“How much do you bench?” Feel like you’ve gotten that question a lot lately? If you have, its probably an indicator that all those grueling hours in the gym are paying off. So, good job, props to you. However, its also a phrase that irks me. It can come off like a compliment, but it can also come off like a amateur question that gets offensive after hearing it one too many times. Over the years, I’ve tended to find that more often than not, it’s the latter. The reality is, “how much you can bench” really doesn’t add up to much. Sure, if your strength training to improve your one rep max for a competition or your own pride it might, but for majority of the bodybuilding crowd and most athletes, “how much you can bench” is no real reflection on anything other than the size and strength of your ego. So many other movements can be better gauges of true strength and power.  Plus, the bench press is only fair measure of chest strength and secondarily shoulders and triceps—what about back and biceps? What about your legs? Moreover, there are so many variables that go into an individual’s ability to bench press (i.e. one’s range of motion, arm length, form, etc.) that it becomes more about genetics and technique than about strength. The squat and deadlift are much better measures of overall strength as they use practically every muscle fiber when performing the lift. Additionally, those two exercises activate much more of the core muscles, which is indicative of power, stability, and strength.

Alternatively, I prefer to measure power and strength, not on an overall scale, but by individual body parts through movements that target that particular area of the body. For instance, if I want to know how strong my mid deltoids truly are, the fact that I can bench press 315 lbs doesn’t do anything to indicate the strength or weakness of that particular body part. Rather, by hitting mid delts directly with dumbbell side lateral raises, I’ll have a better idea of how strong or weak I really am. Its important to remember that strength is a relative term and so are the gauges we choose. So, the next time someone shallowly asks you how much you can bench, politely counter with a response that more accurately depicts your true strength.