I actually started training with the intention of being able to roll with the strong dudes in MMA, along the lines of "strength but no size" power lift style. Aka, squats, pulls, handstand push ups and little else.

Eventually, it stopped working, so I decided to get bigger. That helped a lot. Then it stopped, so I started throwing in more bodybuilding style (doggcrapp, which is really power training using rest pause on bodybuilding style exercises), which in turn seemed to make me both stronger and bigger. My latest kick (as of 3 weeks ago) is running (or, presently, shuffling along quickly), because over the years I've been strength training, I'd only occasionally torment myself with interval training, and being 210 and in crappy cardio shape is no fun. Being 200+ with a 7 minute mile (which I did as a cigarette smoking 125lb 15 year old) would be epic. I'd be like a bull.

I used to be more of a "dogged determination" kind of guy, but I'm finding now that change is good; you can make huge gains, and they carry over. I'll probably never go back to MMA, as I'm too old, and the injuries the old guys would suffer look like no fun to me. Mostly, it's about being superhuman in as many dimensions as possible. Like Socrates said, "No citizen has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training.... What a disgrace it is for a man to grow old without ever seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable."

Besides functional and balanced strength from all angles I also want the stamina and wind to use that strength. I want my body to be able for action or play at a moments notice without breaking down too quickly. I especially want to compensate and slow the ravages of aging. I've increased my strength every year for the last 20 years.

I like to think in terms of relative strength. How strong can I be, pound for pound? I tend to look at my PRs (personal records) in ratio to my bodyweight.

My bodyweight is currently 197 lbs. Some of my lifts are below, none are especially impressive , but I'm proud of them.

I finally got my clean and jerk, and snatch barely up to my bodyweight. I would like to be able to military press BW.

I bench press a bit over 1.5 X BW, not that interested in this lift.

My deadlift is only 2 X BW. I incurred an injury before I could go further

I would really like to be able to do a one-armed pullup, but so far the most I can do is a regular pullup + 75 lbs.

Got up to 85 lbs in dips.