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Barbell Park bench program advice

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Why do those particular numbers matter?

Ex-strongman Alan Thrall had an interesting video on this, and he's well under 50:

I'm a fan of Alan Thrall and I like this video! He's looking great and very healthy and balanced, compared to when his numbers were higher. This very much underscores his point... maintaining adequate training balance, good habits, consistency, and pushing yourself are what's important in the long run. The actual numbers aren't that important if you're not competing. However... note that even though is numbers may be "lower" for him, he's still lifting a LOT of weight and is very strong.
 
It's based on the *minimum* standards for men that should be achievable for nearly all. And even then I've diluted them slightly based on my present numbers.
It's my SMART goal with particular emphasis on the "realistic" :)

Oh, I'm aware of where the numbers come from.

I'm always curious why people think they're particularly meaningful, or chose those particular metrics as targets.

There are many ways to measure fitness, or, for that matter, strength.

Who is fitter and stronger, the guy who can deadlift 2x bodyweight, or the guy who can do 10 pullups?
 
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Who is fitter and stronger, the guy who can deadlift 2x bodyweight, or the guy who can do 10 pullups?
As someone who can do neither I say it's like the watches debate now... You can buy one Rolex or 10 high end Seiko's.. which is best value? Both fulfill their purpose of timekeeping, looking good, making you feel better. I choose an Omega personally.
 
Who is fitter and stronger, the guy who can deadlift 2x bodyweight, or the guy who can do 10 pullups?
And for a serious answer, I’ll pick the 2x bodyweight deadlifter. I’ve been able to do both for a long time, and perhaps my personal experience biases me.

-S-
 
I have found the best programs to be one you will commit to and adapt to your needs as needed. Sometime what works for you isn't the same as what works for everyone else. For your situation, perhaps bench 2x a week and alternate deadlifts and squats. Add curls for the girls to one day and OHP the other day as an accessory and do some L-sit chin ups on both days. One day grease the groove style and one day 3x to failure.
Choose appropriate loading schemes and rep ranges of course for the barbell work. As much fun as kettlebells are I find them to be a lot more difficult to use as a basis for progressive change. I like to do them, it's fun, but the barbell lends itself to easier programming in my humble opinion.
 
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