How Strong Should You Be? (Noob To Freak)

At one time or another, we’ve all likely compared our strength to another lifter. Maybe you’ve wondered if your strength levels are where they “should” be according to your time spent in the gym. I...

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In this blog, I’m going to outline some realistic strength standards for each category of training experience from ‘noob’ all the way up to ‘freak’. As you move through the categories, you’ll be able to plug in your current standing. Aside from appeasing your curiosity, this knowledge may assist you in setting more realistic strength goals for yourself.

Before we jump into the noob level, however, I need to explain a few general limitations of strength standards.

1. It’s important to realize that just like any physical trait, there are huge genetic differences when it comes to strength. Your skeleton itself, or what we call leverages, is a big factor here.

For example, someone like myself who has short arms and a big rib cage will most likely perform better on the bench press compared to someone with longer arms and a shallow rib cage. But then, having short arms is actually a disadvantage for me on the deadlift because my hips have to start lower in order for me to reach the bar.

Then on the squat, having short femur bones is typically an advantage. However, any deficit in the leverage department can be overcome by other factors like:

2. Good programming and

3. Modifying technique

For example, Dr. Layne Norton was able to set a world record on the squat despite having some of the longest femurs in the game. Of course, there’s a lot more to strength than just leverages. Some people have more resilient tendons, higher neural drive, and even though muscle size is modifiable with training, some people start out carrying more muscle than others.

Keep in mind that someone with outstanding genetics might be able to hit the advanced tier within their first couple years of training, whereas someone with below-average genetics might take 5-10 years to get there.

Still, in formulating the categories, I did my best to set up the levels according to average abilities, based on my decade-plus of coaching experience, data from competitive powerlifting events, and existing strength scales like those from Mark Rippitoe and Tim Henriques.

Three quick disclaimers about my strength standards hey assume constant technique. You shouldn’t be cutting your squat depth shorter just to move up a level, and you’ll need to briefly pause the bar on your chest for the bench press to count.

They assume constant technique. You shouldn’t be cutting your squat depth shorter just to move up a level, and you’ll need to briefly pause the bar on your chest for the bench press to count.
Because my standards are based on body weight ratios, they start to break down at very high body weights. They mainly apply to natural, reasonably lean lifters.

If you’re over 250 pounds or 113 kilos, the numbers will skew against you a bit. If you’re natural, whether you weigh 250, 300, or 350 pounds, all you need to do is simply input your weight as 250 pounds. This’ll give you an idea of where you land.
The strength standards are for a one rep max. This doesn’t mean you need to test your one rep max all the time, especially if you don’t have competitive strength goals. But to monitor progression, it’s still smart to have some idea of where your strength is.

If you want to get a rough estimate, you can plug a recent tough set that you took close to failure (below five reps or so) into the ExRx one rep max calculator (see the link at the end of the blog) and it’ll spit out a one rep max estimate. Keep in mind that it’s not 100 percent accurate because lifting for a one rep max is a separate skill in and of itself, but it’ll get you in the right ballpark.

If you’re over 250 pounds or 113 kilos, the numbers will skew against you a bit. If you’re natural, whether you weigh 250, 300, or 350 pounds, all you need to do is simply input your weight as 250 pounds. This’ll give you an idea of where you land.

3. The strength standards are for a one rep max. This doesn’t mean you need to test your one rep max all the time, especially if you don’t have competitive strength goals. But to monitor progression, it’s still smart to have some idea of where your strength is.

If you want to get a rough estimate, you can plug a recent tough set that you took close to failure (below five reps or so) into the ExRx one rep max calculator (see the link at the end of the blog) and it’ll spit out a one rep max estimate. Keep in mind that it’s not 100 percent accurate because lifting for a one rep max is a separate skill in and of itself, but it’ll get you in the right ballpark.

Also, for context, I’m going to be putting my current numbers next to each level as we go through, just for comparison. As of right now, here are my figures at 180 pounds or 81 kilos body weight.

Those ratios have been higher for me at a lower body weight, but I’m nearing the end of a bulk now, so I’ll just go with my current lifts and my current weight rather than stack my numbers with all-time bests.

NOOB

Usually 3-6 months of lifting

Most newbie men should be able to squat and deadlift something between the empty bar and 135 pounds (1 plate per side), and 45-95 pounds for the bench press.

The deadlift is a bit of a curveball because some people will be able to pull 225 (2 plates per side) their first day in the gym. For most people, getting an extra plate on the bar is a sign that you’re getting out of the noob category and into the beginner category

For women, the numbers tend to look a bit more like this and you should be able to easily progress to the beginner level by just working on your technique while incrementally adding a minimum amount of weight to the bar each and every workout - generally in the 3-6 rep zone for strength work.

BEGINNER

Usually 0.5-2 years of lifting

Once you’ve been training seriously for six months to two years, you’re most likely in the beginner category and as a male, you should be able to put up a 1.25 times bodyweight squat, a 1 times body weight bench, and a 1.5 times body weight deadlift.

As an example, if you’re a 180-pound man, you should be able to squat 225, bench 185, and deadlift 275 within your first few years of lifting.

These would be the comparable body weight figures for a female. As an example, note the relevant lifts for a 140-pound female example.

In the beginner stage, you should have acceptable technique on all the lifts, probably not mastered yet, but they should look pretty consistent from rep to rep. In fairness, it definitely is normal at this stage to still struggle staying locked in as you get close to your max.

Throughout this level, you should still be able to make progress from workout to workout in a linear fashion. Of course, occasionally, you’ll have days where you feel weaker and you won’t be able to PR.

But most people should be setting new PRs nearly every workout, adding minimum increments of five pounds to the bar or 1 extra rep in that same 3-6 rep range.

As a beginner, I think it’s perfectly fine to keep your training fun by switching things up on the accessory bodybuilding exercises, but you should have a few core exercises like the squat, bench, and deadlift where you’re just steadily adding weight from week to week without switching things up at all.

However, at some point, usually around the one to two year mark, most people will start noticing their strength gains slowing down. They may be still progressing, but noticeably more slowly and you can no longer PR each and every session, at least not without compromising technique or recovery.

This is usually a sign that you’re getting into that intermediate territory and it may be time to update your approach to it.

Before we hop into the intermediate to advanced stuff, I want to quickly let you guys know that the second phase of my intermediate to advanced PowerBuilding System is now available over on jeffnippard.com. So if you’re an intermediate to advanced level lifter, you can check out that link at the end of the blog where I’ll have a little more info about that program.

INTERMEDIATE

Usually 2+ years of lifting

Once you’ve consistently been in the gym for around two years, you should find yourself in the intermediate category.

It’s at this stage that many people hit their first plateau. A lot of people actually end up getting stuck here indefinitely, giving rise to the so-called Lifetime Intermediate.

No matter how long you find yourself at this stage, assuming you’ve committed to a progressive strength plan, you should be able to get these figures.

As an example, if you’re a 180 pound male, you should be hitting a 225-315 pound squat, a 185-275 pound bench, and a 275-405 pound deadlift.

As a female at 140 pounds, these would be the comparable body weight figures and example lifts.

The key to getting out of the intermediate stage and into the advanced stage is to take a less linear approach to your training. Rather than hitting the same 3-6 reps with linear load increases every workout, I’d recommend focusing on slightly different adaptations throughout the week.

For example, on the squat, you could have one heavy day where you hit something like three to five reps at a pretty high exertion, and one light day where you either do hypertrophy work in the six to ten rep zone or speed/technique work for two to four reps, but a lower exertion.

This would be a form of Daily Undulating Periodization or DUP where the rep ranges undulate or vary on different days throughout the week. And of course, your lifts still need to be moving up on average but the actual progression curve will be both less steep and less linear.

ADVANCED

Usually about 5+ years of lifting

Sometime around the five-year mark, most committed people with a focused plan will move out of the intermediate stage and into the advanced stage.

Here, we’re looking at a 1.75-2.5 times body weight squat, a 1.5-2 times body weight bench, and a 2.25-3 times body weight deadlift.

A 180-pound male should be hitting a 315-455 pound squat, a 275-365 pound bench, and a 405-545 pound deadlift.

You can see that my squat and bench would still be above the advanced category, but my deadlift, the lift I struggled with the most, would fall into the advanced stage.

Note the comparable body weight figures and example lifts for a 140-pound female.

Moving from the advanced level to the elite level is kind of tricky because I don’t think it’s necessarily possible for every person. I do think that with an optimal blend of intelligent coaching and strong discipline, many more people can get there, but it may require a level of sacrifice in the gym that a lot of people just wouldn’t be willing to make for those extra gains.

Regardless, this is the point where you’ll need to become much more methodical with your programming and likely have to run specialization phases where you narrow in on one lift while putting the others at maintenance.

For example, my friend Alex from the channel Alpha Destiny recently had a 405-pound bench press. But in order to get there, he had to focus so much of his training and recovery on the bench press that for recovery purposes, the other lifts had to be put down to maintenance.

At this point, you’ll also likely need to get very intentional about addressing your specific weak points in the different lifts. As an example, if you consistently struggle with locking out your deadlift, advanced strategies like chains, hip thrusts, and block pulls could help correct that.

Since Muscle size can also become a limiting factor, to build more muscle mass and keep driving that strength up, once you have the technique aspects down, you may simply need to take several months or even a year dedicated to hypertrophy-style training in moderate to high rep ranges while in a caloric surplus.

The bottom line is that no one gets to the elite level by accident. It takes a blend of intelligent planning, consistency, and dedication in the gym.

ELITE

Usually 5-10+ years of lifting

Somewhere around the five to ten year mark, if lifters have done the right stuff during that time, they can begin to move into the elite category. With the right genetics, it’s possible for some people to get there a bit sooner.

In this category, we’re looking at a 2.5-3 times bodyweight squat, a 2-2.25 times bodyweight bench, and a 3-3.5 times bodyweight deadlift. Having a 2.6 times bodyweight squat and a 2.1 times bodyweight bench, at the moment, I find myself toward the lower boundary of the elite category for those lifts.

On the following chart, you can see the elite figures and lifts for a 140-pound female..

I do think that these are the highest numbers that a lot of natural lifters should realistically be able to strive for, assuming maximum strength is the goal.

Not everyone will be able to get here, but I do think that with the right combination of time programming, and dedication, a lot of people can be elite for at least one or two of the lifts.

However, in order to get to the freak category, you’ll need some monster genetics.

FREAK

Usually ~5-10+ years of lifting (when possible)

If you’re lifting north of a three times bodyweight squat, 2.25 times bodyweight bench, and 3.5 times bodyweight deadlift as a male, you're in a category with few people.

A great example here would be Taylor Atwood.

Taylor competes in the 163-pound or 74-kilos weight class as a Drug-tested Raw Lifter and puts up some unfathomable numbers. A few months ago, he smoked the all-time American record with a smooth 668-pound or 303-kilogram squat. Again, at 163 pounds bodyweight, that’s a 4 times bodyweight squat!

These numbers are almost unheard of on planet Earth. For Taylor, hitting a 430-pound or 195-kilo bench press is relatively easy. Keep in mind that’s a monstrous 2.6 times bodyweight bench. Then, at the same meet, he hit another American record of 750 pound deadlift at 163 pounds body weight. That’s fully 200 pounds above my all-time deadlift pr at the same body weight, which gives him a 4.6 times body weight deadlift.

Taylor almost needs his own category beyond freak level! These lifts are absolutely mind-boggling.

Here are the figures for a freak female lifter.

As an example here, let’s look at Canadian Drug Tested Raw Powerlifter, Jessica Buettner, who just had a bunch of world records in the 167 pounds or 76 kilos weight class. Her new world record 464 pounds or 210.5 kilos squat at 167 pounds gives her an insane 2.77 times body weight squat, which got her a gold medal on that lift.

She also bench-pressed 231 pounds or 105 kilos at the same meet, good for a bronze medal and a 1.4 times body weight bench press. And then there was her unbelievable 546 pounds or 247.5 kilos deadlift, which was good for another gold medal and another All-time World Record at just over 3.25 times body weight.

You can have a look at my full-strength standard sheet below, which you can use to set up some realistic strength goals for yourself. Just remember to take it slowly and focus on creating a plan that’ll get you one level up from where you are now. One level at a time.

Before we end this blog, a few quick details about my program PowerBuilding Phase 2.0. The program comes with a 120-page e-book, a full Excel spreadsheet for tracking your progress, and a technique handbook, as well as video demos illustrating every exercise in the program, including a bunch of new ones like Larson presses, Meadows rows, multi-height chest movements, some fun new bicep and forearm variations, and plenty more.

To be clear, Phase 2 is an entirely new program that’s intended to build on Phase 1. So if you haven’t run Phase 1 yet, I’d recommend running that one first. You can check both of these programs at jeffnippard.com.

If you’re still in your first year or two of training, I definitely recommend running my Fundamentals Program instead.

Also, if you’d like to further explore the topic in video format, a summed-up video of this blog is also available on my YouTube channel.