At its core, being a gym bro means lifting heavy and looking good while doing it. And now, the Renaissance Periodization YouTube channel has created the ‘Official Gym Bro Strength Standard’ test to help gym bros measure their progress, offering benchmarks for this training approach.

These strength standards are aimed at experienced lifters who have been training for years, with Dr Mike Israetel, Jesse James West, and Jared Feather putting themselves through the strength test in a recent video.

‘Folks, we are taking the gym bro strength challenge,’ Israetel says. ‘Forget about your lower body. Today is vanity only.’

It’s a test that consists of three exercises: pull-ups, close-grip incline bench press, and lateral raises. The strength standards set by the trio remain the same across all three exercises, although the weights vary.

Of course, these standards are supposed to be a bit of fun – the fact that they’re named after medieval social classes should give you a good idea of how seriously to take them. However, they could be a fun way to challenge yourself if you’re looking for a break from your usual gym routine.

Beggar: 0-4 reps

Peasant: 5-11 reps

Warrior: 12-19 reps

King: 20-29 reps

God: 30+ reps

While gym bros often care more about moving heavy weights than using strict technique, Dr Mike ensures there are rules in place for all three exercises to make it possible to compare your performance with that of other lifters.

Pull-Up

For pull-ups, you have to maintain strict form by fully extending your arms at the bottom of each rep and briefly dead hanging before getting your chin over the bar. Limited momentum is also a requirement.

‘You can do them neutral grip, you can do them underhand grip, you can do them overhand – but that’s too hard and gym bros don’t do that,’ he jokes. ‘I’m trying to figure out if I’m going to be stronger at neutral or underhand. Underhand, I have a chance at more reps. Neutral, it’s tough. But because we are RP and we do a little science, there is a technique standardisation.’

Close-Grip Incline Bench Press

The close-grip incline bench press, meanwhile, is heavy. 84kg to be exact.

‘You have to be as close in with your grip as is just barely possible for you to touch your chest,’ Israetel says. ‘For many people that’s going to be right on the knurling, but for the bigger folks that are going to take this test, that’s going to be impossible. So, as close as you can get to make sure you’re still touching. Any closer, the bar wouldn’t touch. Any wider and you have extra room.

‘You have to pause at the bottom – it doesn’t have to be forever, but just a momentary pause to show that it has occurred. Full lockouts only. Those are the only rules.’

Lateral Raise

Dr Mike uses a pair of 25-pound dumbbells – around 11kg – for the lateral raise test, challenging each person to lift the weight until their arms are just above parallel. Add in a little pause to prove you’re strong enough to hold them there without using momentum.

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Ryan is a Senior Writer at Men’s Health UK with a passion for storytelling, health and fitness. Having graduated from Cardiff University in 2020, and later obtaining his NCTJ qualification, Ryan started his career as a Trainee News Writer for sports titles Golf Monthly, Cycling Weekly and Rugby World before progressing to Staff Writer and subsequently Senior Writer with football magazine FourFourTwo.

During his two-and-a-half years there he wrote news stories for the website and features for the magazine, while he also interviewed names such as Les Ferdinand, Ally McCoist, Jamie Redknapp and Antonio Rudiger, among many others. His standout memory, though, came when getting the opportunity to speak to then-Plymouth Argyle manager Steven Schumacher as the club won League One in 2023.

Having grown up a keen footballer and playing for his boyhood side until the age of 16, Ryan got the opportunity to represent Northern Ireland national futsal team eight times, scoring three goals against England, Scotland and Gibraltar. Now past his peak, Ryan prefers to mix weightlifting with running – he achieved a marathon PB of 3:31:49 at Manchester in April 2025, but credits the heat for failing to get below the coveted 3:30 mark…

You can follow Ryan on Instagram @ryan.dabbs or on X @ryandabbs_