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Other/Mixed What are your personal benchmarks?

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Other strength modalities (e.g., Clubs), mixed strength modalities (e.g., combined kettlebell and barbell), other goals (flexibility)
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Every once in a while I will perform a workout with the intention of testing myself to see my progress. I have quite a few that benchmark different aspects for me. I was wondering what workouts or tests you're using to benchmark your goals. Here are mine, I focus on different ones at different times but want all of them to slowly improve over time:
  1. 5k Run
  2. 3 Rounds (21-15-9) Double KB Snatch + Burpee
  3. Max Reps Pull-Up
  4. Max Clean & Jerk
 
Barbell Deadlift 1RM at a meet.

Kettlebell Military Press 1RM in my basement.

I have to say that nothing much else in the way of fitness benchmarks matters to me. The rest of my exercise time is devoted to being healthy - breath training, walk, stretch.

-S-
 
MattM said:
Crossfitter in the house
Click to expand...
I actually don't personally like crossfit but there is something about 21-15-9 for power endurance work that hits the nail on the head better for me than RPM work.
 
My benchmarks are not so much "max" (weight/reps), but instead, how it feels to do something I've done many, many times before. For me, those are:

1) S&S session w/ 24kg swings and get-ups
2) 33 mile road bike ride
4) Rodney Yee's "Power Yoga" DVD​

And although I haven't done it nearly as many times as those above, I guess I would have to add:

4) 5-min snatch (max reps) with 16kg.​
 
I would love to hit a few benchmarks with the 24 kg

100 snatches in 5 min
Military Press with each arm 5 times
1x tactical pull up
1x pistol on each side
 
The "Grey Badger" [for old guys]: Pistol, one arm overhead press, pull-up; with the 32kg KB.
 
I due to my goals, I try to stick to relative strength and explosive strength for my Long term benchmarks.
  • Broadjump
  • Vertical Jump
  • 100 y/m sprint
  • Max Pullups
  • Farmers Walk or Bear hug sandbag carry
I used to have snatch test in there, but I feel like so much of that is whether I've kept my hand conditioned to take the abuse.
 
Benchmark: Something that can be used as a way to judge the quality or level of other similar things.

If I can do solid, pain free goblet squats, floor press/arm bar/get up, two hand swings, and bottoms up presses in my warm up I know I am ready to train heavy. If not I will try to stretch the problem areas, and retest. If I am still tight,sore, and just cannot get warmed up in less than thirty minutes I will adjust my training by feel accordingly. I will substitute a lighter day, variety/tinker day, accessory/partial/weak point day, or walking/yoga class. Then train as usual if I am ready the next day.

I train for play, function, challenge, mental health, and strength. I do not train to hit some arbitrary number, or to compete with anyone but myself. I cannot afford to get injured.

I spent many years competing in a strength sport, and I learned some very valuable lessons. I am almost 35, not 18 anymore.
 
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My long-term benchmarks for the first 2.5 years of my strength-training life used to be:
Max Deadlift, standing long jump and vertical jump (and for the last of those 2.5 years - max velocity in 102.5kg parallel box squat)

Since I'm somewhat detail oriented I started treating these benchmarks as the goals of my training and lost perspective of my original goal (to paraphrase Dan John, I stopped keeping the goal the goal....). My original goal was to become a better beach volleyball player, but striving to improve on those benchmarks left me to tired to play well. I jumped higher during testing, but could not translate it on the sand. Sure, after deload weeks I played great, but since most of the time I was loading...

Since I have this annoying tendency to turn benchmarks into goals I changed both.
These are:
  • Be happy
  • Move well and pain free
  • Full ROM of unloaded overhead position with both arm
  • Play beach volleyball better - play should flow, empower my partner, control the match
  • Finish warmup (+ correctives) in under 10 minutes
  • Finish strength practice session feeling stronger than I have started

The main thing I learned the past six month (through the great help of Gray Cook, Pavel and Dan John) is the value of QUALITY over quantity, so I set my goals/benchmarks accordingly.

I do test my DL and vertical jump, and strive to increase my strength and control in all the lifts, I just look at these in different perspective lately...

EDIT: I think only my first goal is the real goal, all the other stuff are just derivatives... ;)
 
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