Strength Goals?

**sung** · Posted On: 3/17/2004 12:29am

Virtual - Nope, not birdlegs... :p

Little Idea - Overhead squat = squat with the weight on straight arms above your head?

Ronin - Thanks for the reply... I take it those are 1 rep maximums?

I have started to really enjoy lifting, even though I used to agree when kung fu stylists said "muscle only gets in the way and slows you down"... 'fraid not, if anything, my punching and kicking speed / power has improved, not the other way around. :D

Aki

**jubei33** · Posted On: 3/17/2004 1:13am

currently I weigh 185 and I bench 245, curl 100 (crooked bar) squat 225. I dont do dead lift, but do military press at around 100. my personal goal is to reach 300 lbs by the end of summer on the bench and what ever else I can achieve with everything else. this should be interesting......

**Nid** · Posted On: 3/17/2004 1:17am

What sort of goals should I set myself in terms of strength?

Learn what intensity means. Before you start worrying about demonstrating strength, you gotta learn how to legitimatly develop it.

Homework assignment #1. http://www.hardgainer.com/articles/36-81.html

I wouldn't worry about 1 rep maxes. A 1 rep max is not a better indicator of relative strength gains compared to a 2 rep max...or 3...or 4....or 5 or etc. I'll tell you what a 1RM is good at though...increasing the odds of injury. If, over time, you have added 200% resistance to your clean, safe, disciplined 8 rep set (or however many it is), doesn't it stand to reason that your 1 rep max will have increased too? Of course. But actually demonstrating that 1RM is just a needlessly dangerous and abitrary ritual.

As far as what goals to set, I'll also deviate and suggest focusing on the small improvements from work-out to work-out...and making sure that it's actually happening.. They'll add up to a longer-term improvement relative to you...which is what counts (even if it doesn't match-up to what some guy says is a good goal).

What if a 200 pound guy can squat his body weight 10 times? Not terribly impressive by any objective reckoning...but what if 2 years ago, he weighed 300 pounds and couldn't do a single paralell squat with just the bar? That's quite a different story now, isn't it? How about my acquaintance's brother who doesn't work-out, yet can bench 315 just because...he's him?

**Gezere** · Posted On: 3/17/2004 2:01am

Don't wanna be a *****?

Then your goals should be ASIA's GOALS!!!!

Goals:

Bench 420lbs 8~10reps
Squat 55lbs 8 reps (got one not so stellar knee but I'm optimistic)
Sqaut Thrust 15 Brazilian women in on night!:D (you got have dreams!!!)

**Hannibal** · Posted On: 3/17/2004 2:09am

But this is only if you have time. If you doing martial arts say 3 -4 times per week and each training session goes for 2 hours then you may not have time for weights.Between working and study I know that I don't. I mean you can try but in the end you could burn yourself out.

**sung** · Posted On: 3/17/2004 3:03am

Keinhaar - Thanks for the well reasoned post. You make a lot of sense. I started off with working 8-12reps, and now have been focussed on the 5-8rep range for the past few months. I have been steadily improving, and I am fairly happy with my progress. Thanks for the link. I'm reading it now...

Asia - Missing a number in front of the 55 in your squat ambitions? Damn, even one brazilian woman would be a dream for me! :cool:

Aki

**Ronin** · Posted On: 3/17/2004 7:05am

Originally posted by Asia
Don't wanna be a *****?

Then your goals should be ASIA's GOALS!!!!

Goals:

Bench 420lbs 8~10reps
Squat 55lbs 8 reps (got one not so stellar knee but I'm optimistic)
Sqaut Thrust 15 Brazilian women in on night!:D (you got have dreams!!!)

Truly, a goal to strive for, the brazilian women one, that is.

**Ronin** · Posted On: 3/17/2004 7:09am

I have always found that, training for a 1 rep max is kind of misleading, like Keinhar mentioned, a 2 rep max is a much better indicator.
Max rep training has it's purpose, if not physically, psychologically, it can boost your training bigtime, BUT it need to be done with caution, a very thoroughl warm up and a good 2-3 min rest BEFORE the set in which you will be going for your max.
It should be done at the most every 6 weeks, as a "gauge" for your progression.
Unless powerlifting or "pure strength" training is your goal, in THAT case, you need to train in a totally different way.