How strength is tested around the world

For nearly half a century, the bench press has served as a standard measure of physical strength across various parts of the globe. This practice highlights how certain exercises become universally recognized benchmarks for fitness and athletic capability.

According to Conor Heffernan, a professor of sports and physical culture history at the University of Ulster in Ireland and author of When Fitness Went Global, the question "How much do you bench?" has endured as a primary inquiry into an individual's strength levels for decades.