How Strong Is Strong Enough? - A Different Perspective on Measuring Strength

How Strong Is Strong Enough?

In recent years, several studies have highlighted the connection between muscular strength and longevity. Strength not only serves as a general indicator of your overall physical activity levels, but it also has direct benefits—such as reducing your risk of falls and increasing your resilience to fall-related injuries, thanks in part to higher bone mineral density.

But that leads us to an important question: how strong does someone need to be to start reaping the benefits of strength training?

Starting Strength: Something Is Better Than Nothing

First, it’s essential to understand that exercise does not have a "floor effect." In other words, when you're just starting out, anything is better than nothing. Even small improvements in strength can lead to meaningful health benefits.

Once you're past the beginner phase, though, it's helpful to start setting targets. But how do you know what’s a “good” level of strength for you?

Setting a Target: Relative vs. Absolute Strength

While personal progress is always a useful benchmark, it can also be helpful to see how your strength compares to others of a similar size and age. This gives you a more objective lens through which to view your development.

In strength training, we typically talk about relative strength (your strength in relation to your body weight) and absolute strength (your total strength regardless of body size). For most people—especially those not competing in strength sports—relative strength is more practical and meaningful. It accounts for differences in body size and gives a fairer sense of progress.

Do You Need to Track Your Strength Against Others?

If you’re someone who’s only focused on personal improvement, you might not care how you compare to others—and that’s completely valid. But if you enjoy data and benchmarks, or you’re curious about where you stand, this next section is for you.

Let’s revisit the concepts of maximal and submaximal strength testing.

If you're not familiar with these terms, check out our blog post on fitness assessments or sign up for our free preview lesson in the health and wellness course, where we walk you through the basics.

What Is a 1RM, and How Should You Test It?

Your 1-repetition maximum (1RM) is the most weight you can lift for a single rep using proper form through a full range of motion. This is typically tested with compound lifts like the squat, deadlift, bench press, or leg press—exercises that involve multiple joints and muscle groups.  They also typically involve a spotter or a power rack with the safety bars set up so that you can perform your maximal lift safely.

We don’t recommend testing a true 1RM for most non-athletes, especially beginners new to a given exercise, because it comes with higher fatigue and injury risk due to the lack of experience to skillfully coordinate the exercise under maximal load. Instead, for newer exercisers, we suggest using a submaximal test like a 5-rep max (5RM), which is a heavy set performed with good form and 1–2 reps left in reserve. It’s safer and still gives you plenty of actionable data.

How to Use Your Strength Data

Once you have your estimated 1RM, there are a few tools you can use to compare your performance to established strength standards.

Option 1: EXRX.net

1. Use our Submaximal 1RM Calculator to estimate your 1RM.
   
   

2. Head over to EXRX.net strength standards.
   
   

3. Choose your age group and sex.
   
   

4. Find your bodyweight and see how your lift stacks up on their chart.
   
   

Option 2: StrengthLevel.com

Alternatively, visit StrengthLevel, where you can:

1. Enter your age, gender, and body weight.
   
   

2. Input your lift weight and number of reps.
   
   

3. Get an instant readout comparing you to others with similar stats.
   
   

This can be a fun and motivating way to benchmark your progress. It’s not perfect, but it gives a solid snapshot of where you stand.

A Note on Motivation and Personality

Not everyone finds these comparisons motivating. For some, especially beginners or those struggling with confidence, it can feel overwhelming or discouraging. On the other hand, if you're competitive or data-driven, these benchmarks can be energizing and help fuel consistent effort in your training.

Whichever type of person you are, what matters most is that you have some way of tracking progress. Fitness assessments—whether self-measured or professional—help keep your training grounded in real outcomes rather than guesswork.

If you want to explore this further, check out our guide to low-tech, at-home assessments that are easy to use and can give you a clearer picture of your fitness over time.

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