How strong should an adventure athlete be?

By Ryan Humphries
Co-Owner/Founder: Axistence

​The question of “How strong is strong enough?” always comes with more questions…

What’s your goal? Are you a first responder? Are you training for a fitness competition? Are you a professional athlete? Are you a daily gym-goer who wants to be strong and look better naked? How are you measuring your strength? Barbells? Kettlebells? Bodyweight?

​At Axistence, we use many tools to improve our members’ strength and conditioning, and each one of them comes with their own set of “Strength Standards”. These standards were created for those who want to be strong and adventurous for as many years as possible. If that sounds like you, then keep reading.

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While conditioning is critical to a well-rounded fitness program, this article will specifically focus on STRENGTH. In the adventure world, strength is often overlooked. Why spend time in the gym when you could be on the mountain right? Well, if you’d like to be fit enough to continue your adventures into your golden years, a few days per week in the gym could pay dividends in the long run.

Strength is a skill that we should practice until the day we die.

Disclaimer #1. While there are plenty of adventurous humans that don’t work out, and that’s cool, this article isn’t about them. It’s written for those individuals who, in addition to their outdoor pursuits, are also in the gym trying to become stronger versions of themselves. If you want to live a strong and adventurous life (as well as look better naked) I would recommend that you follow a total body strength and conditioning plan.
 
Arguably, the three lifts that can increase strength the most are variations of the Bench Press, the Deadlift, and the Squat, aka the “Power Lifts”.

While there are plenty of lifts that we could test, I’ve chosen these three for a few reasons:

1. We have more data on them than any other exercises.
2. These lifts (and variations of them) are in some way accessible to nearly everyone.
3. For over 15 years, I’ve used these lifts with my students to deliver impressive results.

Disclaimer #2: If you are a competitive powerlifter, the numbers that follow will not necessarily be impressive. They’re not meant to be. This data is intended to help you know where you stand now, and if indeed you need to improve upon anything. It’s to give you something to shoot for, as well as make you feel good if you’re already there. If you can hit all these numbers, great! There should be nothing (strength-wise) stopping you from living an adventurous life. If you’re not there yet, well, now you have some things you can shoot for :) 

​Anytime I’ve written about strength standards in the past, here’s what happens. The veteran gym-goers see them and say, “That’s lightweight”. Then the newbies look at them and say, “You want me to lift what?!?!”

Here’s the reality. You don’t need to lift double your bodyweight to have a long healthy life, but you DO need to possess a certain level of strength. 

Some folks will always opt for the minimal effective dose while others will always strive for the max. I’m going to share what I believe to be the OPTIMAL EFFECTIVE DOSE for the “Adventure Athlete”. These are numbers that should be achievable for nearly everyone who’s dedicating time and energy to them.

Disclaimer #3: Because biology exists, and we’re all individuals, we need to lay some ground rules. A woman in her 70s shouldn’t expect to lift as much as a man in his 30s, just like a 120lb human also shouldn’t expect to lift as much as a 200lb human. This is the reason that we have weight and gender classes in sports. Are there exceptions to this rule? Yes. They are exceptions, they are NOT the rule. This specific chart will focus on men and women aged 30ish to 50ish.
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Disclaimer #4: This chart is based on body weight. Mass moves mass, and the heavier someone is, the more weight they can typically move. 
With all that out of the way, let’s talk about what kind of numbers you should be shooting for in the gym. 

The “Trailblazer in Training” This is the “bare minimum” you should be able to hit if you want to live an active lifestyle. Starting from scratch, and barring any injuries, after training consistently for six months, just about everyone should be capable of hitting these numbers.

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​The “Explorer" This is someone who’s been training consistently between six months and three years. Hitting these numbers will put you into about the top 50% of humans as far as strength goes. This means that you’ll be stronger than half of the people your age. It also means you’re becoming more of an asset than a liability :)

​The “Adventure Athlete” This is what I consider to be the “Optimal Effective Dose”. If you can hit these numbers (usually within about 3 years of training) congratulations! If someone gets injured, you’re probably strong enough to carry them and/or their gear without getting wrecked yourself. Adventure Athletes are stronger than about 80% of their counterparts who aren’t working out. At this point, you can consider yourself strong enough for nearly any real life strength-based scenario.

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​The “Expedition Leader” This is the someone who’s not only met the optimal effective dose, but they can now hit those numbers for at least 10 solid reps. These are typically folks that have been training for at least 4 years regularly, and barring any injuries. These athletes are not just strong, they’re also well-conditioned.

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​The “Strength-Biased Adventurer” is the gym aficionado who’s probably spent just as much, if not more time in the gym as they have in the backcountry. This small percentage of the population has trained well beyond what they need to be strong. However, they LOVE strength training and continue to improve their lifts.

At the end of the day, your strength should serve your adventures, not sideline them. Whether you’re just getting started or you’ve been training for years, these benchmarks are here to help guide your progress and keep you resilient for the long haul. Remember, you may get hurt on the mountain but you shouldn't get hurt training for the mountain. Stay consistent, train smartly, and don't forget to have a little fun along the way.