About 80 lb (37.5 kg) for one rep. That is the start of the Intermediate level for a 160 lb woman: 0.5 times bodyweight, where most people land after a year or so of steady training. A beginner overhead presses about 30 lb, and an elite lifter at the same bodyweight overhead presses 160 lb.
Overhead press standards for a 160 lb woman
| Level | × bodyweight | 1 rep | kg | 5 reps | 10 reps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 0.2× | 30 lb | 12.5 kg | 25 lb | 25 lb |
| Novice | 0.35× | 55 lb | 25 kg | 45 lb | 40 lb |
| Intermediate | 0.5× | 80 lb | 37.5 kg | 70 lb | 60 lb |
| Advanced | 0.75× | 120 lb | 55 kg | 105 lb | 90 lb |
| Elite | 1× | 160 lb | 72.5 kg | 135 lb | 120 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 70 lb for 5 clean reps puts you at about 80 lb for one.
Work out your own level from a set
Say you overhead press 65 lb for 6 reps. The Epley formula, 65 × (1 + 6 ÷ 30), puts your max at about 78 lb — Novice for a 160 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 160 lb.
How 160 lb compares to nearby bodyweights
| Bodyweight | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 140 lb | 30 | 50 | 70 | 105 | 140 |
| 150 lb | 30 | 55 | 75 | 115 | 150 |
| 160 lb | 30 | 55 | 80 | 120 | 160 |
| 170 lb | 35 | 60 | 85 | 130 | 170 |
| 180 lb | 35 | 65 | 90 | 135 | 180 |
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 | 25 lb | 10 months | 1 × 5 lb on each side of a 45 lb bar |
| Novice → Intermediate | 25 lb | 10 months | 1 × 10 + 1 × 5 + 1 × 2.5 lb on each side of a 45 lb bar |
| Intermediate → Advanced | 40 lb | 16 months | 1 × 35 + 1 × 2.5 lb on each side of a 45 lb bar |
| Advanced → Elite | 40 lb | 16 months | 1 × 45 + 1 × 10 + 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 120 lb (Advanced), most of your work sits around 70–85% of it: sets of 5 to 8 at 85–95 lb and heavy triples near 100 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: 30 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: 55 lb
Has trained it regularly for several months and still adds weight most sessions or most weeks.
Intermediate: 80 lb
A year or more of consistent training. Progress has slowed to weekly or monthly jumps, and a plan starts to matter.
Advanced: 120 lb
Several years of focused training. Stronger than almost everyone in a typical gym, and every extra pound takes a block of work.
Elite: 160 lb
Competitive strength: what people who train for meets reach after many years. Few lifters ever get here.
Questions
How much should a 160 lb woman overhead press?
A 160 lb woman should overhead press about 80 lb (37.5 kg) for one rep to count as intermediate — 0.5× bodyweight. A beginner lifts about 30 lb, a novice 55 lb, an advanced lifter 120 lb and an elite one 160 lb.
Is a 95 lb overhead press good for a 160 lb woman?
Yes — 95 lb is Intermediate for a 160 lb woman (0.59× bodyweight). The next level, Advanced, starts at 120 lb.
What is an elite overhead press for a 160 lb woman?
160 lb (72.5 kg), which is 1× bodyweight. Advanced starts at 120 lb, so the last step is 40 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. 65 lb for 6 reps works out to a 78 lb max, which is Novice at 160 lb.
Keep going
- Overhead press standards for every bodyweight, men and women
- How much should a 160 lb woman bench?
- How much should a 160 lb woman squat?
- How much should a 160 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 80 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.