What to Shoot For
Might as well set the bar high.
I’ve realized a critical error in training. I have not defined standards to perform by. I have at least several standards for several movements; mostly body weight:
1) Pullups: A legit rep is performed so the chest reaches the bar. Higher is better. Lower is unacceptable.
2) Pushups: The body is kept rigid and chest hits the floor. Any snaking or sagging and it doesn’t count.
3) Squats: At the bottom the hips are parallel or slightly below parallel with the knees. At the top the hips fully extend.
The examples above are nothing new. They’ve been talked about and have evolved from other groups raising the bar, I’ve accepted them as standards I train by. They’ve been proven to be superior movements and I’ve seen them pay off.
Despite these, I still have not defined strength standards for other movements (bench press, deadlift, back/front squat). Without these benchmarks I have no idea where my abilities stand. Even with the body weight examples I gave, I have no set max effort or max repetition for any of those movements.
I don’t currently play any sports nor was I ever involved with serious competition for a long term. I’ve never experienced formal physical fitness testing or program to improve physical abilities in any predetermined areas. Despite this I’ve still managed to progress my training with new methods and better structure. At some point each training program becomes stagnant and needs to be changed. The change I need to make right now is to train with some emphasis on standards.
