Strength training guides
Five lanes: 1RM math, strength standards, cross-lift ratios, lift variants, and programming percentages. Each lane sits next to the calculator that does the corresponding math — open the calculator if you want a number, read the guide if you want the reasoning behind it. Adult bands lean on ExRx; teen pages stay on AAP-grounded soft framing.
1RM math
A submax set is useful when the bar still moves on the last rep. The formulas behind these guides agree at low reps and start arguing past five — and they argue more on deadlift than on bench. These pages cover when the math is reliable and when to stop trusting the headline.
Open the 1RM calculator →How to Estimate 1RM From Reps Without Testing the Max
Run a clean 3–5 rep set, plug into the 1RM calculator, read the reliability band. Why submax estimation beats max testing for programming. Engine-locked accuracy bands.
How to Estimate Deadlift 1RM From Reps (and Why +10% LeSuer)
Plug a clean 3–5 rep deadlift into the 1RM calculator, then add ~10% (StrengthMath methodology midpoint of LeSuer 1997's measured 9–14% deadlift under-estimation). Reliability bands explained.
Best 1RM Formula: Which to Trust for Bench, Squat, and Deadlift
Epley, Brzycki, Lombardi, and O'Conner agree at low reps and disagree by 5%+ at high. LeSuer 1997 tested all four against measured 1RMs — here's what to use per lift.
Training Max vs 1RM: When to Use Which
Training Max = 90% of 1RM (Wendler 5/3/1 popularization). Use TM for programming heavy compound lifts off a sustainable number; use 1RM for peaking attempts and meet selection.
Strength standards
Bodyweight-multiplier bands are useful for context. They are dangerous when read as an identity label. These pages cover the per-lift adult bands (untrained → elite, ExRx-aligned) and the soft AAP-grounded framing the engine uses below 18 — never elite/advanced for a teen, ever.
Open the Strength Check →Bench Press Standards by Age and Bodyweight (Adult + Teen Modes)
Bodyweight-multiplier bench standards for adults (untrained → elite, ExRx-aligned) and soft-framing bands for teens (AAP-grounded). Sex- and bodyweight-banded.
Squat Standards by Age and Bodyweight (Adult + Teen Modes)
Bodyweight-multiplier squat standards for adults (untrained → elite, ExRx-aligned) and AAP-grounded teen soft framing. Sex- and bodyweight-banded; 1.75× intermediate male.
Deadlift Standards by Age and Bodyweight (Adult + Teen Modes)
Adult deadlift standards run 1.0×→3.25× bodyweight (male) and 0.7×→2.25× (female), ExRx-aligned. Teen mode uses AAP-grounded soft framing only.
Overhead Press Standards by Age and Bodyweight (Adult + Teen Modes)
Adult OHP standards run 0.4×→1.4× bodyweight (male) and 0.25×→0.9× (female), ExRx-aligned. Teen mode (<18) uses AAP-grounded soft framing only.
Is a 70 kg Bench Press Good at 13? Bodyweight Context + AAP Safety
Yes — 70 kg / 154 lb at 13 is unusually strong at typical bodyweights, above-typical-beginner at heavier. StrengthMath teen-mode policy: submax-first, no max testing in calculator output.
Is a 100 kg Bench Press Good at 16? Bodyweight Context + AAP Safety
Yes — 100 kg / 220 lb at 16 is unusually strong at typical bodyweights. Same AAP teen-safe framing as the 13yo case. Submax estimation only; no max testing.
Is a 100 kg Squat Good at 16? Bodyweight Context + AAP Safety
100 kg / 220 lb at 16 lands above-typical-beginner across typical teen bodyweights, slipping to typical past ~85 kg. AAP-grounded soft framing; submax estimation only.
Is a 200 kg Squat Good? Adult Bodyweight Context + Competitive Reframe
200 kg / 441 lb is advanced for an 80 kg adult-male lifter, intermediate at 90–110 kg, novice past ~115 kg. ExRx-aligned bands, with OPL competitive context.
Is a 200 kg Deadlift Good at 18? Adult Bands + Skeletal Maturity
Engine returns adult mode at 18 — 200 kg / 441 lb is advanced at 65–70 kg, intermediate at 75–100 kg, novice past 105 kg. AAP skeletal-maturity nuance still applies.
Is a 100 kg Overhead Press Good? Adult Bodyweight Context
100 kg / 220 lb OHP is elite at 60–70 kg of adult-male bodyweight, advanced at 75–90 kg, intermediate at 95–110 kg. Strict-vs-push-press caveat applies.
Cross-lift ratios
A squat-to-bench ratio is a balance check, not a moral judgment. Lifters who push one lift harder for a quarter pull the ratio off the practitioner band — and that’s often the right call. These pages cover what’s typical, what pulls a lifter above or below the band, and what the gap actually tells you about programming.
Squat-to-Bench Ratio: What's Typical (1.2–1.5×) and Why
Practitioner-consensus squat:bench ratio runs 1.2–1.5× for natural lifters. What pushes a lifter above or below the band, and what the ratio tells you about training balance.
Deadlift-to-Bench Ratio: What's Typical (1.4–1.6×) and Why
Practitioner-consensus deadlift:bench ratio runs 1.4–1.6× for natural lifters. Engine per-band ratios run 1.30–1.50× (male). What the ratio reveals about training.
Overhead Press to Bench Ratio: What's Typical (0.65–0.75×) and Why
Practitioner-consensus OHP:bench ratio runs 0.65–0.75× for natural lifters. Engine per-band ratios run 0.55–0.57× (male) — the consensus band sits above engine.
Lift variants
Change the angle, the bar position, the stance, or the grip and the number on the bar changes too — not always because you got stronger. These pages cover the typical strength differentials across bar position, grip, stance, and equipment, plus a per-variant decision rule for which to default to in a real program.
Squat Variants: Strength Differentials Across Bar Position and Stance
High-bar vs low-bar (Wretenberg 1996), front vs back (Gullett 2009), pause and box and goblet — per-variant ratio table and decision rules for which variant to default to.
Deadlift Variants: Conventional, Sumo, Trap-Bar, RDL, Deficit, Paused
Sumo vs conventional EMG (Escamilla 2000/2002), trap-bar 8.2% higher 1RM than straight (Swinton 2011), RDL hamstring-dominant. Per-variant decision rule.
Overhead Press Variants: Strict, Push Press, Jerk, Seated, Dumbbell
Seated barbell ~11–15% higher 1RM than standing dumbbell (Saeterbakken 2013). Push press > strict by 20–30%; jerk higher still. Per-variant decision rule.
Deadlift Grip Strategy: Mixed vs Double-Overhand vs Hook (+ Straps)
Mixed grip is the strongest raw grip but adds biceps-tear risk on the supinated side. Double-overhand caps at grip strength; hook hurts but locks. Decision rule per goal.
Dumbbell Bench vs Barbell Bench: Math + Caveats (Not a Conversion)
Per-dumbbell 1RM is the primary output; the barbell-equivalent range is a wide 1.05–1.25× because there's no consensus conversion factor. Five caveats explained.
Incline Bench vs Flat Bench: How Much Strength Differential to Expect
Incline bench typically runs ~75–85% of flat bench for the same lifter. Why: shorter triceps lever, more anterior-deltoid recruitment, less stretch reflex. Practitioner-consensus, not peer-reviewed.
How Deep Should I Squat for Strength? Parallel vs ATG vs Quarter
Deep submax squats are not higher-injury-risk than half/quarter at supramaximal loads (Hartmann 2013). Parallel is the default; ATG and quarter both have specific use cases.
Programming percentages
The same 1RM turns into different training days depending on whose load chart you read. NSCA’s traditional bands have been the field-default for thirty years; the ACSM 2026 Position Stand widens what counts as strength, power, and hypertrophy work. These pages cover both — sets, reps, RIR, and the percentage at which they actually disagree.
Open the % of 1RM calculator →Percentage of 1RM for Strength: NSCA + ACSM 2026 Loading Bands
The NSCA traditional 80–95% strength band vs the ACSM 2026 ≥80% threshold. Sets, reps, RIR target, and a load table from a 100 kg 1RM input.
Percentage of 1RM for Power: ACSM 2026 Widens the Band to 30–70%
Power training percentages — ACSM 2026 widens the load range from the older 50–75% to 30–70%. Why light-load high-velocity work counts, and how to program it.