Blog · 31 August 2026
Strength standards based on your bodyweight
You've probably seen those charts online: bench X times your bodyweight to be 'elite,' deadlift double bodyweight to be a real man, that kind of thing. Most of them are built for guys who train five days a week and don't have a toddler standing on their chest at 6am. Here's a saner version, built around movements you can actually do at home.
Why bodyweight is the right yardstick
Absolute numbers don't mean much on their own. A 250-pound guy who deadlifts 300 pounds and a 160-pound guy who deadlifts 300 pounds are in very different places, even though the bar weighs the same. Scaling to bodyweight lets you compare fairly and, more usefully, lets you track your own progress as your weight changes.
This matters more for dads than it did in your twenties, because your bodyweight probably isn't static. Cut some fat, gain some muscle, whatever - the ratio still tells you something honest about where you stand.
Rough standards for the main lifts
These are ballpark numbers for a healthy adult man with a few months of consistent training, not a powerlifter's max chart. Think of 'decent' as solid, 'good' as strong for a busy guy, and don't worry about 'elite' unless lifting heavy things is your whole personality.
- Push-ups: decent is 20 in a row, good is 35+, done with a straight body and full range
- Pull-ups or chin-ups: decent is 5 strict reps, good is 10+
- Goblet squat: decent is holding half your bodyweight for 8 reps, good is your full bodyweight
- Romanian deadlift: decent is your bodyweight for 8 clean reps, good is 1.25x bodyweight
- Seated dumbbell press: decent is a quarter of your bodyweight per hand for 8 reps, good is a third
Where most dads actually land
If you're doing 10 push-ups and one shaky pull-up right now, that's not a failure, that's just a starting point. Most men who've had a few years away from regular training sit well below the 'decent' line on most of these, especially pull-ups, which nobody does casually.
The gap between where you are and 'decent' usually closes faster than people expect once you're training twice a week consistently. Six to ten weeks of showing up gets most guys from shaky to solid on push-ups and squats. Pull-ups take longer because grip and back strength lag behind everything else.
How to actually test yourself
Don't max out cold. Warm up with a few easy sets first, then test on a day you feel normal, not wrecked from a bad night's sleep. For reps-based lifts like push-ups, stop the set the moment your form breaks down, not when your arms finally give out. A sloppy rep doesn't count and it's not worth tweaking a shoulder to prove a point.
Retest every 6 to 8 weeks, same lifts, same rough conditions. That's often enough to notice real change without turning every session into a test.
What to do with the number
The point of a standard isn't to chase a number for its own sake, it's to give you a direction. If your push-ups are strong but your pull-ups are nowhere, that tells you where to put your effort for the next couple of months. If everything's roughly balanced, you're probably in decent shape for a guy juggling a job and a family.
If you want a simple plan built around exactly these lifts instead of guessing at your own program, there's a guide for that.
Common questions
›What is a good bench press for my bodyweight?
A rough decent standard is pressing your own bodyweight for a few reps, with good being around 1.25x bodyweight. Most dads training at home don't have a barbell bench though, so a seated dumbbell press or push-ups are a fair substitute to track the same kind of progress.
›How many push-ups should a 40 year old man be able to do?
Twenty clean reps in a row is a solid decent standard at any age, including your forties. Age matters less than consistency, guys in their 50s who train regularly often outdo guys in their 20s who don't.
›Is bodyweight strength enough or do I need weights?
Bodyweight work will get you to a genuinely strong baseline, especially for push-ups and pull-ups. To keep progressing past that point, adding load through dumbbells or a squat rack helps, since bodyweight moves eventually stop getting harder on their own.
The kit
All gear →Adjustable dumbbell pair ↗
One pair replaces a rack. The single best purchase for a garage or spare-corner setup.
Loop resistance band set ↗
Under 20 bucks, fits in a drawer, covers warm-ups, rows and assistance work.
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Put it into practice
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