Ideal Strength Standards to Improve Overall Athletic Performance

Hello Everyone,

I understand theat a strong strength foundation is important for overall athletic performance, so my questions are the following…

  1. For someone who isn’t prioritizing strength training, what are the minimum strength standards for the 4 main barbell lifts one should achieve to excel in athletic performance, while at the same time not risking injury from the weight being too heavy? I understand there are many factors at play here, but in a general sense, what numbers would you reccomend?

Thank you all in advance.

Ben

I wouldn’t recommend any specific numbers for these purposes with a high degree of confidence. I also don’t think that athletes need to do the “4 main barbell lifts” either, but I do think they should resistance train in squat, push, pull, and hinge patterns across different rep ranges, exercises, tempos, etc.

Thank you for your response Jordan,

Would you say there’s any kind of a strength standard that should be met for good health and performance?

I know I read that Dan John suggested the following strength standards for men. However, there doesn’t seem to be any specific reason why these standards are good or not.

Push
Expected = Bodyweight bench press
Game-changer = Bodyweight bench press for 15 reps

Pull
Expected = 5 pullups
Game-changer = 15 pullups

Hinge
Expected = Bodyweight to 150% bodyweight deadlift
Game-changer = Double-bodyweight deadlift

Squat
Expected = Bodyweight squat
Game-changer = Bodyweight squat for 15 reps

Loaded Carry
Expected = Farmer walk with total bodyweight (half per hand)
Game-changer =Bodyweight per hand