Yes, you can get an idea of what shape people are in by looking at the 'team lift' threshold for picking up boxes. I recently assembled a weight storage rack wh

Yes, you can get an idea of what shape people are in by looking at the 'team lift' threshold for picking up boxes. I recently assembled a weight storage rack which came in a team lift box and had cautions in the instructions that if you wanted to move it around you should use two people. I snapped a photo of my 16-year-old (not some massive ox of a child either) picking it off the ground with his middle finger. +1 for deadlifting. Also easier to coach than the squat. Personally I think the hex bar deadlift is the safest movement for untrained people as it reduces the technical issues. I haven't experimented on people with this but I would intuitively suspect that some form of Zercher or strongman influenced move would be another good thing for the sedentary (obvs with lighter weights) as in Real Life, many objects are not conveniently barbell shaped.