Nation,
Strength is relative, especially as we age. Many may or may not know that "ideal" minimum strength poundage amounts for bench, squat, and deadlift are the following: Bench press should be at least 1x body weight, squat should be 1.5x body weight, and deadlift should be 2x bodyweight. These are universally agreed totals that "define" someone who is strong. The higher the multiple of your body weight the stronger you are perceived.
However as we age, our absolute (versus relative) strength is not linear or consistent. It decreases with age as your central nervous system is not as efficient and can't fire as many fibers as when you are younger and the amount and strength of muscle fibers are less than when you are younger. After age 30, this decline begins. Even if you have been training for many years like me, it is still an inevitable part of aging. National powerlifting federations recognize this and there is a coefficient they use to compare relative strength of lifters of different ages. It is called the Malone-Metzer coefficient:
http://www.mastersweightlifting.org/forms/malone.htm
This coefficient takes into consideration the variance in strength as we age. You will see that at age 30 the coefficient is 1. This means if you lift 300Lbs your relative weight total is 300Lbs x 1 = 300Lbs. You will see that for a person aged 44, they have a coefficient of 1.183. This means if they lifted 300Lbs, their relative weight lifted to a 30 year old would be 300Lbs x 1.183 = 355Lbs or for them to lift the same 300Lbs from a relative perspective they have to lift 300Lbs/1.183 = 254Lbs. I post this as many older individuals think they are weaker if they can't lift the exact same weight(s) as they did when they were younger and/or they risk serious injury trying to lift absolute weight amounts to meet certain strength goals.
For instance, I weigh 162Lbs. To meet the accepted minimum strength goals listed above, I should be benching 162Lbs (1 x body weight), squatting 324Lbs (2 x bodyweight) and deadlifting 405Lbs (2.5x bodyweight). Now I can attempt to lift these absolute weights or, by applying the Malone-Metzler coefficient, I need only bench 127 Lbs, squat 255 Lbs, and deadlift 319Lbs. This is because my coefficient is 1.271 (52 years old). If I divide the absolute numbers (162, 324, and 405) by this coefficient, I get the relative weight in relation to someone 30 years old or younger. I can lift a lot more than this relatively but it did put things in perspective for me and helped me reach more realistic strength goals without risking serious injury. I realized that I am just as strong as I was when I was in my 20's even though the absolute weight I am lifting is less.
John
