[bulls**t]

I am interested in finding optimal strength ratios for planes of motion.

Now before everyone starts with "its different for each person", let me say that you are right.
But let me also say that if you are benching 350 and rowing 100, you can look forward to an injury.

I realize that this will be difficult to figure for certain planes and compound movements, but its a good place to start for a healthy well rounded regiment.

Muscular imbalance leads to injury, so lets get balanced.

Any ideas?

[xcendo]

At the most advanced level, here's a ratio I would strive towards:

2.5*bodyweight deadlift : 2*bw squat : 1.5*bw bench : 1.5*bw clean : 1.25*bw snatch : 1*bw mil. press : +bw weighted pullup

Give this article a read: http://www.crossfitnorth.com/article..._Standards.pdf

You can skip ahead to pages 11 and 12 if you want to see the progression of standards laid out for you on a chart.

[bulls**t]

That actually helps, thank you.
Where do you feel that would leave us in terms of ratios for single joint movements, ie elbow extension/ flexion etc?

And what do you think would be a ratio for an upper body sagittal pull ?

[xcendo]

Along the ratio of the weight targets I gave, I'd put arm curl movements around 0.85*bw. Just estimated that from some average strength surveys I found at Average . Can't tell you how accurate they are, but their bench/squat ratios seemed about in line with Crossfit and what strength trainers suggest.

Is single joint strength that important, though? I've always considered single joint elbow flexion-type movements good for nothing but isolated mass. Compound movements like the ones above are much better benchmarks for strength.

As far as rowing-type movements, I really don't know. Should be in a similar neighborhood of the weighted pullup ratio, though.