Poliquin Method — Full Assessment

Structural Balance
Calculator

Full battery including Powell raise, wrist integrity, hip adductor/abductor, neck chain, and calf ratios. Enter 3RM or 5RM values — the calculator converts to theoretical 1RM and generates a deficit profile with block periodisation recommendations.

Enter estimated 1RM values

Upper body

Core

Movement

Value (kg)

Actual %

Status

Close-grip bench press

Upper body anchor · all upper ratios reference this

—

Anchor

Supinated chin-up

BW + added load · target ~100%

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Pronated barbell curl

Strict form · target ~32%

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Incline DB curl

Long head emphasis · target ~27%

—

Powell raise

Critical

Critical ratio

Powell raise

Incline side-lying ER · infraspinatus/teres minor · target ~8–10% of CGBP

—

Wrist & elbow

Accessory

Wrist flexion

Accessory anchor for wrist ratio

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Sub-anchor

Wrist extension

Target ~70% of wrist flexion · lateral epicondyle risk indicator

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Lower body

Core

Back squat

Lower body anchor · all lower ratios reference this

—

Anchor

Lying leg curl

Prone · target ~52%

—

Single-leg leg press

Per leg · target ~85%

—

Standing calf raise

Target ~80% · ankle stability indicator

—

Romanian deadlift

Clinical ratio · target ~80–85% of squat

—

Hip chain

Accessory

Hip abductor (machine)

Sub-anchor for hip ratio

—

Sub-anchor

Hip adductor (machine)

Target ~75–80% of abductor · knee valgus / groin risk

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Ratio profile summary

Total deficits

—

ratios out of range

Critical flags

—

Powell raise / core ratios

Priority system

—

address first

Start phase

—

recommended block

Earned tier

—

high-expression loading

Block Periodisation

Block 01

Structural rebalancing

4 weeks · 10–15 reps · 65–75% 1RM · deficit movements A-block

A: deficit workB: constrainedEarned: parked

Block 02

Retest + reclassify

Full battery retest · ratio-gated · not time-gated

Within 15% → progressGap remains → extend

Block 03

Strength development

3–4 weeks · 5–8 reps · 78–87% 1RM · both systems progress

Full range progressesMixed tier introduced

Block 04

Peak expression

2–3 weeks · 1–5 reps · ratios must be in range

Earned tier unlockedSpeed + complexity

Exercise classification

A-block — proximal

Incline side-lying ER (Powell)

Face pull — elbows high

Prone Y / T / W

Romanian deadlift

Nordic curl negatives

Hip thrust

SL-RDL with reach

Supinated chin-up

Incline DB curl

Copenhagen plank

Reverse curl / wrist roller

B-block — mixed

Heel-elevated goblet squat

Front squat

Trap bar deadlift

Landmine split squat

Supported SL-RDL

Landmine press

Cable pull-apart

DB row variations

Wall-supported hinge

Band pull-apart

Earned — deficit closes first

Back squat (heavy)

Conventional deadlift

Olympic lift variations

Plyometrics

Sprinting / COD

Overhead barbell press

Weighted dips

Barbell back squat (heavy)

Ratio progression across blocks — populates from your entered values

"Structural balance doesn't tell you how strong a client is. It tells you whether the strength they have is safe to express."

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Upper body — core ratios

Movement	Anchor	Target %	Priority	What the deficit reveals
Supinated chin-up	CGBP	~100%	Core	Horizontal push dominance, anterior shoulder, scapular instability
Pronated barbell curl	CGBP	~32%	Core	Elbow flexor weakness — contributes to elbow pain, shoulder compensation under load
Incline DB curl	CGBP	~27%	Core	Bicep long head deficit — shoulder flexion component lagging

Powell raise — critical ratio

The Powell raise is the most commonly missed and most clinically significant upper body ratio. A significant deficit here is a programming gate — overhead pressing and high-load horizontal pressing should not be progressed until this is within range.

Movement	Anchor	Target %	Priority	What the deficit reveals
Powell raise (incline side-lying ER)	CGBP	~8–10%	Critical	Infraspinatus/teres minor weakness — humeral head migration under load, rotator cuff integrity failure

Wrist & elbow integrity

Movement	Anchor	Target %	Priority	What the deficit reveals
Wrist extension	Wrist flexion	~70%	Accessory	Lateral epicondyle loading, grip fatigue limiting pulling volume, forearm tendinopathy risk

Lower body — core ratios

Movement	Anchor	Target %	Priority	What the deficit reveals
Lying leg curl	Back squat	~52%	Core	Quad dominance, posterior chain deficit, knee and lumbar risk under heavy load
Single-leg leg press	Back squat	~85%	Core	Bilateral deficit, asymmetrical loading pattern, unilateral force production risk
Standing calf raise	Back squat	~80%	Core	Plantarflexion weakness, ankle instability, Achilles load distribution
Romanian deadlift	Back squat	~80–85%	Clinical	Posterior chain eccentric deficit — hamstring/glute weakness in lengthened position, highest injury risk zone

Hip chain

Movement	Anchor	Target %	Priority	What the deficit reveals
Hip adductor	Hip abductor	~75–80%	Accessory	Knee valgus under load, groin strain risk, medial knee stress in running/jumping
Hip adductor	Leg curl	~70%	Accessory	Medial posterior chain disproportionate to lateral — adductor/hamstring tear risk in athletic populations

Upper trap and lower trap balance is assessed observationally rather than numerically. Watch for: upper trap recruitment before lat engagement in chin-up, shrugging pattern in vertical pulling, upper trap fatigue before posterior chain fatigue. These are functional indicators of lower trap weakness that drive programming decisions.

The remote testing protocol

Never test true 1RM with online clients. Use 3RM or 5RM across every movement in the battery. The ratio relationships hold at submaximal loads when you use a consistent rep scheme. Convert using: 1RM = Load × (1 + Reps ÷ 30)

Session structure

Run the battery across two sessions in the same week.
Session A (upper): CGBP → chin-up → curl → incline curl → Powell raise → wrist
Session B (lower): back squat → leg curl → SL press → calf → RDL → hip adductor/abductor
Minimum 48 hours between sessions. 4–5 minutes rest between lifts.

Warm-up protocol

2 warm-up sets per movement — increasing load, stopping before any fatigue. The test is only as good as the execution. Warm-up sets should prepare the movement, not tax it.

Filming requirements for online coaches

Film every set. Review footage before logging the number.
• Curl — lateral view · verify no trunk lean or momentum
• Powell raise — posterior view · verify no trunk rotation
• Leg curl — lateral view · verify full ROM, no hip elevation
• SL press — frontal view · verify no knee valgus or pelvic drop
A cheat curl does not give you curl data. It gives you noise.

RPE ceiling

RPE ceiling of 9/10. If it feels like a true max, the data is compromised. The test should feel hard — not maximal.

Retesting schedule

Retest the full battery at the end of every block — not a subset, the full battery.
Decision gate: ratio within 10–15% of benchmark → progress to next block.
Gap still >15% below → extend current block 3–4 weeks before retesting.
Progression is data-gated, not time-gated. Set this expectation with clients before the programme starts.

Powell raise testing note: the target of 8–10% of CGBP seems low because it is low. Most clients test at 3–5%. Do not adjust the benchmark downward to match the client — the deficit is real, and it matters.

Structural BalanceCalculator

Structural Balance
Calculator