The bench press is often considered a measure of upper body strength. Though this standard may be faulty, it nonetheless is used by many people as a way to assess their strength. Though most weightlifters are 20 or older, many teenagers and younger people also lift weights. So, how much does a 15-year-old boy have to bench press to gain bragging rights?
Bench Press
To perform a bench press, lie on your back on a bench with a barbell in your hands or on the rack above you. Position the weight over your chest with your hands shoulder width apart, palms facing up. Push the weight up until your arms are straight, then lower it back down. The bench press works several major muscle groups but specifically targets the chest muscles.
One Rep Max
The amount of weight you can bench press depends on how many repetitions, or reps, you plan on doing. Your one-rep max simply means the most amount of weight you can possibly press if you do only one rep. Formulas for predicting your one-rep max rely on your body weight. The average 15-year-old boy weighs about 150 lbs. According to strength standards from Washington University, citing the book "Mass!" by Robert Kennedy and Dennis B. Weis, he should, as a beginning weightlifter, set a goal of about 186 lbs. for one rep.
Other Factors
In reality, there isn't a single weight that a 15-year-old boy should be able to bench press. There are simply too many other factors affecting your performance. For example, your bench pressing abilities depend in part on your height, weight, and the length of your arms. A boy with longer arms will have a harder time pressing as much as a similarly sized boy with shorter arms. How long you've been lifting will also affect your performance a great deal.
Other Strength Tests
Alhough the bench press may be the most bragged-about weightlifting strength test, there are several other popular lifts that are used to assess strength. Pushups are another chest exercise often used as a test. For leg strength, the squat and leg press may be used. Pullups, deadlifts and bent-over rows are back exercises. Shoulder presses, dips and bicep curls can help evaluate the strength of your shoulders, triceps and biceps respectively.
References
- TNation; Are You Strong?; Tim Henriques; May 9, 2007
- Washingon University; Strength Standards; Troy Allen Cross; 1991
- CDC; Mean Body Weight, Height, and Body Mass Index, United States1960--2002; Cynthia L. Ogden, Ph.D.; October 2004
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