Strength Standards by Bodyweight, Sex & Age: Squat, Bench, Deadlift, Press, Row

For a 180-pound man, Strength Level’s current Intermediate marks are a 298-pound squat, a 220-pound bench press, a 348-pound deadlift, a 140-pound overhead press, and a 198-pound barbell row. For a 130-pound woman, the same tier is a 157-pound squat, a 102-pound bench, a 187-pound deadlift, a 66-pound press, and a 93-pound row.¹

Intermediate means stronger than 50% of people who log lifts on that platform. It does not mean average, healthy, or good enough.

A strength standard tells you how one lift compares with a specific reference group. It does not tell you what you must lift, whether your technique is comparable, or what load belongs in your next workout.

This guide uses two named standards systems as its datasets: Strength Level and Symmetric Strength, both re-checked on September 9, 2026.¹² Strength Level’s tables are built from self-entered lifts by its users and describe that self-selected community, not the general population. Symmetric Strength derives its tables from strength research and competition results instead.² They disagree, and where they disagree is more informative than either number alone.

Strength Level’s bodyweight values did not move between August 16 and September 9, 2026 — every figure in the tables below was re-verified unchanged.

Current Strength Level ratios in one table

Strength Level publishes five tiers as bodyweight multiples. For men, Intermediate is 1.75x bodyweight on squat, 1.25x on bench press, 2.0x on deadlift, 0.8x on overhead press, and 1.0x on barbell row. For women, the same tier is 1.25x, 0.75x, 1.5x, 0.5x, and 0.7x. It also publishes separate tables for specific bodyweights, which do not match the broad ratios.¹

Lift	Sex	Beginner	Novice	Intermediate	Advanced	Elite
Squat	Men	0.75x	1.25x	1.75x	2.25x	2.75x
Squat	Women	0.5x	0.75x	1.25x	1.75x	2.25x
Bench	Men	0.5x	1.0x	1.25x	1.5x	2.0x
Bench	Women	0.3x	0.5x	0.75x	1.1x	1.45x
Deadlift	Men	1.0x	1.5x	2.0x	2.5x	3.25x
Deadlift	Women	0.75x	1.0x	1.5x	2.0x	2.5x
Overhead press	Men	0.35x	0.55x	0.8x	1.05x	1.35x
Overhead press	Women	0.2x	0.35x	0.5x	0.7x	0.95x
Barbell row	Men	0.5x	0.75x	1.0x	1.5x	1.75x
Barbell row	Women	0.3x	0.45x	0.7x	0.95x	1.25x

Do not multiply every ratio by bodyweight and expect the result to match Strength Level’s bodyweight tables. Strength does not scale linearly with body mass, and the site’s detailed tables account for that relationship. Use the exact bodyweight table when comparing a specific lifter.

What the five Strength Level tiers mean

Strength Level’s five tiers are percentiles of its own logging community: Beginner is the 5th percentile, Novice the 20th, Intermediate the 50th, Advanced the 80th, and Elite the 95th. Each is paired with a minimum practice duration, from one month at Beginner to more than five years of competitive strength sport at Elite.¹

Its full definitions:¹

• Beginner: stronger than 5% of lifters; at least one month practicing the movement
• Novice: stronger than 20%; at least six months of regular practice
• Intermediate: stronger than 50%; at least two years of regular practice
• Advanced: stronger than 80%; more than five years of progress
• Elite: stronger than 95%; more than five years dedicated to competitive strength sport

The experience descriptions are part of Strength Level’s own definitions. They are not interchangeable with every coach’s use of “novice” or “intermediate.”

Strength Level vs Symmetric Strength vs ExRx: which system says what

The three most-cited strength standard systems do not agree, and they do not even use the same number of tiers. Strength Level publishes five tiers from percentiles of self-logged lifts. Symmetric Strength publishes eight tiers plus a numeric strength score, derived from strength research and competition data. ExRx publishes its own performance tables.¹²³

System	Tiers	What the tiers are built from	Age-adjusted	Numeric score	Free to view
Strength Level	5 — Beginner to Elite	Percentiles of self-entered lifts by its own users	Yes — brackets from 15 to 75+	No	Yes, no account
Symmetric Strength	8 — Untrained to World class (plus Subpar)	Strength research and strength-competition data	Yes — any age from 10 to 100	Yes — 30 to 125	Yes, no account
ExRx.net	5 — Untrained to Elite	Its own published performance tables	Publishes age brackets	No	Yes
Practical Programming	3 — novice, intermediate, advanced	Recovery and progression rate, not ranking	Not applicable	No	Book4

Symmetric Strength attaches an explicit numeric score to each tier: Untrained is 30, Novice 45, Intermediate 60, Proficient 75, Advanced 87.5, Exceptional 100, Elite 112.5, World class 125.² Strength Level attaches percentiles instead: Beginner 5%, Novice 20%, Intermediate 50%, Advanced 80%, Elite 95%.¹ An “Intermediate” on one is not an “Intermediate” on the other.

The same lifter, two systems, two answers

Here is what each system calls Intermediate for the same two lifters, checked September 9, 2026.¹²

180 lb man, Intermediate 1RM

Lift	Strength Level	Symmetric Strength	Difference
Squat	298 lb	270 lb	−28 lb
Bench press	220 lb	200 lb	−20 lb
Deadlift	348 lb	310 lb	−38 lb
Overhead press	140 lb	130 lb	−10 lb
Barbell row	198 lb	165 lb (Pendlay row)	−33 lb

130 lb woman, Intermediate 1RM

Lift	Strength Level	Symmetric Strength	Difference
Squat	157 lb	165 lb	+8 lb
Bench press	102 lb	110 lb	+8 lb
Deadlift	187 lb	195 lb	+8 lb
Overhead press	66 lb	70 lb	+4 lb
Barbell row	93 lb	105 lb (Pendlay row)	+12 lb

The direction of the gap flips with sex. Symmetric Strength sets a lower Intermediate bar than Strength Level for the man on all five lifts, and a higher one for the woman on all five. That is not rounding. A man can move a tier by switching sites, and so can a woman — in opposite directions.

The row comparison is not even the same exercise. Strength Level lists a generic barbell row; Symmetric Strength’s closest lift is the Pendlay row, which requires the bar to reset on the floor every rep.² Symmetric Strength also splits the press: 130 lb Intermediate for a strict overhead press and 175 lb for a push press for the same 180 lb man — a 45 lb spread from the movement definition alone.

What is the average person’s squat, bench, and deadlift?

The average strength of a man is not something either system actually measures — neither publishes a population survey, so there is no clean answer. The closest published one is Symmetric Strength’s Untrained tier, which it defines explicitly as “the majority of the population” — a 180 lb man at a 135 lb squat, 100 lb bench, and 155 lb deadlift, and a 130 lb woman at an 80 lb squat, 55 lb bench, and 95 lb deadlift.²

Strength Level cannot answer the question at all. Its Beginner tier is the 5th percentile of people who log lifts in a training app, which is already a filtered, training-motivated group.¹ A tier built inside that population describes lifters, not adults.

So: Intermediate is roughly the average committed gym-goer, and Untrained is roughly the average adult. Neither is measured against a random sample, and any headline claiming “the average man benches X” is almost certainly quoting one of these modeled tiers without saying so.

Do not mix percentile tiers with training age

Strength Level’s tiers are population percentiles. Practical Programming’s novice, intermediate, and advanced describe how fast you recover and add load, not where you rank. Symmetric Strength and ExRx define their own again. The same word means four different things across four sources, and combining them produces a classification none of them published.

Strength Level uses percentiles from its user database. Practical Programming for Strength Training uses novice, intermediate, and advanced to describe how quickly a trainee can recover and progress.⁴ Symmetric Strength says its analysis draws on strength research and competition data, while ExRx publishes its own performance tables and age brackets.²³ Current NSCA material covers testing, exercise technique, and program design without defining the Strength Level percentile system.⁵

Choose one source and keep its definitions attached to its numbers. Combining a Strength Level ratio, a coaching training-age label, and an ExRx age table produces a classification no source actually published.

Bench press standards

For a 180-pound man, Strength Level’s current Intermediate bench is 220 pounds — about 1.22x bodyweight, not the 1.25x its broad ratio table implies. Novice is 169 pounds, or 0.94x. “Bench your bodyweight” therefore lands between Novice and Intermediate at that size, and between Intermediate and Advanced for a 130-pound woman.¹

Strength Level’s current broad male intermediate bench ratio is 1.25x bodyweight, and its novice ratio is a full 1.0x.¹ The detailed tables are more useful for a specific comparison, and they disagree with the broad ratios in an instructive way.

Selected current bench-press values

Bodyweight	Sex	Beginner	Novice	Intermediate	Advanced	Elite
150 lb	Men	99 lb	137 lb	183 lb	236 lb	292 lb
180 lb	Men	127 lb	169 lb	220 lb	277 lb	339 lb
130 lb	Women	40 lb	67 lb	102 lb	145 lb	192 lb
160 lb	Women	52 lb	82 lb	120 lb	166 lb	217 lb

“Bench your bodyweight” is therefore not a universal intermediate standard, and it is not even a consistent novice one. The broad table puts male Novice at 1.0x, but the detailed table puts a 180-pound man’s Novice bench at 169 pounds — about 0.94x. At 130 pounds, a 130-pound female bench sits between the current Intermediate and Advanced values.

Technique, range of motion, pauses, equipment, and whether the value was tested or estimated all affect comparability. A crowd-sourced number cannot confirm that two lifts used the same standard. If you want a consistent basis for comparing your own bench over time, fix the setup first — our bench press technique guide covers grip width, arch, and touch point.

Squat standards

For a 180-pound man, Strength Level’s current Intermediate squat is 298 pounds and Advanced is 377 — not the 405 pounds you get by multiplying its broad 2.25x Advanced ratio by bodyweight. Strength does not scale linearly with body mass, so use the bodyweight table, never the ratio.¹

Selected current squat values

Bodyweight	Sex	Beginner	Novice	Intermediate	Advanced	Elite
150 lb	Men	132 lb	184 lb	247 lb	320 lb	399 lb
180 lb	Men	169 lb	228 lb	298 lb	377 lb	462 lb
130 lb	Women	69 lb	107 lb	157 lb	216 lb	281 lb
160 lb	Women	85 lb	128 lb	181 lb	244 lb	313 lb

The broad male ratio table places 2.25x at Advanced, not 2x. The 180-pound detailed table places Advanced at 377 pounds rather than the 405 pounds produced by multiplying 2.25 by 180.¹

Squat depth and equipment matter. A high-bar squat to competition depth, a box squat, and a shallow gym squat are not interchangeable even if an app records each as “squat.” Compare your own lifts using a consistent range of motion and setup — see our squat technique guide for what “consistent” should mean.

Deadlift standards

For a 180-pound man, Strength Level’s current Intermediate deadlift is 348 pounds, not the 360 its broad 2x ratio implies. At 200 pounds bodyweight it is 382 rather than 400. The ratio overstates the detailed table at both bodyweights, and the gap widens as the lifter gets heavier.¹

Selected current deadlift values

Bodyweight	Sex	Beginner	Novice	Intermediate	Advanced	Elite
150 lb	Men	160 lb	220 lb	293 lb	377 lb	466 lb
180 lb	Men	201 lb	268 lb	348 lb	438 lb	535 lb
130 lb	Women	87 lb	131 lb	187 lb	253 lb	326 lb
160 lb	Women	105 lb	153 lb	213 lb	283 lb	359 lb

Strength Level’s broad male table places 2x bodyweight at Intermediate. Its detailed table places the intermediate mark at 348 pounds for a 180-pound man and 382 pounds for a 200-pound man, not 360 and 400.¹

Conventional and sumo deadlifts, straps, calibrated plates, bar type, and lockout standards can change the comparison. Use a consistent method when tracking your own progress; our deadlift technique guide covers the setup variables worth holding fixed.

Overhead press standards

The overhead press carries the smallest bodyweight ratios of the five lifts. Strength Level’s current Intermediate press for a 180-pound man is 140 pounds, about 0.78x bodyweight; for a 130-pound woman it is 66 pounds. A bodyweight press sits just under Advanced for men — 180 lb against an Advanced mark of 181 lb — and beyond the Elite column for women.¹

The overhead press is the lift where bodyweight ratios stay smallest and where equipment substitutions do the most damage to a comparison. A strict standing barbell press, a push press, and a seated dumbbell press are three different tests.

Selected current overhead press values

Bodyweight	Sex	Beginner	Novice	Intermediate	Advanced	Elite
150 lb	Men	57 lb	83 lb	116 lb	154 lb	195 lb
180 lb	Men	75 lb	104 lb	140 lb	181 lb	226 lb
130 lb	Women	27 lb	44 lb	66 lb	94 lb	124 lb
160 lb	Women	34 lb	53 lb	77 lb	106 lb	138 lb

A bodyweight overhead press sits just under Advanced for men at these bodyweights and beyond the Elite column for women. Treat “press your bodyweight” as a strength-sport benchmark, not a general fitness target.

Barbell row standards

For a 180-pound man, Strength Level’s current Intermediate barbell row is 198 pounds and Elite is 315. The row is the least comparable of the five lifts: torso angle, whether the bar touches the floor each rep, and how much hip drive is allowed vary far more between lifters than squat depth does.¹

Selected current barbell row values

Bodyweight	Sex	Beginner	Novice	Intermediate	Advanced	Elite
150 lb	Men	84 lb	120 lb	165 lb	217 lb	273 lb
180 lb	Men	108 lb	149 lb	198 lb	255 lb	315 lb
130 lb	Women	39 lb	62 lb	93 lb	130 lb	170 lb
160 lb	Women	46 lb	72 lb	104 lb	143 lb	185 lb

Row standards are the least comparable of the five. Torso angle, whether the bar touches the floor each rep, and how much hip drive is allowed vary far more between lifters than squat depth does. Use the row table to track yourself, not to rank yourself.

A reliable 1RM is not automatically a valid comparison

One-rep-max testing is reliable when it is well controlled — a systematic review of 32 studies found generally high test-retest reliability across populations and exercises.⁶ Reliability is not validity. A repeatable number still does not verify self-reported technique, normalize equipment, or make two standards databases equivalent.

A true 1RM also carries more risk and fatigue than a submaximal estimate. Test only if you have practiced the lift, can use appropriate safeties or spotters, and can maintain the agreed technique. Stop for sharp pain, chest pain or pressure, fainting, severe or unusual shortness of breath, or loss of safe control. People with relevant medical conditions, pregnancy, unexplained symptoms, or a long training break should discuss maximal testing with a healthcare or qualified exercise professional.

Strength standards by age

Both major standards systems publish age-adjusted tables, and they agree closely. Standards hold flat from about age 25 to 41, then decline roughly 5% per five years: the Intermediate bar is about 95% of peak at 45, 89% at 50, 74% at 60, and 61% at 70.¹²⁷

An earlier version of this guide said Strength Level publishes no age-adjusted tables. That was wrong. Each Strength Level lift page carries a by-age table beside its by-bodyweight one, in brackets from 15 to 90.⁷

Symmetric Strength Intermediate 1RM by age, 180 lb man

Age	Squat	Bench press	Deadlift	Overhead press	Pendlay row
25–41	270 lb	200 lb	310 lb	130 lb	165 lb
45	255 lb	190 lb	295 lb	125 lb	155 lb
50	240 lb	180 lb	275 lb	115 lb	145 lb
55	220 lb	165 lb	255 lb	110 lb	135 lb
60	200 lb	150 lb	230 lb	100 lb	125 lb
65	185 lb	135 lb	210 lb	90 lb	110 lb
70	165 lb	125 lb	190 lb	80 lb	100 lb

Values checked September 9, 2026.² The discount switches on at 42 — a 41-year-old and a 25-year-old are held to the identical standard, and a 42-year-old is not.

To get strength standards by age and weight, combine the two tables. Take the Intermediate figure for your bodyweight from the lift tables above, then multiply by the age percentage below. A 150-pound, 60-year-old man’s Intermediate squat is 247 lb x 0.74, or about 183 lb. A 130-pound, 50-year-old woman’s Intermediate bench is 102 lb x 0.89, or about 91 lb. Neither system publishes that cross-tabulation directly, so this is the arithmetic they intend you to do.

Three sources, one age curve

Expressed as a percentage of peak, three independent datasets — two commercial standards systems and one peer-reviewed study of masters competitors — land within a few points of each other at every age.

Age	Strength Level bench, men7	Strength Level bench, women7	Symmetric Strength squat, men2	Masters weightlifting8
25–40	100%	100%	100%	100% at 35
40	100%	100%	100%	95% men, 95% women
45	95%	95%	94%	—
50	89%	88%	89%	—
55	82%	81%	81%	—
60	75%	74%	74%	72% men, 60% women
65	67%	67%	69%	—
70	61%	61%	61%	—

The masters column comes from Huebner, Meltzer, and Perperoglou, who analyzed 10,225 results from International Weightlifting Federation Masters championships between 1993 and 2018, covering lifters aged 35 to 90 from 71 countries, and estimated performance at each age as a fraction of performance at a reference age of 35.⁸ Their figures are 0.947 for men at 40 (95% CI 0.926–0.975) and 0.723 at 60 (95% CI 0.651–0.800); for women, 0.952 at 40 (95% CI 0.898–0.986) and 0.604 at 60 (95% CI 0.543–0.706).⁸

Where the standards tables and the research disagree

Two disagreements are worth more than the agreement.

The commercial tables discount men and women identically. The competition data does not. Strength Level’s female age curve tracks its male curve within one percentage point at every bracket from 45 to 70, and Symmetric Strength’s tracks within about two.²⁷ But Huebner et al. found women at 60 retaining 60% of age-35 performance against 72% for men — a 12-point gap the standards tables do not model. The authors attribute it to an accelerated decline in women across roughly a ten-year window from the late forties to the late fifties, coinciding with the menopause transition.⁸ If you are a woman over 50 comparing yourself to an age-adjusted table, that table is probably being generous.

The decline starts earlier in the competition data. Both standards systems hold the bar flat through 40 or 41. The masters data already shows about 5% off peak at 40.⁸ Competitive weightlifters are the group most likely to be training hard at 40, so the flat plateau in the commercial tables is the more optimistic reading.

Read the masters figures for what they are: competitive Olympic weightlifters performing the snatch and clean and jerk, self-selected for still competing. They are not squat, bench, and deadlift standards, and they will overstate retained performance relative to a general population that stops training. Broader physiology points the same direction with different magnitudes — Mitchell et al. reported muscle mass declining by roughly 0.80% to 0.98% per year in older men and 0.64% to 0.70% in older women, with annual strength loss after age 75 around 3% to 4% in men and 2.5% to 3% in women.⁹

None of this is a ceiling. Resistance training remains effective in older adults: Peterson et al.’s meta-analysis of 47 studies found substantial average strength gains in adults over 50, with results varying by exercise and study.¹⁰ ACSM’s progression model supports progressive resistance training for healthy adults, but it does not prescribe one universal age discount or recovery window.¹¹ If you are training through this window, our guide to strength training after 40 covers what actually changes in programming.

If age-specific comparison matters, use the age table published by the same source as the lift standard. Do not subtract a generic 5%, 20%, or 40% from a bodyweight ratio and call the result validated.

How sex changes the comparison

Bodyweight ratios do not remove the sex difference. In one small laboratory comparison, women averaged 52% of men’s upper-body strength and 66% of men’s lower-body strength, while force relative to muscle cross-sectional area was far more similar.¹² Use the sex-specific column of whichever system you picked.

Those figures come from Miller et al., who compared eight men and eight women — a very small sample.¹²

That study helps explain why absolute and relative comparisons can differ. It does not establish universal 70% to 80% lower-body ratios, prove that bodyweight adjustment removes the sex gap, or make a 1.5x female deadlift physiologically equivalent to a 2x male deadlift.

Use the correct sex-specific column for the chosen dataset and remember that bodyweight ratios remain an imperfect normalization across differently sized lifters. For where to start rather than where you rank, see our strength training guide for women.

Autoregulation does not turn a standard into a prescription

Helms et al. compared RPE-based and percentage-based loading in 21 trained men over eight weeks. Both approaches improved strength, and the study did not establish clear overall superiority for autoregulation.¹³

Vesterinen et al. studied HRV-guided endurance training in 40 recreational runners, not resistance-training load selection.¹⁴ The HRV-guided group improved 3,000-meter performance slightly more than the predefined group, while both groups improved VO2 max.

These studies support monitoring response and adjusting a program when appropriate. They do not prove that a daily readiness score should select the next barbell load or that loads “matched to readiness” always beat a written program. Our RPE and RIR guide covers how to use effort ratings without overreading them.

How SensAI uses strength data

SensAI tracks planned versus performed work and regenerates programs weekly based on actual performance and recovery. It can combine workout history with aggregated HRV trends, resting heart rate, and sleep quality from Apple Watch directly or from Garmin, Oura, and WHOOP through HealthKit.

The conversational coach uses LLMs and remembers stated injuries, preferences, and constraints. Users can request a workout change through chat or mid-workout quick actions. SensAI does not automatically age-discount a Strength Level table, prescribe a fixed 2.5-to-5-pound increase after every session, or silently restructure the week from one readiness reading.

Where a percentile label describes where you sit, progressive overload describes where you go next — and only the second one is a programming decision SensAI will make for you.

Frequently asked questions

What is a good strength level?

Intermediate on Strength Level means stronger than 50% of people who log lifts on that platform — roughly two years of consistent practice on the movement.¹ For a 180-pound man that is a 298-pound squat, 220-pound bench, and 348-pound deadlift. “Good” depends entirely on which reference group you accept, and a self-selected logging community is a stronger group than the general public.

How strong am I for my age?

Both Strength Level and Symmetric Strength publish age-adjusted tables, and they agree: the standard is flat from about 25 to 41, then drops to roughly 95% of peak at 45, 89% at 50, 74% at 60, and 61% at 70.²⁷ For a 180-pound man, Symmetric Strength’s Intermediate squat falls from 270 pounds at 40 to 200 at 60. Masters weightlifting data puts men at 72% and women at 60% of age-35 performance by 60.⁸

Do strength standards decline faster for women?

The published tables say no; the competition data says yes. Strength Level’s female age curve tracks its male curve within one percentage point at every bracket, and Symmetric Strength does the same.²⁷ But Huebner et al. found women at 60 retaining 60% of age-35 performance against 72% for men, attributing the gap to an accelerated decline across the menopause transition.⁸ Age-adjusted tables likely flatter women over 50.

What are Symmetric Strength’s standards?

Symmetric Strength standards run eight tiers with a numeric strength score attached to each: Untrained 30, Novice 45, Intermediate 60, Proficient 75, Advanced 87.5, Exceptional 100, Elite 112.5, and World class 125, plus a Subpar band below 30.² For a 180-pound man, Intermediate is a 270 lb squat, 200 lb bench, and 310 lb deadlift. Age adjustment is built in for any age from 10 to 100.

What are Strength Level’s current standards?

Strength Level standards are five tiers set at percentiles of its own logging community — Beginner 5%, Novice 20%, Intermediate 50%, Advanced 80%, Elite 95%.¹ For men, Intermediate is 1.75x bodyweight on squat, 1.25x on bench, 2.0x on deadlift, 0.8x on overhead press, and 1.0x on barbell row; for women, 1.25x, 0.75x, 1.5x, 0.5x, and 0.7x. Use its bodyweight tables rather than these ratios.

Strength Level or Symmetric Strength — which should I use?

Use one and stay with it. For a 180-pound man, Symmetric Strength’s Intermediate bar is lower on all five lifts (270 lb squat vs 298, 200 lb bench vs 220, 310 lb deadlift vs 348). For a 130-pound woman it is higher on all five.¹² Symmetric Strength adds a numeric score and finer tiers; Strength Level reports percentiles against a larger logging community.

What is the average man’s bench press?

No standards system runs a population survey, so treat any single number with suspicion. The closest published answer is Symmetric Strength’s Untrained tier, defined as “the majority of the population”: 100 pounds for a 180-pound man and 55 pounds for a 130-pound woman.² Strength Level’s Beginner tier cannot answer it — that is the 5th percentile of people who already log lifts.

Is a 1.5x bodyweight bench press good?

For men, 1.5x bodyweight is currently Strength Level’s Advanced ratio — stronger than about 80% of logged lifters.¹ For women, 1.5x is above the Elite ratio of 1.45x. Check the detailed bodyweight table rather than the ratio, because the two disagree at most bodyweights.

Is a 2x bodyweight squat good?

For men, 2x sits between Intermediate (1.75x) and Advanced (2.25x). For women, 2x is above Advanced (1.75x) and approaching Elite (2.25x).¹ A 2x squat is a genuinely strong lift for most people and an unremarkable one in a powerlifting gym — which is the whole problem with context-free benchmarks.

What does “Intermediate” actually mean?

On Strength Level specifically, it means the 50th percentile of logged lifts plus roughly two years of practice.¹ In Practical Programming, the same word describes how fast you can recover and add load, not where you rank.⁴ The two definitions are not interchangeable, and mixing them produces a label nobody published.

Are strength standards accurate?

They are accurate descriptions of the data behind them and poor descriptions of anything else. Strength Level’s numbers come from self-entered lifts with unverified technique, depth, and equipment. They moved measurably between July and August 2026 as the dataset grew. Use them as a rough map, not a measurement.

Should I test my 1RM to find my level?

Not usually. One-rep-max testing is reliable when well controlled, but it carries more risk and fatigue than a submaximal estimate.⁶ A hard set of three to five reps taken to a known effort will place you in the right tier without a max attempt, and it is repeatable often enough to show a trend.

Use standards without turning them into targets

1. Name the source. “Intermediate” has meaning only inside the system that defined it.
2. Use the detailed bodyweight table. Do not rely on a broad ratio when the source publishes nonlinear values for your bodyweight.
3. Keep technique consistent. Track depth, range of motion, equipment, and testing method.
4. Prefer trends over frequent max tests. A well-executed submaximal set can estimate progress without requiring a true 1RM on a fixed calendar.
5. Program from your training history. The next load should fit the exercise, reps, effort, technique, recovery, and plan, not the next percentile label.

The useful comparison is specific: this lift, performed this way, against this source, on this date. Everything else is a coaching decision.

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References

Footnotes

1. Strength Level. “Strength Standards: Squat, Bench Press, Deadlift, Shoulder Press, Barbell Row (Male and Female, lb).” Based on 195,513,376 lifts logged by 27,893,268 Strength Level users, March 2015 to March 2026; first accessed 2026-08-16, values re-verified unchanged 2026-09-09. https://strengthlevel.com/strength-standards ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷ ↩¹⁸ ↩¹⁹ ↩²⁰ ↩²¹ ↩²² ↩²³ ↩²⁴

2. Symmetric Strength. “Strength Standards.” Eight-tier standards with numeric strength scores (Untrained 30 to World class 125) and optional age adjustment for ages 10–100; values in this article read for a 180 lb male and a 130 lb female, accessed 2026-09-09. https://symmetricstrength.com/standards ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷

3. ExRx.net. “Weightlifting Performance Standards.” ExRx.net, accessed 2026-07-12. https://exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/StrengthStandards ↩ ↩²

4. Rippetoe M, Baker A. “Practical Programming for Strength Training.” 3rd ed., The Aasgaard Company, 2013. https://aasgaardco.com/store/books-posters-dvd/books/practical-programming-for-strength-training/ ↩ ↩² ↩³

5. National Strength and Conditioning Association. “Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning.” 5th ed., Human Kinetics, 2027. https://us.humankinetics.com/products/essentials-of-strength-training-and-conditioning-5th-edition-with-hkpropel-access ↩

6. Grgic J, Lazinica B, Schoenfeld BJ, Pedisic Z. “Test-Retest Reliability of the One-Repetition Maximum (1RM) Strength Assessment: a Systematic Review.” Sports Medicine - Open, 2020;6(1):31. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32681399/ ↩ ↩²

7. Strength Level. “Bench Press Standards for Men and Women (lb)” and companion squat and deadlift pages, which publish standards by age bracket (15 to 90) alongside standards by bodyweight. Bench page: 48,718,584 lifts, 10,923,537 qualifying results, 22 March 2015 to 10 March 2026; accessed 2026-09-09. https://strengthlevel.com/strength-standards/bench-press/lb ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

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