About 215 lb (97.5 kg) for one rep. That is the start of the Intermediate level for a 170 lb woman: 1.25 times bodyweight, where most people land after a year or so of steady training. A beginner squats about 85 lb, and an elite lifter at the same bodyweight squats 340 lb.
Squat standards for a 170 lb woman
| Level | × bodyweight | 1 rep | kg | 5 reps | 10 reps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 0.5× | 85 lb | 37.5 kg | 75 lb | 65 lb |
| Novice | 0.75× | 130 lb | 60 kg | 110 lb | 100 lb |
| Intermediate | 1.25× | 215 lb | 97.5 kg | 185 lb | 160 lb |
| Advanced | 1.5× | 255 lb | 115 kg | 220 lb | 190 lb |
| Elite | 2× | 340 lb | 155 kg | 290 lb | 255 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 185 lb for 5 clean reps puts you at about 215 lb for one.
Work out your own level from a set
Say you squat 180 lb for 6 reps. The Epley formula, 180 × (1 + 6 ÷ 30), puts your max at about 216 lb — Intermediate for a 170 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 170 lb.
How 170 lb compares to nearby bodyweights
| Bodyweight | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 150 lb | 75 | 115 | 190 | 225 | 300 |
| 160 lb | 80 | 120 | 200 | 240 | 320 |
| 170 lb | 85 | 130 | 215 | 255 | 340 |
| 180 lb | 90 | 135 | 225 | 270 | 360 |
| 190 lb | 95 | 145 | 240 | 285 | 380 |
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 | 45 lb | 5 months | 1 × 35 + 1 × 5 + 1 × 2.5 lb on each side of a 45 lb bar |
| Novice → Intermediate | 85 lb | 9 months | 1 × 45 + 1 × 35 + 1 × 5 lb on each side of a 45 lb bar |
| Intermediate → Advanced | 40 lb | 4 months | 2 × 45 + 1 × 10 + 1 × 5 lb on each side of a 45 lb bar |
| Advanced → Elite | 85 lb | 9 months | 3 × 45 + 1 × 10 + 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 255 lb (Advanced), most of your work sits around 70–85% of it: sets of 5 to 8 at 180–205 lb and heavy triples near 215 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: 85 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: 130 lb
Has trained it regularly for several months and still adds weight most sessions or most weeks.
Intermediate: 215 lb
A year or more of consistent training. Progress has slowed to weekly or monthly jumps, and a plan starts to matter.
Advanced: 255 lb
Several years of focused training. Stronger than almost everyone in a typical gym, and every extra pound takes a block of work.
Elite: 340 lb
Competitive strength: what people who train for meets reach after many years. Few lifters ever get here.
Questions
How much should a 170 lb woman squat?
A 170 lb woman should squat about 215 lb (97.5 kg) for one rep to count as intermediate — 1.25× bodyweight. A beginner lifts about 85 lb, a novice 130 lb, an advanced lifter 255 lb and an elite one 340 lb.
Is a 185 lb squat good for a 170 lb woman?
Yes — 185 lb is Novice for a 170 lb woman (1.09× bodyweight). The next level, Intermediate, starts at 215 lb.
What is an elite squat for a 170 lb woman?
340 lb (155 kg), which is 2× bodyweight. Advanced starts at 255 lb, so the last step is 85 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. 180 lb for 6 reps works out to a 216 lb max, which is Intermediate at 170 lb.
Keep going
- Squat standards for every bodyweight, men and women
- How much should a 170 lb woman bench?
- How much should a 170 lb woman deadlift?
- How much should a 170 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 215 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.