T Nation

How Strong Were You Untrained?

Bodybuilding
#1

The thread about the guy who took his girlfriend into the gym for the first time inspired this thread.

Before you even touched a weight, how strong were you?

This is obviously gonna be difficult to prove because, even if you give video evidence to back up your feats, how do we know it was when you were ‘untrained’?

Just be honest.

I’ll start: as a completely untrained 14-16 year old kid, I could do a one arm press up the first time I tried it and 30 dead hang overhand pullups the first time I tried the exercise. I was a pretty lean kid though, so I’m not sure if it counts, as bodyweight movements are a pretty poor indication of strength, or even relative strength.

I would struggle even do this now (after some years of training), even though I’ve got stronger at weighted chin ups, probably due to increased body mass.

Over to you, how strong were you untrained - and this obviously isn’t limited to bodyweight exercise - eg. did any of you beasts squat a2g 500lbs the first time you trained legs?

Rippetoe's 'Conditioning is a Sham' Article
#2

[quote]alternate wrote:
30 dead hang overhand pullups the first time I tried the exercise[/quote]

I made an account just to call bullshit on this.

#3

8th grade was the first time I ever touched a weight (13 years old). I couldn’t bench the bar all the way to my chest. I was 5 ft 5 and 160 lbs, a huge fatty. When I started lifting for sports (started my lifting “career”) summer before sophomore year of high school (15 years old) i remember not being able to squat 65 lbs more then a few reps, though a big part of that was because I had zero flexibility and would fall over.

#4

[quote]alternate wrote:
30 dead hang overhand pullups the first time I tried the exercise.[/quote]

No.

#5

Benching 135 was always easy for me, 185x3 was probably where I started. I was a fat kid though. I think I squatted 225 for 5 to a couple inches above parallel, and I didn’t deadlift. Was about 16 and didn’t know what the fuck I was doing. Could do 1 chinup if I used a little swing.

#6

[quote]alternate wrote:
Just be honest.

I’ll start: as a completely untrained 14-16 year old kid, I could do a one arm press up the first time I tried it and 30 dead hang overhand pullups the first time I tried the exercise. [/quote]

These two sentences contradict each other.

#7

I think I could do 145 bench for one rep or 135 for four, couldn’t do a pull up, absolutely sucked at squat(maybe 115 for 10 reps) and could deadlift 225 at least 10 times I believe.

#8

[quote]Consul wrote:

[quote]alternate wrote:
Just be honest.

I’ll start: as a completely untrained 14-16 year old kid, I could do a one arm press up the first time I tried it and 30 dead hang overhand pullups the first time I tried the exercise. [/quote]

These two sentences contradict each other.
[/quote]

even a kid can work out that kipping whilst doing chin-ups is cheating.

Or a person doing 30 pullups should do more than 1 one arm press up? My back was always stronger than my chest.

Yolo, this thread ain’t gonna work if people call bullshit, because, as I have mentioned, there is no way to prove anything.

But then again, your hobby seems to be going into each of my threads (and maybe not only my threads) - and calling bullshit on everything in the world.

#9

[quote]alternate wrote:
Yolo, this thread ain’t gonna work if people call bullshit, because, as I have mentioned, there is no way to prove anything.
[/quote]

You didn’t do 30 dead hang over hand pullups the first time you ever tried. Simple.

Yet another BS thread from you, this time you are intentionally lying/ trolling again.

#10

[quote]yolo84 wrote:

[quote]alternate wrote:
Yolo, this thread ain’t gonna work if people call bullshit, because, as I have mentioned, there is no way to prove anything.
[/quote]

You didn’t do 30 dead hang over hand pullups the first time you ever tried. Simple.

Yet another BS thread from you, this time you are intentionally lying/ trolling again.[/quote]

Agreed, that is bullshit.

#11

Goddammit I didn’t see the username before I posted.

#12

When I was much much heavier (154-156 pounds) I could bench 135 for multiple reps the very first time I ever benched. (still didn’t get into actually lifting weights until a while later)

#13

I was weaker than shit and small boned. I think at 18 I could max bench 135 and not even squat that.

#14

[quote]alternate wrote:
Just be honest.

I’ll start: as a completely untrained 14-16 year old kid, I could do a one arm press up the first time I tried it and 30 dead hang overhand pullups the first time I tried the exercise.[/quote]

You say you can’t do this now due to bodyweight gain, but what CAN you do now? A person who managed to do these two things the first time they ever trained would be pretty strong now for sure.

On topic: I think I could bench 40kg (88) for 8-10 and maybe 60kg (132) for 1 or 2. I box squatted 100kg-110kg (220-243) to probably 2-3 inches above parallel and didn’t deadlift for about 6 months but could easily get 140kg (309) the first time I tried. I’m fairly sure I struggled with pullups and could get 1 or two bodyweight and neutral grip.

#15

I remember I could bb bench 40kg, don’t remember exactly but it was around 10 reps (I was almost 14).

#16

I was over 6 feet tall 140lbs and could do up to 10 chins but couldnt deadlift anymore than 60k, YALDI.

#17

I remember curling 5lbs endlessly and thinking I was tough. :smiley:

#18

[quote]krazykoukides wrote:
I remember curling 5lbs endlessly and thinking I was tough. :D[/quote]

thats still me

#19

I remember in 7th grade when I weighed about 120 or so I could only bench 75 pounds for 1 rep and squat 135 for 1…It makes you feel better when you look at where you were when you first started and where you are now

#20

I remember in Grade 9 being unable to bench 95 pounds… not sure what I could bench though but less than that anyway.