About 150 lb (67.5 kg) for one rep. That is the start of the Intermediate level for a 120 lb woman: 1.25 times bodyweight, where most people land after a year or so of steady training. A beginner squats about 60 lb, and an elite lifter at the same bodyweight squats 240 lb.
Squat standards for a 120 lb woman
| Level | × bodyweight | 1 rep | kg | 5 reps | 10 reps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 0.5× | 60 lb | 27.5 kg | 50 lb | 45 lb |
| Novice | 0.75× | 90 lb | 40 kg | 75 lb | 70 lb |
| Intermediate | 1.25× | 150 lb | 67.5 kg | 130 lb | 115 lb |
| Advanced | 1.5× | 180 lb | 82.5 kg | 155 lb | 135 lb |
| Elite | 2× | 240 lb | 110 kg | 205 lb | 180 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 130 lb for 5 clean reps puts you at about 150 lb for one.
Work out your own level from a set
Say you squat 125 lb for 6 reps. The Epley formula, 125 × (1 + 6 ÷ 30), puts your max at about 150 lb — Intermediate for a 120 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 120 lb.
How 120 lb compares to nearby bodyweights
| Bodyweight | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 lb | 50 | 75 | 125 | 150 | 200 |
| 110 lb | 55 | 85 | 140 | 165 | 220 |
| 120 lb | 60 | 90 | 150 | 180 | 240 |
| 130 lb | 65 | 100 | 165 | 195 | 260 |
| 140 lb | 70 | 105 | 175 | 210 | 280 |
Every 10 lb of bodyweight moves the intermediate mark by about 12.5 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 10 lb a month | Loaded on the bar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner → Novice | 30 lb | 3 months | 2 × 10 + 1 × 2.5 lb on each side of a 45 lb bar |
| Novice → Intermediate | 60 lb | 6 months | 1 × 45 + 1 × 5 + 1 × 2.5 lb on each side of a 45 lb bar |
| Intermediate → Advanced | 30 lb | 3 months | 1 × 45 + 2 × 10 + 1 × 2.5 lb on each side of a 45 lb bar |
| Advanced → Elite | 60 lb | 6 months | 2 × 45 + 1 × 5 + 1 × 2.5 lb on each side of a 45 lb bar |
The months column assumes you keep adding 10 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 180 lb (Advanced), most of your work sits around 70–85% of it: sets of 5 to 8 at 125–145 lb and heavy triples near 155 lb. Brace before you descend, sit to at least parallel, and drive your back up as fast as your hips.
What the levels mean
Beginner: 60 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: 90 lb
Has trained it regularly for several months and still adds weight most sessions or most weeks.
Intermediate: 150 lb
A year or more of consistent training. Progress has slowed to weekly or monthly jumps, and a plan starts to matter.
Advanced: 180 lb
Several years of focused training. Stronger than almost everyone in a typical gym, and every extra pound takes a block of work.
Elite: 240 lb
Competitive strength: what people who train for meets reach after many years. Few lifters ever get here.
Questions
How much should a 120 lb woman squat?
A 120 lb woman should squat about 150 lb (67.5 kg) for one rep to count as intermediate — 1.25× bodyweight. A beginner lifts about 60 lb, a novice 90 lb, an advanced lifter 180 lb and an elite one 240 lb.
Is a 185 lb squat good for a 120 lb woman?
Yes — 185 lb is Advanced for a 120 lb woman (1.54× bodyweight). The next level, Elite, starts at 240 lb.
What is an elite squat for a 120 lb woman?
240 lb (110 kg), which is 2× bodyweight. Advanced starts at 180 lb, so the last step is 60 lb on its own.
How do I find my squat max without testing a single?
Lift a weight you can move for 3 to 8 clean reps and put it through the Epley formula. 125 lb for 6 reps works out to a 150 lb max, which is Intermediate at 120 lb.
Keep going
- Squat standards for every bodyweight, men and women
- How much should a 120 lb woman bench?
- How much should a 120 lb woman deadlift?
- How much should a 120 lb woman overhead press?
- How to do the squat, step by step
- Barbell leg workouts
- Leg day workout
- Upper/lower split or push pull legs to build a week around it
- Plates for 150 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.