If you can't bench 2 plates after 2 years don't feel like a failure. Most people don't bench 2 plates after 2 years. Most people can't have a 100% commitment to the gym and that's OK.
after 2 years thats just shamefull .
I started working out 2 years ago and I can do an easy 200 paused (Still not 225)
But is started at 115 bodyweight and long arms.
So just saying everybody should be able to do it after 2 years is missleading.
why moralise it? it is a simple thing. look at your training if you aren't progressing
plenty of people won't be able to train consistently and will fail this. I took more than 2 years for sure. it just means your training could have been better
going from three to four plates then took me less than two years
Maybe the message is for people who have some level of commitment, though.
@@musashi542 nothing shameful about it. get your sad, petty ass outa here with that, you are in no position to judge
When I first started watching these videos I was benching like 205 hoping I would hit 275lbs. 3 years day I’m a 390lb bench, working for 405. No natty limits!!
Wow!!!!!!!!!!! Very impressive brother and it's crazy that you went from 205 to 390, wayyyy exceeding your expectations. 405 is gonna happen.
@@AlexLeonidas update: just hit 405 on my channel. No natty limits!
@Farbeyonddriven1 Bro I’ve been stuck at 185 on bench for awhile. After correcting my technique and pausing on my bench I’m finally gaining size and strength like crazy. Praying I can achieve what you have. About to do 205 for reps tomorrow! 🫡
@@magnusp7381How much do you weigh?
@@JakeSemeniuk Bro thats sickkk, im 5'11 185lb only benching 340 ill probably never hit 4 plates lol
In 6 years of lifting, I’ve only managed a 400lb deadlift, 315 squat and 205 bench
Hasn’t been optimal training at all, but fuck it. Be proud of how far you’ve come
I started working out at 55kg bw
To be fair you have a 2.5 bodyweight deadlift and a 2x bodyweight squat . You could easily reach 500 deadlift after another 4 5 years of lifting. I was stuck at a 400 lb deadlift for almost a year until i got up to 450 and I wiegh 190.
Made me remember when i started at 50kg and couldn’t even do 1 push ups
10 months bench, at 205. 4 months deadlift, stuck at 275. Squats I don't do, hurts my shoulders. 121lb body weight is the culprit. I am 258 lbs, but I am also 67 years old.
You can do better when you focus for sure. I also started at 57 kg - granted, I'm 5'6 and was doing serious calisthenics then so I was already the most ripped dude in school.
But anyways, over 12 years later (with DIY programming and the whole COVID thing), I'm on track to pull 585 and squat 500 at 160ish in the next training block. Bench I got up to 308 in uni @ 138 ish then for some reason dropped back down but I still hit 290 at 155... It's more than possible
I had extremely low strength standards until the last 5 years, having recently pulled 660lb hack deadlift strapless, beltless and I’ve been training 24+ years, it made me question what the limits truly are as I would consider myself genetically on the weaker side grand most! Skys the limit even for naturals.
24 years and still putting up crazy numbers, now that's what's up!!
Just makes imagine if humans aged much much slower. How many barriers could we break. Imagine being able to lift for 30+ years without decrease in performance due to age. Being 50 to 60 with the same bodily advantages you would have at 30. There really is no limit to what the body can do. It will adapt and keep adapting if it has to.
@@mahri9022 Basically Asguardians, they get stronger as they age. We'd all be like MCU Thor constantly breaking through plateaus until we become super human.
Yeah you can't walk around with a loser mentality. You have to believe in yourself.
That’s amazing bro. My mindset have finally changed and I’m seeing prs every workout on the bench and other lifts.
Saying that basically every average size male can bench 315 and literally anyone under age 70 can bench 225 is crazy.
I worked at a university gym for 4 years and was amazed at how weak some people are. Like 19 year old men who could barely bench the bar their first time trying. Those guys would be doing great if they could get up to 135.
Hell look at GVS who you have praised for how hard he works and good he looks and his max bench is like 280-290 I think. Why is that? He is a top tier natural, weighs around 200 pounds, been doing it 10+ years, and still can’t hit that easy 315.
GVS max might be 280 or 290 but hes done 225 for 10+ reps before. He just doesnt use peaking protocols and focuses on reps. If he took a 6 month break from hypertrophy training and strictly focused on top end strength hed be at 350+ . The man also deadlifted 405 for like 15 reps. I would not be surprised if he can hit a 600 deadlift if he took a year or so on focusing on strength and peaking.
@@Brc-kg1mg You might very well be right but that is the problem with all these arguments is they depend on hypotheticals. A guy like GVS who is honestly a freak by natural standards in terms of his amount of muscle and work ethic isn't hitting these numbers. Could GVS get there with working with a powerlifting coach? Probably. Could these guys who have been lifting for a couple years and can't bench 115 pounds ever get there even with the most optimal training? I don't think so.
There is a video Dr. Mike did talking about working with some big company like IBM and how out of all the software engineers there was like one guy who after 2 years could bench 185 and people looked at him like he was a god something. People who are a few standard deviations above average in terms of strength forget that there are just as many people a few standard deviations below average.
@@gwwelch Moat people half ass their workouts and diets. From my experience, most people that I have seen that take their lifting and nutrition atleast semi seriously have been able to hit 275 bench, a 350 squat and a 405 deadlift within 5 years of lifting. If they kept lifting for another 10 years even semi seriously do you really think that they wont be able to hit a 3 plate bench a 4 plate squat and a 5 plate deadlift?
Hell even myself included, I started with the bar on the bench press and im hitting 225 for reps after less than 4 years of lifting and I have long arms. I have no doubt in my mind that ill be able to hit 315 after 5 or 10 more years of training
@@Brc-kg1mg And back to the same point. I don't think most people can hit those numbers because of the thousands of people I have seen lift most can't even get close to those numbers.
You think everyone can hit those numbers and the 99.9% of people working out that can't just don't workout hard/smart enough.
We shall never know. Best of luck on your journey.
So we’re going to change our thoughts on strength caps because more teenagers are hitting bigger numbers.
You know…. We used to be teenagers too.
It’s hard to believe all the naturals these days.
Steroids are a lot less frowned upon too.
Coincidence strengths are up?…. No
I don't care what anyone says, I'm proud of my 275lb bench press just because of the effort and tenacity in the face of discouragement it took me to get there. I spun my wheels for years without the proper information and it took a lot of willpower to keep coming back to it despite failure after failure. Were my difficulties self-inflicted? Sure, but they were still difficulties that I overcame, and I'm proud of that. Now that I have discovered resources like Bald Omniman and Alexander Bromely, I am confident that I can start working towards some really impressive numbers, but I'm not about to start demeaning the achievements I made on my way here.
I just hit 275 bench 4 days ago and it was sooooo much more challenging and rewarding than 2 plates. I feel you on this one
I hit 288 at 154 pounds bodyweight. Idk how I did it. After 5 years of consistently as a skinny kid.
@@machoinstinct Tf are u 5'2 or what?
1:16 lol these numbers are not being passed by the masses. Walk into any commercial gym and you rarely see people moving weight over 300 lbs
It can be quite annoying when you see people who have barely trained hitting 315 on their first day while you have been training for years and barely reached that.
However as a natty the mindset shouldn’t limit you. You need to reach those goals that once you thought were impossible.
Also beard is looking on point man!
That's not just natty vs steroids its also genetics.
I struggle hitting 100kg bench and others do it after a few months.
On the other hand I can strict bent over row 70kg for 5 currently(80-90°bent I'm talking completely strict)and i started doing strict bent over rows like a month ago with 40kg on the bar for 8..if I plan it right and avoid Injury while strengthening my core i wanna hit 100kg for at least 3 strict reps by Winter.. meanwhile it took me years ( on and off training never got serious till last year ) to bench 100kg with a struggle and i can only dip like 50kg at best for a few reps clean.
I benched 270 my first day. 8 and a half months later I'm benching 405. Two and a half of those months I wasn't even training due to an unrelated injury. I did it all completely naturally and I genuinely still think I'm weak relative to my potential.
I have a 6'8 wingspan and weigh about 260lbs @ ~25% bodyfat
To be fair I have worked harder and more intelligently than nearly 100% of people would in their first year but I understand how blessed I am to have my genetics.
I was questioning whether I should say this but I'm just going to keep it real with you genetics have a far greater impact than steroids. There are guys at my gym who I'm almost certain are on gear and they can't lift as much as I can even though they've been training for years and are of similar size to me.
As a matter of fact I'm only 50lb off of jujimufus bench max and I'm heading into a peaking mesocycle that's going to bring me even closer.
Obviously hes been training and blasting gear for the better half of a decade, as well as having way better leverages than I do.
@@StrengthScholar0 Are you going to compete seriously in powerlfting? Those genetics are insane.
Hey alex. Im a 15 year old novice lifter and have been watching yours and peter katcherians content for quite some time now. I always was the skinny kid, so I dreamed about going to the gym and being buffed. I’ve been training for only six months, but have gained weight and almost doubled my strength. Of course it’s still weak as hell but u inspire me to continue. I wish to be as or even stronger than you and you taught me how to lift before I even started. My goal for when I complete 1 year of lifting I reach 60kg on bench (132lb). Having started with 20(45) I think its a good first goal, but its only the beginning. Your help on pullups is something I will take as my main goal. Again, thanks for making wonderful, no bs and incredibly inspiring content for us naturals who dream about having an incredible physique.
Keep it up man! You'll hit that goal in no time. I've also been the skinny guy for quite some time and bench pressing 60kg was my 1 year goal. I've training for 9 months and the past week I bench press 60kg... for 7 reps! If you train consistently, eat enough food and rest well, you'll became stronger. A little piece of advise is to don't rush things up. You're muscles will became stronger faster that your joints, so if you feel something weird in your elbows or wrist, take it easy. Remember that you're playing for the long game!
good luck brody. all the best. im 2 years in and going strong. some advice: dont program hop. pick a program (by someone reputable. GVS, alex, natural hypertrophy etc.) and stick to it. Godspeed.
@@nicolasrodriguez7989 thx man
At 6' tall and 240lbs bodyweight my starting bench in 2018 was 150lbs.
Everyone starts small.
Last week I benched 305lbs for 11 reps, hoping to bench 405 this year (working up my 1RM slowly).
The best advice I can give:
1. Do all your lifting in a cage with safety pins set to the correct height for your lift. Lifting without fear of being squashed by the bar means you can actually exhaust your muscles on every set. Squats, Bench, Overhead, are always done in the cage with safety pins.
2. Eat protein religiously, though a calorie surplus helps, protein is an absolute necessity.
3. I LOVE the Mark Bell Slingshot accessory for assisted overweight reps on the bench press, you work up to your heaviest raw set, then throw on the chest band and keep adding weight. What it does is de-load the chest and really focuses the Triceps. Plus you get to practice your grip with heavier weights before doing them raw.
Also remember testosterone in men peaks at age 25, you've got 10 full years before you can really max out. With consistent lifting you will see progress year over year for the next decade.
I started our bench pressing like 85 pounds. I remember just hoping someday i could at least bench 135 so i could have full plates on the bench at the gym. Still working towards 225 but i'm super close! i do think 225 is strong! It's a respectable bench press. Definitely not elite or crazy, but i think it deserves the word "strong" still compared to the average gym goer
Coming from combat sports it’s ridiculous comparing weights across body weights. A 100kg guy can probably bench 80kg on his first session. A 60kg skinny guy is going to have to learn a lot before benching 80kg
I remember when I was new to lifting I was blown away by the idea of curling 30lbs dumbbells, now I can rep 55lbs dumbbells and the progress is still coming steadily! There's levels to this.
That's a big curling difference! Up there with most of the noble natties 💯
For sure. I have been on it now pretty much every week for 3 years but don’t track my biceps stuff closely as a reference point as much as the compounds, but it struck me that I’m doing 35lb dumbbells for concentration curls of up to 10 reps… where I couldn’t even do 25lbs for those reps standing when I began. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that my biceps have gone from 12.5inches to just over 15inches now.
Fancy seeing you here :)
@@AlexLeonidas Yessirr I'm closing in on those 17's! I wanna have the greatest natty arms on this platform!
@@smartsimplefit I never miss a video by Alex ! 💪
Bench press is the most overrated lift our there, if you are arching your back like crazy while pushing your chest out to the max and have manlet arms does it really mean anything?
quick fact out of all the gyms how many people do you see lift 315? Less than ..05 of gym members achieve this. At any age less than 150k people world wide can lift 315. This guy is clueless.
800lbs Squat, 600lbs Bench, 800lbs conventional Deadlift and 400lbs OHP are naturally achievable IMO for someone with freak genetics (and ideal leverages for the given lift) who dedicates themselves to a lift for 15-20 years, including bulking to obesity hahaha.
I believe that guys like Matt Vena and Freakie D are 100% natty.
I still think that the standards of 405 Squat, 315 Bench and 500 Deadlift are good goals for the average guy who cares about a mix of strength and hypertrophy to aim for, because it's simply not worth it for recreational lifters to get fat chasing strength. If on top of that you can do 20 pull-ups, be sub 20% BF year round and be able to run for example 3km under 15 minutes as a bare minimum standard of endurance, you're golden.
100% agree about 3/4/5 plates being a great standard for the average guy who wants a good mix of strength and hypertrophy. Those numbers will have you looking pretty jacked with a physique to be proud of, which is what a lot of people want anyway.
Due to commercial gym standards I used to believe 315lbs bench is my natural limit. Turns out I just needed someone to open my eyes and stick to the program. Progress is slow but consistent. After some research I know my program is not optimal as well
Wonderful, and oh yes many commercial gym benches and bars are ABSOLUTE GARBAGE!! I too would have limited myself, had I never gotten to feel proper equipment and be around actual serious lifters.
@@AlexLeonidashonest question, whats the difference?
@ham5483 If you're referring to equipment, it's a dramatic difference. From day to day it may not seem to matter, but over weeks, months, years, that's alot of gains on the table. I can do 4 sets of 12 squats in the gym on the military installation and feel fine. Using the same weight, sets, and reps at the city gym, my knees and hips feel more beat up. Same with bench. On post I can go heavy and my wrists and elbows feel fine, but at the city my joints take a beating cause the equipment won't allow me to get in a more stable stronger position.
@@Hazyhyperion4130 I suppose you’re right but this mentality is congruent with my own
I’ve always believed in work smarter not harder, but for the gym I take the opposite approach
Could an exercise be made harder? Okay do that. I guess you could argue you’re working harder AND smarter but idk wether or not there’s truth behind that
@@chasemasn it's all trial and error at the end of the day. I train either way. I push myself but do listen to my body as well. Given the scenario I gave above I make sure to put more emphasis on my warms ups, priming, and stretching. That seems to work for me.
''Nowadays teenagers are surpassing these numbers'' Yea teens from the US who are all on roids starting at 14/15..
There's natural teenagers doing it too, don't just blame the SARMS goblins. Are you aware that I started my youtube channel as a teenager? And was an intermediate lifter, way stronger than most influencers of the time.
Needed to hear this, I literally just hit 405 on squat for the first time today and this video just reminded me that I can take this so much further. Thanks Alex
Your a dope now
The beauty about the ever-evolving strength standards and the beauty of “delusion” is that it can truly push you to greater heights. I haven’t hit 315 lbs yet but I know I can hit well beyond 350, even 405 lbs. I hit 500 lbs on deadlift a month ago and I already know 650 will be achievable in 1.5 years. This doesn’t even include going up a weight class (currently 83 kg). With the desire to want more, I know I’m capable of more.
Agree on that but sometimes it just takes longer. Had no progress at 250kg deadlift for like two years, did some progress with some adjustments. Pulled 290kg with super fatigue and will do 300 in October. In 1.5 years I’ll do 350kg and nothing will stop me.
What body fat?
Alex imma be honest with you its been a year and i barely hit 135 bench press. These fucking standards are messin me up man. It snot like i havent been training hard either. I have been training harder than most people ever do.
The average male will never achieve a 245 bench
This message can still work for you, strength standards aren't for you but you can be stronger than the limits you put on yourself. My motto is " I'm strong for a weak dude" maybe that can work for you. It takes time, protein\calories, recovery and proper work but you can improve, for sure. 200 lb bench might be a good long term goal, every 10 lb gain is 15% closer.
Where are you at right now?
@@danteghazizadeh1656 at the time of this comment I had lied and actually only benched 120. Right now I bench 155 for 6, squat 205, and deadlift 275. The problem was my diet and the fact that I kept switching programs and trying to use too much science rather than actually spending lots of time perfecting technique on certain lifts.
@@danteghazizadeh1656 and I’m 130 pounds and 5,7
Like a preacher, what a turn off, be normal, I do everything you do and don't preach , nobody talks like that, hope you break out of it, since you started you've had identity problems, 😅 your spreading a great message, hard work 3 to 10 years, anyone can do that, but all depends on your life😊
Seeing your strength increase over the years has been so motivational brotha. Thank you for sharing your knowledge from personal experience with us. Helps so much more than you can imagine
Shorter arms and big ribcage plays a HUGE factor in what benchpress standards you should set for yourself. For me having long arms and a tiny ribcage, there is no universe where I can get 405 naturally or without getting really fat and I think maybe 10 or less people could achieve that in the whole world.
I’ve Larsen pressed 370+ lbs with long arms at the end of a cut, and I’ve only gotten bigger since then. You could def do it bro, don’t talk about yourself like that
@@kapoioBCSthey’re different because you’re fallaciously comparing two entirely different things with wildly different physical qualities and characteristics lol.
This is like comparing riding a bike to piloting a rocket ship. Absurd to say the least.
@@kapoioBCS I have ran a 7 minute 20 something second 1.5 miles, and had a pretty good 40 yard speed as well. Those two things are wildly different, let alone comparing resistance training and sprinting lol.
I think it’s perfectly reasonable be proud of strength standards that aren’t on par with what you see online, sure, “but sprinting and lifting weight aren’t all that different” is so far removed from reality lol. It infers that your knowledge/experience with these things is a bigger inhibitor than your genetics .
Standards should include that you are not a strength athlete who devotes his life to always hitting his gym goals, but have a job, work overtime, have a relationship kids family hobbies. I mean a lot of people can achieve eliteness in any field if only they spent they're entire life and attention on it and it's obvious why most don't - it's not the biggest priority (nor should it be) - and most of the time full commitment is not even a possiblity
If you have long arms just use a wider grip. A small ribcage is much more of a detriment.
This has been a hard pull to swallow, but I’ve been training for about 10 years now, and I’ve spun my wheels in circles stuck in intermediate hell for a good 6-7 years of that.
Seeing other Barry’s putting up BIG lifts and pushing the envelope of what’s possible is inspiring. With new found knowledge, patience and self-discipline, I look forward to making the next decade one FULL of progression and PRs beyond what I ever dreamed possible for myself.
It’s looking like the natty limits were all just in our minds. We need to stop listening to these doctors and scientists and just start experimenting and doing the science ourselves. Results don’t lie. It takes time for mainstream science to catch up with what’s happening on the street
What’s your total
@@sloppyjonuts9162 Currently only 1030lbs without any equipment. Certainly nothing to write home about, but my knowledge in programming and recovery has drastically improved over the past couple years which allows me to train hard, stimulate adaptation, and recover adequately without getting hurt/injured.
Yea I've been training for 4 years now and never benched more than 265 squatted 380 and deadlifed 485. More focused on Hypertrophy but recently I've been feeling the urge to do a few strength blocks
@@ce8539 Believe it or not, this is actually a great total after 4 years, especially as someone who primarily focuses on hypertrophy. Great job :)
All I’m gonna say is ever since adopting your “naturally enhanced “ philosophy and buying the program i have made some of the best gains since my newbie phase. I’m getting so damn strong on my rack pulls, traps and my neck is noticeably thicker. Thank you for making training fun for me again! I’m definitely realizing I had a lot of strength potential left on the table.
Awesome to hear that man, thanks for sharing your NE experience! Let the yoke gains continue, I'm happy you're enjoying training again 🐻
Although it can be motivating, videos like this got me injured. I thought my limitations were mental, but they were definitely physical.
Be cautious when upping the weight and expecting gains. I tore my trap deadlifting and 5 years in, still cannot bench 225, because I pushed too hard and jacked my body.
I am making progress though and am almost as strong as I was when I hurt myself over 2 years ago.
Yeah I agree that the standards are shifting in an upwards direction. I still think you're a bit of a freak though. 180kg bench natural at your bodyweight is far far far from normal.
Right on, and thank you my bro!
I am completely stumped as too how people get so strong so quick and how people are just blasting through prs like nothing, 100kg bench is absolutely outrageous for me to even think of and I’ve been lifting for 4 years, everyone says it’s just easy and I don’t eat enough but I eat at least 3500 a day, I don’t get it
It’s better to not compare to others, too many individual factors influence what we are capable of. I’ve been lifting for 10 years and still likely wouldn’t be considered “strong” by the standards spoken about in this video. I compare myself to who I was yesterday, if I improved, I’m happy and moving in the right direction.
@@bigpicturegains that’s a really good take and way of thinking about it, thank you
@@radoxretroz7880
You’re welcome 👍
Plus, you can get farther than you think with this mentality as you are less likely to get discouraged and fall off the wagon. I personally found myself in great place like this, just takes consistency.
I’m 17 5,8 and 180 lb. There’s people who are my height and weight benching 350 lb and I’m just like wtf I can’t even bench 200 lb 2.5 years of training.
In the recent years a lot of people started working out. Alex said every man is capable of doing 225. Imagine everyone hitting 225 ? Nothing special anymore. Gym community grew a lot. 225 is still good checkpoint but nothing special.
Your standards are completely reasonable! I just hit 30 dips this morning and I am 6‘3“, 225 pounds. So I don’t know where people get that from and on top of that I’m in a cutting phase! I started at 252 a few months back. People just don’t have the right mindset man.
Hell yeah!!!!!!!! 6'3 225 beast repping 30 dips, now that's what I love to hear. Facts about the mindset.
@@AlexLeonidas exactly! And can’t lie on some of the days if I’m feeling blah or whatever I just think to myself man I bet Alex would push through this and keep on moving forward. Like I don’t even think about strength standards anymore. My goal is just to continue to get stronger through weight or reps and I always think to myself why not? And keep on pushing.
@@realbenmaynard6019I'm a beginner man can you give me your insta i have shit ton of doubts it'll be very helpful
@UA-camisterrible thanks! And yeah, of course since I don’t have extra body fat on me. I’m about halfway through the cut. Still working to get to around 200 or so! So we will see how this continues.
id say 225 bench is pretty low hanging fruit. i got there from not benching at all (weighted dips)
0:46 enhanced teenagers*
Delusional af
315, 405, 495 are still pinnacle, so many kids sadly are on sarms and other shit for social media. The amount actually doing it natural at a comparable body weight IE not fat fucks is still extremely low.
Nah man it's not, especially for the squat and deadlift. And the fatties are doing way more than that.
is natural not taking creatine? Not taking HMB? Taking other supplements? Because technically those gains isn’t something you can do without. Also you have certain genetic potential. Some people have more or less fast twitch muscle fibers. Funny you’re bragging about people getting fat to move heavy weights. I’m 65 I’m natural I bench 335 and 225 30x I’m 6-3 230lbs. I squat 4plates deadlift 5 plates and can still run 40 yd in under 6 seconds. This young guy let’s see where you’re at my age. It’s funny when you listen to people under 35 bragging when their natural test is thru the roof. Your speech is going to get people hurt. Question is why are you trying to get that strong? What purpose? At what price? There is a price for everything you do.
I’m really glad to see that I’m not the only one in this headspace right now. Seeing that dude OHP over 500 as a bloat-lord natty has really stuck in my head. It’s really exciting to see the ceiling is higher than we thought.
Dude he weighs 450 pounds
I’m only 5 years into my journey(having suffered major injury setbacks) and I’ve managed to bench 255, squat 325 (glutes still acting up) and pull 425. I know I got tremendous potential but I believe in the next 5 years I’ll be able to be up there in 300s for bench, 400s for squats and 600s for deadlifts. I’ve been focused on proper recovery and injury prevention. Your videos give me so much knowledge bro thank you!!! Keep it up!!
Speaking 100% facts here man-while it is true that most gym bros bench under 2 plates, it’s not because it’s a difficult milestone to achieve, but rather because most of them mess around in the gym and don’t use their time/effort wisely.
3 plates, 4 plates, and beyond are all in the cards for a guy who programs properly, eats & sleeps right, and puts in the hard work 💪🏽
Perfectly stated!!!!! They "don’t use their time/effort wisely." I fully agree with 3 and 4 plates being totally reasonable
💯
Never wasted time in gym and still struggling in bench, a lot of it is genetic aswell, structure, shorter arms etc benefits. No excuses. Definitely working on a lot of better reps, form esp with larson style.
It depends on your goals. If you're not competing what good comes from having a 4 plate bench if you look the same as the guy doing a 2 plate bench? Does it make you healthier? Offer more functionality in life? What advantage does it have? Most people are perfectly happy being moderately in shape and having moderate strength. Cardio and endurance is imo much more important than a plate on the bench.
@@str1ker_eureka sorry your statement is the farthest from the truth. If they dedicated themselves and ate better got enough rest and didn’t do steroids they would achieve about 30% better tops. Telling them they’ll reach 405 what a joke be real with people before they hurt themselves
@@AlexLeonidas sure they don’t use there time as efficient , but to fully agree is just ignorance. You can only agree they would get better results but not the results this guy is claiming.
Yes you’re an inspiration to natural strength standards and deliver a great message but no I don’t agree that 220 bench for naturals is not impressive. We should be encouraging good milestones like 220 in naturals but tempering it by saying “this is only the beginning if you want it to be” not discouraging it by saying “anyone can do that bro”
It's a motivating video, that being said anyone who has worked out for long periods with someone will know how individual strength and muscle gains are.
My friend was almost hitting 225lbs on bench when I just got to 135lbs. Same workout and I bulked to get there while he maintained his weight...
I’m in the same boat bra. Just made it to 150. I’m 6’2 185 with long arms
@@EthanNoble Good luck bro. I managed to eventually hit a 225 bench, just took me longer. I'm sure eventually you can hit it as well.
@@web9529 nice! Yeah my long term goal is 280
@@web9529 how many times do you bench per week on avg?
@@EthanNoble When I hit 225 I was doing it twice per week. Push pull legs routine.
One day I would do bench at the start, 5 reps, heavy. Then the next push day I would do 8-12 reps with a lighter weight.
Right you are. Beginner standard should be 315/405/500 within a year of lifting at the age of 13 and if you live in a gym like a rat it should be 405/600/700 no excuse and anything below is WEAK.
I haven't been able to bench 2 plates yet, but my training has been inconsistent and I'm super out of shape now(getting back into it now).
I'm working towards it now. I'm gonna do it before year's end.
Self awareness is key, let's go!
@ParrotMan01276 how is it going?
You are right Alex, but at a 500 overhead press you kinda lost me.
I've been training for PL for 10 years, I've seen japanese athletes bench pressing 190-200 kgs in 74 and 83 kgs class 8 or 9 years ago, and they look gifted with leverages and crazy specific training, that I copied to a certain degree in order to get a 150 kgs paused bench, I've seen personally around me hundreds of athletes naturally strong but every one of them found a plateau in the area between 170 and 180 kgs.
In no reasonable world, a heavyweight even wheighing 180 kgs can military press 230 kgs, it's nothing ever seen even from powerlifters like Christensen, Ray Williams, Sumner or Uepa, that they are still doubtfully drug free.
I've seen crazy gifted athletes that at 150 kgs bw benched 230-240 kgs, but not military press, that is something out of the ordinary, even in peds world.
You know what man, I messed up.
Injecting testosterone is one of the dumbest things I’ve done.
I’ll admit, the prettiness of Instagram fooled me.
I truly wish I had been more patient and listened to your advice.
Alex, you inspire me to make changes and improve myself.
Thank you so much for your contribution to the community brother 🙏🏻
Dumbass
i hit 225 soo late. but when i hit it my chest was way much devolopped than other ppl . Your style my limit you power. bbuilder style bench press makes great chest but produce low power
These numbers are NOT BEING SURPASSED BY THE MASSES.
I understand you trying to motivate us to do better; but keep it real Alex.
315 Bench
405 squat
495 dead
Is top tier. 1%
High schoolers are not getting these numbers on the regular.
Naturals are definitely capable of a lot. As of writing this comment, I’m 22 years old and my squat/bench/deadlift lifetime goals at a bw of 85kg are 270kg/180kg/300kg. I don’t know when that will happen. Maybe 30s or 40s? But I’m in this for the long run. Maybe it won’t even be possible, but I refuse to nocebo myself into the black-pilled mindset of only shooting for half of your goals. Because if I did, I have already surpassed my lifetime goals.Keep up the positive videos Alex!
3 elite lifts at 22? This sound bs man ngl
@@olegaarden2294 lifetime goals bro. That’s why I said maybe I’ll get it in my 30s or 40s. Current age was just a reference for the time frame I’m looking at
@@weyhanng7028 oh lol makes sense then, probably realistic
@@olegaarden2294 all good. No hard feelings :)
@@olegaarden2294nah it’s not, very attainable for powerlifters….especially with how popular the sport is becoming, you got these kids starting to hit the gym at like 14/15 consistently
Alex, can you quickly go over the innovations? My understanding is that it’s mainly just better programming but I’m not satisfied with this. I think if you can bench 315 or 365 only once or twice a year after a huge programming block, that doesn’t really count. Not that it doesn’t count at all, but my goal is to be able to rep 315 on bench at any point in the year, except for like some deload periods. But if I can only do it in a specific period in my programming, I feel like I haven’t truly hit that milestone.
I've been a follower for more than 6 years now i gotta say i've learned so many principles i use daily from this channel and it always had the answers i was looking for if i had any training questions. Thanks Alex for providing us with quality educational content, you're the man, dude!
Much love OG, it's my greatest pleasure!!!!
STOP claiming SEATED OHP numbers. Not even remotely close to standing.
You, my dude, are constantly an inspiration. I remember when i first hit a 200kg deadlift off your advice and everyone in the gym gave me the crazy look when i said that i wasn’t happy with it and wanted 300kg. Tbh i dont even care if thats impossible for me as a natural with the hand i was dealt but some days its the only thing keeping me on the deadlift platform. That it might not be possible, but like Goku, we got that limit break now don’t we 😉
300 kg is my goal as well. Don't know about your weight but even lower level powerlifters do that these days.
I have poland syndrome so I'm missing my right major pectoral, so if I ever achieve a 225 bench I'll be proud as fuck
"Noble natural community is like Old School Runescape"
Been subbed to you for years, and that statement is gold.
This video should have 1M views.
Well we won't have 1 million hard working viewers who are willing to do what it takes! The fitness community is too soft for this real video to blow up.
@@AlexLeonidas
Most folk are indeed to soft, that is how they are born and on top of that most man let their testosterone levels and manhood degenerate due to many unhealthy influences.
They end up taking steroids and also very early.
@@zengerz Agreed.
Well Alex you have all the time in the world to train to optimise your training and recovery. Idk if you have a standard job or wife and kids but many of us do and it's way harder to attain even intermediate numbers. But I love what you do and you always inspire me and make me realise what is possible. No offence btw that's just something that came to mind.
Certainly more to balance but there's always high intensity training if you can't frequently make it to the gym, as well as really dialing in your meal prep. I suppose sleep would be worst offender, but still, full time and with responsibilities, you can still become elite if you want it bad enough. And there are examples of that right here on youtube, especially in the home gym community.
Yeah I think that much should be obvious. You won’t hit Alex-numbers unless you have an equally adjusted environment for exercise time and recovery. But I have found the best way to approach this stuff is to start looking at it like levels/tiers. Recognize where your ceiling could be, but also understand that it’s not relevant until you do a smaller level-up. And once you’re a steady intermediate, assuming you’re training with excellent programming and quality, you definitely need lifestyle changes to go further. And at that point you need to start putting stuff on the chopping block (but hopefully not your wife and kids 😂)
@@AlexLeonidas why become elite tho? I mean if you are not competing what's the point? if you can bench say 250 why strain yourself to reach 315? What's the point to stronger/bigger after a certain threshold? In the modern day of high pressure daily life let's not make the gym another place to punish ourselves and never feel ok with our progress. You make a good point Alex. The elite mark has moved forward. 99.9% of lifters (and viewers of this channel) shouldn't care or even worse feel that their 225 bench is somehow considered ''weak'' now. I mean come on!
@@marvotbecause most of us care about lifting and want to pursue it as long as possible. When I inevitably hit those number I’m not going to stop and stagnate, I’m going to keep pushing
@@AlexLeonidas im working full time in corp banking and I also bench 180kg. Its definitely possible to do stuff even at full time