Evaluation of Maximum Muscular Strength

Muscular strength is measured as how much weight your muscles can move at one time. Knowing your maximum muscular strength can be used to design safe and effective resistance training workouts. There is no single test to evaluate whole-body muscular strength; rather, there are a variety of tests that can be used to measure maximum strength of specific muscle groups.

  1. Bench Press

    • The bench press one-repetition maximum test is used to evaluate your upper body strength. For this test, you will lie on your back on a bench under the bench press bar, so that you can grab the bar with your arms fully-extended and shoulder-width apart. Lower the bar down until it touches your chest and then push the bar straight up until your arms are fully extended. Start with a weight that you are confident is less than your maximum, and repeat the lift until you reach your maximum weight, resting one to three minutes between lifts.

    Hand Grip

    • The grip strength test is a safe and effective way to evaluate the strength of your hands and forearms. A piece of equipment called a dynamometer is used to measure grip strength. A dynamometer is similar to a gas pump. You hold the dynamometer in one hand and squeeze the pump as hard as you can for two to three seconds. This measures the grip strength of one hand, and the test is repeated for the other hand. The measures from each hand are added together to estimate overall hand and forearm strength.

    Back Squat

    • The back squat one-rep max test is used to evaluate lower body strength, specifically your hamstrings and quadriceps. The back squat text can be performed using free weights or an exercise machine. Adjust the bar so that it rests on your shoulders behind your neck when you bend your knees slightly. Position the bar on your shoulders with your knees slightly bent and your feet positioned 6 inches in front of your shoulders. Grip the bar just outside your shoulders and lower your body until your legs are at a 90-degree angle and extend your legs to return to starting position.

    Leg Press

    • Your ability to complete the back squat one repetition maximum test can be limited by your balance and hamstring flexibility and strength. If you have poor hamstring strength or flexibility, the one-rep max leg press is an alternative to test lower body strength. The leg press primarily engages the quadriceps and can be performed on either a free-weight hip sled or a leg press machine. To perform a leg press, sit with your feet on the platform shoulder-width apart with your legs bent at a 90-degree angle. You will then push your feet so that your legs straighten almost completely.

    Safety

    • One-rep max testing is not safe for novice weight lifters. In any case, one-rep max testing should be performed with a trainer or responsible spotter. Machines are safer to use than free weights, and if one-rep max testing is not right for you, a trainer can provide other means to test your maximum muscular strength.