About 50 lb (22.5 kg) for one rep. That is the start of the Intermediate level for a 100 lb woman: 0.5 times bodyweight, where most people land after a year or so of steady training. A beginner overhead presses about 20 lb, and an elite lifter at the same bodyweight overhead presses 100 lb.
Overhead press standards for a 100 lb woman
| Level | × bodyweight | 1 rep | kg | 5 reps | 10 reps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 0.2× | 20 lb | 10 kg | 15 lb | 15 lb |
| Novice | 0.35× | 35 lb | 15 kg | 30 lb | 25 lb |
| Intermediate | 0.5× | 50 lb | 22.5 kg | 45 lb | 40 lb |
| Advanced | 0.75× | 75 lb | 35 kg | 65 lb | 55 lb |
| Elite | 1× | 100 lb | 45 kg | 85 lb | 75 lb |
The 5- and 10-rep columns are what each one-rep max lets you lift for that many reps, so you can check your level from a normal working set. Hitting 45 lb for 5 clean reps puts you at about 50 lb for one.
Work out your own level from a set
Say you overhead press 45 lb for 6 reps. The Epley formula, 45 × (1 + 6 ÷ 30), puts your max at about 54 lb — Intermediate for a 100 lb woman. Put your own set into the one-rep max calculator, or check every lift at once with the strength standards calculator, already set to 100 lb.
How 100 lb compares to nearby bodyweights
| Bodyweight | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 lb | 20 | 35 | 50 | 75 | 100 |
| 110 lb | 20 | 40 | 55 | 85 | 110 |
| 120 lb | 25 | 40 | 60 | 90 | 120 |
Every 10 lb of bodyweight moves the intermediate mark by about 5 lb. Standards scale with bodyweight because a heavier lifter usually carries more muscle, but a lighter lifter at the same ratio is just as strong for their size.
What it takes to reach the next level
| From → to | Add | At 2.5 lb a month | Loaded on the bar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner → Novice | 15 lb | 6 months | less than an empty 45 lb bar |
| Novice → Intermediate | 15 lb | 6 months | 1 × 2.5 lb on each side of a 45 lb bar |
| Intermediate → Advanced | 25 lb | 10 months | 1 × 10 + 1 × 5 lb on each side of a 45 lb bar |
| Advanced → Elite | 25 lb | 10 months | 1 × 25 + 1 × 2.5 lb on each side of a 45 lb bar |
The months column assumes you keep adding 2.5 lb a month, which is a fair pace for a steady lifter past the novice stage; beginners usually move much faster and advanced lifters slower. To train toward 75 lb (Advanced), most of your work sits around 70–85% of it: sets of 5 to 8 at 55–60 lb and heavy triples near 65 lb. Squeeze your glutes so your back stays straight, and move your head through once the bar passes your forehead.
What the levels mean
Beginner: 20 lb
Can do the lift with good form and has trained it for a few weeks. Most people reach this in their first month.
Novice: 35 lb
Has trained it regularly for several months and still adds weight most sessions or most weeks.
Intermediate: 50 lb
A year or more of consistent training. Progress has slowed to weekly or monthly jumps, and a plan starts to matter.
Advanced: 75 lb
Several years of focused training. Stronger than almost everyone in a typical gym, and every extra pound takes a block of work.
Elite: 100 lb
Competitive strength: what people who train for meets reach after many years. Few lifters ever get here.
Questions
How much should a 100 lb woman overhead press?
A 100 lb woman should overhead press about 50 lb (22.5 kg) for one rep to count as intermediate — 0.5× bodyweight. A beginner lifts about 20 lb, a novice 35 lb, an advanced lifter 75 lb and an elite one 100 lb.
Is a 95 lb overhead press good for a 100 lb woman?
Yes — 95 lb is Advanced for a 100 lb woman (0.95× bodyweight). The next level, Elite, starts at 100 lb.
What is an elite overhead press for a 100 lb woman?
100 lb (45 kg), which is 1× bodyweight. Advanced starts at 75 lb, so the last step is 25 lb on its own.
How do I find my overhead press max without testing a single?
Lift a weight you can move for 3 to 8 clean reps and put it through the Epley formula. 45 lb for 6 reps works out to a 54 lb max, which is Intermediate at 100 lb.
Keep going
- Overhead press standards for every bodyweight, men and women
- How much should a 100 lb woman bench?
- How much should a 100 lb woman squat?
- How much should a 100 lb woman deadlift?
- How to do the overhead press, step by step
- Barbell shoulder workouts
- Push day workout
- Upper/lower split or push pull legs to build a week around it
- Plates for 50 lb · Warm-up sets calculator
- How competitive powerlifters compare: real meet results by bodyweight
Splyt logs every set, estimates your max from it automatically and shows where each lift sits for your bodyweight: get it free on the App Store.
Standards are one-rep-max-to-bodyweight ratios that published tables (Strength Level, ExRx, Symmetric Strength) cluster around for adults. A guide to where you sit, not a verdict. Kilograms are rounded to 2.5 kg, pounds to 5 lb.