The Strength Standards That Matter Most

Why Strength Is the Key to Healthspan

I made a sticker for my gym when we first opened, with flames, a phoenix, and the words, "Fitness is Freedom!" It was the reason I opened a gym. It is still true today, and with much more evidence to back it up. It is more clear now to say that strength is freedom.

When people talk about getting older, the conversation often centers on disease: heart conditions, dementia, diabetes. But there’s a quieter threat that undermines everything, the slow erosion of strength.

Muscle isn’t just for athletes. It’s functional insurance. It helps you pick up your kids, get off the floor, shovel snow, and carry your groceries. It gives you the confidence to travel, live independently, and bounce back from injury. In short, strength keeps you free.

And here's the catch: once muscle starts to decline (often by your 40s), the slide can be fast and brutal—unless you fight back.

The Strength You Need

This isn’t about chasing personal records or Instagram glory. These are minimum strength standards—the floor, not the ceiling. Fall below them, and everyday life starts getting harder. Stay above them, and you’re more resilient, mobile, and independent—decade after decade.

Let’s break down the research-backed numbers, organized by movements and age.

The Big 6: Movement-Based Strength Standards

1. Deadlift: Can You Pick Things Up Safely?

• Target:
  

  • Men 20–50: 1.5x bodyweight
    

  • Women 20–50: 1.0–1.25x bodyweight
    

  • 60+: At least 1.0x BW (both genders)

Picking up your suitcase. Lifting a grandchild. Getting firewood. This movement mimics real life.

2. Squat: Can You Sit and Stand with Ease?

• Target:
  

  • Men 20–39: 1.25–1.5x BW
    

  • Women 20–39: 0.9–1.1x BW
    

  • 40–59: 1.0x BW (men), 0.75x BW (women)
    

  • 60+: Bodyweight squats or 25–50% BW load
    

Losing the ability to squat predicts loss of independence. Chair-to-stand ability is a powerful diagnostic tool in geriatrics.

3. Push-ups / Bench Press: Can You Press Your Own Body Away from the Ground?

• Push-up Minimums:
  

  • Men: 30 (20s), 20 (40s), 10 (60s)
    

  • Women: 20 (20s), 10 (40s), 5 (60s)
    

• Bench Press Minimums:
  

  • Men: 0.75–1.0x BW
    

  • Women: 0.5–0.75x BW
    

Pushing strength helps with posture, injury prevention, and daily tasks like rising from bed or catching yourself from a fall.

4. Pull-ups / Rows: Can You Pull Your Own Bodyweight?

• Pull-up Minimums:
  

  • Men 20–39: 8–10
    

  • Women 20–39: 1–3
    

  • 50+: 1–5 pull-ups or 10+ bodyweight rows

Pulling strength protects your shoulders, boosts grip, and supports healthy posture.

5. Farmer’s Carry: Can You Carry Your Life?

• Standard: Carry 50% of your body weight in each hand for 30 seconds+
  

• Ideal: Carry your full body weight for 60 seconds
  

This is functional: groceries, suitcases, laundry baskets, kids—grip strength + core + total-body resilience.

6. Grip Strength: The Longevity Signal

Grip strength is measured in pounds of force, referring to the amount of force applied by the hand during a grip test—not the weight of an object being held. This is assessed using a handgrip dynamometer, a clinical device you squeeze as hard as possible. The device then reads in kilograms or pounds of force (lbf).

• Minimum Thresholds:
  

  • Men 60+: >57 lbs (26 kg)
    

  • Women 60+: >35 lbs (16 kg)
    

• Young Adults:
  

  • Men: 105–120 lbs
    

  • Women: 65–75 lbs
    

Grip strength is one of the most predictive metrics of all-cause mortality. Lose it, and your risk of everything—falls, frailty, even death—increases.

Bonus: Chair Stand Test for 60+

• Stand from a chair 5 times in under 12 seconds = healthy.
  

• Over 15 seconds = red flag for frailty
  

Real Life Is the True Gym

Strength isn’t about barbells—it’s about function.

• Can you shovel snow without tweaking your back?
  

• Can you move a couch without calling your nephew?
  

• Can you climb stairs with groceries or walk the airport with your carry-on?

If not, strength is what’s missing. And the good news? You don’t need much. Just enough to meet the demands of your life, with a buffer to spare.

How to Build It (and Keep It)

• Train 2–3x per week. Strength is a use-it-or-lose-it deal.
  

• Prioritize compound lifts: squats, deadlifts, presses, rows, carries.
  

• Start light and progress slowly. Consistency wins.
  

• Support it with Zone 2 cardio and good nutrition. Aerobic health and strength are teammates.
  

Don’t Go It Alone: Why Coaching Matters

Good movement builds strength. Bad movement builds problems.

If you're new to strength training—or even if you’ve lifted for years without guidance—working with an expert coach can be the difference between steady progress and frustrating plateaus (or worse, injuries). A knowledgeable coach will teach you how to move well: hinge without hurting your back, squat with proper depth and alignment, press without straining your shoulders, and progressively load in a way that makes sense for your body.

In a well-run gym setting—especially one focusing on functional training or strength development—you’ll gain the confidence to train with intent, avoid common pitfalls, and stay consistent. Look for coaches who emphasize technique first, know how to scale movements to your level, and care more about long-term health than short-term numbers.

It’s not about ego. It’s about education. And the proper guidance can help you build a lifelong foundation of strength—safely, efficiently, and with purpose.

Don’t Chase PRs—Chase Resilience

Longevity isn’t about how strong you are at your peak—it’s about how little you decline.

Having a buffer of strength means you can handle illness, injury, or stress without going into a tailspin. It means that a slight fall doesn’t lead to a hospital bed. It means you can keep showing up for your family, work, and life.

Bottom Line

You need to be strong to be there for your kids, your friends, and yourself.  

Meet the minimums. Maintain the buffer. And live like strength was never your limit.

Struggling with getting started.  Start with your mindset.  Buy my book on Amazon: Fitness First.