Give Yourself a New Strength Goal: Join the 1,000-Pound Club (2024)

This is Your Quick Training Tip, a chance to learn how to work smarter in just a few moments so you can get right to your workout.

Every sport has its performance benchmarks. From breaking the 5-minute mile barrier as a runner to speeding through 40 kilometers in less than an hour as a cyclist to completing more than 700 meters in 12 minutes as a swimmer, using these numbers for your goals can take your everyday training to the next level. If you lift weights, there’s no better way to earn bragging rights than to qualify for the 1,000-Pound Club.

Never heard of this elite membership before? Joining its ranks is simple, but far from easy: You must achieve a combined 1RM total of 1,000 pounds in the squat, bench press, and deadlift.

That’s an incredibly impressive amount of weight, which is why hefting it is such an honored strength standard. But if you think it’s beyond your capabilities, you’re wrong. With the right training plan and enough dedication, just about any man can achieve it at just about any age. Indeed, Hugh Jackman became a member of the 1,000-Pound Club at 46 by performing a 355-pound squat, a 235-pound bench press, and a 410-pound deadlift.

Your move: The first step in gaining entry to the 1,000-Pound Club is to assess your current 1RM in the squat, bench press, and deadlift (a.k.a. powerlifting’s “big three” exercises). If that makes you nervous, you can calculate your 1RM using your 3 to 5 rep max—but keep in mind that you’ll ultimately have to perform true 1RM lifts to join the club. Since that's the case, make sure that you have a reliable spotter on hand when you make your attempts.

Once you know how far you have to go to achieve your goal, all you need is a training plan that can help get you there. This workout program from powerlifting champ Hendrick “Superman” Famutimi will put you on the right path.