Strength standards: how strong am I?

Enter a recent set on any of the four main barbell lifts to see its level for your bodyweight, and how much more you need for the next one.

Units
Sex
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg

Any hard set works; it is converted to an estimated max. Leave a lift blank to skip it.

Your levels

  • Squat

    Intermediate

    140 kg est. max · 1.75× bodyweight

    +20 kg to Advanced (2.0×)

  • Bench press

    Intermediate

    105 kg est. max · 1.31× bodyweight

    +3 kg to Advanced (1.35×)

  • Deadlift

    Intermediate

    175 kg est. max · 2.19× bodyweight

    +17 kg to Advanced (2.4×)

  • Overhead press

    Intermediate

    64 kg est. max · 0.8× bodyweight

    +8 kg to Advanced (0.9×)

Strength standards table by bodyweight

Each figure is where a level starts, as a multiple of bodyweight, from Rippetoe and Kilgore's Practical Programming. At 80 kg, a 1.3× squat is 104 kg.

Men · multiple of bodyweight
LiftNoviceIntermediateAdvancedElite
Squat1.3×1.55×2.0×2.6×
Bench press0.85×1.05×1.35×1.7×
Deadlift1.65×1.9×2.4×3.1×
Overhead press0.55×0.7×0.9×1.15×
Women · multiple of bodyweight
LiftNoviceIntermediateAdvancedElite
Squat0.8×0.95×1.3×1.7×
Bench press0.5×0.65×0.85×1.15×
Deadlift1.0×1.15×1.5×1.95×
Overhead press0.35×0.45×0.6×0.8×

Limitations

Bodyweight multiples favour lighter lifters, because strength does not rise in proportion to bodyweight. To compare lifters of different sizes, use a DOTS score. For how far these levels can realistically go, see how strong you can actually get.

The source table has no age adjustment, so neither does this. The overhead press standard assumes a standing barbell press. Your level is only as good as the estimated max behind it: see the 1RM calculator.

Strength standards FAQ

Is a bodyweight bench press good?

For men, a bench press of 1.0× bodyweight sits at the top of Novice, just short of Intermediate at 1.05×. For women it is well into Advanced, which starts at 0.85×.

Is a 2× bodyweight squat good?

Yes. For men, 2.0× bodyweight is where Advanced begins; Elite starts at 2.6×. For women, 2.0× is past the 1.7× Elite threshold.

What does each level mean?

Roughly: Untrained is what a healthy adult can lift with no training; Novice is a few months of regular training; Intermediate is a couple of years of consistent work; Advanced is several years of serious training; Elite is the level of competitive strength athletes.

Why are the standards different for men and women?

Men carry more muscle on average, especially in the upper body, so absolute standards differ. Each table compares you only with lifters of your own sex.

Why is my level different on every lift?

Most lifters sit at two or three different levels, depending on what they train most and how they are built.

Sources

  1. Rippetoe & Kilgore, Practical Programming for Strength Training (2nd ed.), strength standards, read as multiples of bodyweight and rounded to a coarse step.
  2. Epley B. Poundage Chart. Boyd Epley Workout. Lincoln, NE: Body Enterprises; 1985 (estimated max from a set).

Built by , Founder of VERTEX. Last reviewed .