2024 Strength Goals - 2nd year lifting

[naate]

I started lifting in March of 2023, but I didn’t really have any specific goals. I would like to set some strength goals for 2024, but I’m not really sure what I can expect in my second year of lifting. I’m past the point where I can expect linear progress and I’m aware that this varies a good deal person to person. I’m looking for a range of what someone like me might be able to accomplish + y’all’s experiences in your second year of lifting.

So what are some realistic strength goals for a 140lb, 25 y/o female in their second year of lifting? I’m looking to set goals for my bench, squat, deadlift and possibly overhead press. Also I’m not looking to set weight or muscle size goals - just strength. My current 1 rep maxes are:

Squat 185lb

Deadlift 170lb

Bench 90lb

(and embarrassingly I don’t know my overhead press 1 rep max, probably somewhere between 60-70 lbs)

Let me know if there is any other information that would be helpful.

Also what are y’all’s goals for 2024 and if they’re lifting related - how long have you been lifting for?

 

[sharon_m]

@naate Obviously everyone's different (athletic background! genetics! leverages!) but as someone around the same size as you, my maxes two years in were:

• Squat: 195 lbs. Obviously you are almost there already, so you probably have a lot more potential! (It took me a pretty long time to sort out my squat, fix my depth and find the right stance for me; I was still in the midst of that struggle at that point.) I suspect you would have no trouble breaking 200 lbs this year.
• Bench: 125 lbs. I am not a very strong bencher, so I think this could be pretty realistic for you to achieve!
• Deadlift: 305 lbs. This has always been my outlier lift, so probably not too useful for comparison. I suspect that technique improvements could give you major gains on this one given the ratio to your squat. 225 lbs could be reasonable to aim for.

Also, I was in my mid-30s at that point, so you have the advantage of relative youth on your side.

 

[naate]

@sharon_m Thank you! This is so helpful!

 

[gooddad]

@naate Mine are process goals and I'm also entering year 2.

Go 4x weekly; use my tracking app consistently; do the moves I dislike regularly (I hate lunges!); meet my protein intake goals; get adequate rest.

I figure if I meet the process goals, the outcomes will show.

I get into a habit of doing the lifts I am most confident about, that I enjoy most, and that yield noticeable change the fastest. I need to branch out and move outside my comfort zone.

 

[brokenwings88]

@naate 2023 was my second year of lifting consistently. I’ve had a year that was hectic and now the best in terms of consistency but some nice milestones.

Goals for the year

Squat 215 —> 242
Deadlift 275 —> 290
Bench 121 —> 140

First big goal is crack the 100kg squat in January. We’ve just switched my plan to heavy squatting, and I think it should be relatively easy as my current PR at 97.5 is quite long ago and haven’t tested in a long time.

Also considering to join a proper powerlifting club to focus on it a little more.

 

[naate]

@brokenwings88 Those are awesome goals. Joining a powerlifting club would also be really cool. I might have to consider that when I loose access to the gym at my school in a few years.

 

[brokenwings88]

@naate I’m currently training with a trainer in a small lifting/boxing gym that’s a literal 5 min walk from my flat. But we’re moving in March, so I need to figure out a new routine. My current gym will suddenly be a 30 min bike ride and at that point, I might just take the 30 min car ride to the closest powerlifting team. But I’m very undecided still as I am happy with my trainer.

 

[coltproulx]

@naate I’ve been lifting competitively for 5 years but had to take a year off for an injury. 5’11” at 170lbs/77kg

Deadlift 315>> 355

Squat 240>> 275

Bench 145>> 165

These numbers were based on what I was projected to hit while I was heavily competeing. I wouldn’t focus too much on hitting really high numbers. It’s how I got injured honestly. While recovering I just aimed to see progress. Even if that just meant 5 pounds added on my projected max.

 

[jess]

@coltproulx I agree. Unless you're working with a trainer and are under supervision it's better to set low realistic goals and progress slower.

An injury can change the game forever. You'll wish you had a little less muscle and less pain and suffering too.

Imagine what slow and steady progress does over 5 or 10 years. It's a much better horizon for setting big goals. A year. Well... My yearly goal is to be able to lift the same I did last year, and maybe a little little more.

I am currently benching 165 too. 6-8 reps. But my goal next year isn't more weight but consistently doing 10 reps each set. Still. If I don't then it's okay, as long as I am still training and not injured it's all good.

 

[lucyflor]

@naate No strength goal, just progressively increase weights based on 3x reps to avoid any injury. My goal is "leaner". Leg press 510# 3x10, dumbbell press 70# 3x12 (increasing soon to 40# db set).

 

[jfsurvivor]

@naate I started back in March too! I had 0 experience in the gym, and I freaking love it.

With that said, I started from basically 0. I had lost 40lbs over a year and half doing intermittent fasting, and I lost so much muscle tone. When I started I could barely do 40lbs hip thrusting, and I couldn’t even do 10lbs on Bulgarian split squats. I have a life long knee injury from when I was a kid, so I literally started doing squats last week because I have been terrified of messing my knee up. I’ve been going slow and steady and I am so so so surprised at how strong my knee is.

I just started assisted pull-ups yesterday, so I think my goal for 2024 is to do like 4 in a row. Other than that, my main goal is to actually gain weight this year. I’ve only gained 2lbs since march, but I’ve gone up almost 2 pants sizes and went from an xs in Victoria’s Secret underwear to a large in the cheeky panties

I’m 32, and I’m so fucking mad at myself I didn’t start this 10 years ago. I’m 5’5 and still 124 pounds, but I’ve never had upper body strength in my life and I’ve never ever liked my legs before. Living my best life over here!

 

[jksims]

@naate You can absolutely still expect linear progress in your second year of lifting.

 

[swiftbreeze]

@naate I just started lifting in October (around 2x/week, except for the past week because I was super sick!) and would love if you could share what you think would have been good goals for year one if you could go back.

 

[suzannebea1975]

@naate How are you tracking your current lifting weights?

 

[naate]

@suzannebea1975 I usually just write down what I managed to lift in a spreadsheet. I did however take a weightlifting class in the fall semester and we weren’t allowed to use our phones so I was bad at tracking that (hence Idk my ohp 1rm).

 

[sanctified112]

@naate Congratulations! Those are great goals. I am a 28 year old female who started lifting about a year and half ago. I’m also at the point where the progress is very slow so I wanted to do something different. I had an annual festival that I always go to with my husband and thought it was the perfect excuse to do a 2 month cut. My maintance level is 2000 calories so I decided to consume 1350 calories for two months while eating 120grams of protein. I lost 8 pounds and it was a really fun goal for me. I learned a lot about different foods and honestly it was just great to accomplish it after 2 months and see my body changing. Now I want to bulk a little bit to feel stronger and get a bit bigger.
If you decide to do something like this I highly recommend using MyFitnessPal and taking pictures. Better than weighting yourself is better to have pictures of your progress.

 

[naate]

@sanctified112 Yeah, that does sound like a fun short term goal. I had some issues with weight/food earlier in the year that massively stunted my lifting progress. I guess bodybuilding just isn’t for me. But I did realize that I naturally don’t eat very much protein (I love fruit and veggies but meat and dairy aren’t my go-to) so I way upped my protein intake last year and I would like to try to get 100g per day consistently this year. I just need to find a way to track it that doesn’t also force me to track calories.

 

[ben95]

@naate I love the goals listed here.

Add a pull-up goal to your list. I set a goal when I turned 40 to be able to do 10 strict pull-ups in a row (accomplished!). My goal now, several years later, is to maintain 8 in a row.

 

[iowaboy47]

@ben95 A pull up was my original goal when starting in the gym again this year, I've made zero direct progress cause of the social aspect. There's no assisted machine so I'm just dead hanging there while people

 

[naate]

@iowaboy47 I actually have a pull up bar at home and I highly recommend it! It attaches to a door frame and then whenever I walk under the door I try to do a pull up. I got my first pull up this year and I can do a couple of cheat pull ups (where I start on the floor and jump into them). Your gym may have resistance bands that you can use to do assisted pull ups too.