"How strong is strong enough?"
That's a question I often hear from patients and clients - and honestly, it's one I've struggled to answer until recently.
On a recent solo episode of the CAIRN Strength Podcast, I realized that answering this question isn't about hitting a specific number - it's about building your body's capacity before life pulls the rug out.
✅ Start by Defining "Too Weak"
Instead of chasing an arbitrary strength target, I encourage people to begin by asking: What does "too weak" look like?
- Simple functional tests - like the 30-second sit-to-stand or whether you can rise from a chair or bed without using your arms - are great benchmarks.
- If everyday tasks - like getting out of bed, standing up from a chair, or stepping into the bathtub - start to feel challenging or require assistance, it's a clear sign that your strength has declined and you're running dangerously low on physical capacity.
- Once you pinpoint that baseline, the message becomes clear: get stronger from here.
💪 My Two Stories of Strength and Frailty
I've seen this play out in real life, twice over:
- One of my clients in his 80s dedicated himself to strength training - eventually deadlifting around 170 lbs for reps. When he suffered a hemorrhagic stroke and spent months immobilized, his strength paid off. His body rebounded faster, surprised therapists, and amazed his family.
- My dad, once an active firefighter, became more sedentary after an injury and surgery in his 50s. Decades later, he fell down a flight of stairs and broke his hip, shoulder, and wrist. His recovery has been slow, largely because he didn't have a robust strength base to support it.
I often compare these scenarios to flying an airplane. If you're flying at 10,000 feet - with a strong baseline - you can handle unexpected turbulence. But if you're only 500 feet off the ground, there's little margin for error.
🎯 Strength as Your Safety Net
So when someone asks me, "How strong is strong enough?" my answer is simple:
- "As strong as you possibly can be," within your time, resources, and access to coaching or equipment.
- Because strength isn't just about lifting. It's about resilience
- Strong muscles support bone health, balance, and even cardiovascular fitness.
- If you face illness or injury - stroke, fracture, heart event - your body can bounce back more effectively.
- Strength helps you maintain independence and reduces the burden on those who care about you.
🔄 My Practical Takeaways
- Start with functional tests - chair rises, stair climbs.
- Progressively lift heavier weights - this is how strength grows.
- Start now - it's never too early or too late.
- Track your progress - monitor reps, load, milestones.
- Think long-term - treat strength as your personal insurance policy.
🧭 Wrapping It Up
Here's where I land:
- Don't aim for "just enough."
- Aim to be as strong as you can be.
Because life is unpredictable. Setbacks happen, but if we build a strong foundation now, we give ourselves the best chance to recover.
