05 · Strength standards

Is my lift any good?

See whether your lift is beginner, intermediate, advanced or elite for your bodyweight, and exactly how much you need for the next level.

About the strength standards calculator

Is your lift any good? This calculator puts your bench press, back squat, deadlift or overhead press on a scale from Beginner to Elite for your bodyweight and sex, and tells you exactly how much you’d need for the next level.

Enter a one-rep max, or a recent set and it estimates one for you.

How it works

Each level is a multiple of bodyweight: your one-rep max divided by what you weigh. The ratios are the ones published adult standards (Strength Level, ExRx, Symmetric Strength) cluster around, rounded to numbers that are easy to remember. They aren’t from a single study, and they don’t adjust for age.

Roughly: Beginner is where most people are after a few weeks of training, Novice after a few months, Intermediate after a couple of years of steady work, Advanced is a serious gym lifter, and Elite is competitive.

A straight ratio flatters lighter lifters a little and is hard on heavier ones, because strength doesn’t grow as fast as bodyweight. For a fairer comparison across sizes, use the Wilks, DOTS and GL calculator.

Where each level starts, as a multiple of bodyweight (men / women)
Lift	Beginner	Novice	Intermediate	Advanced	Elite
Bench press	0.5× / 0.25×	0.75× / 0.5×	1× / 0.75×	1.5× / 1×	2× / 1.5×
Back squat	0.75× / 0.5×	1.25× / 0.75×	1.5× / 1.25×	2.25× / 1.5×	2.75× / 2×
Deadlift	1× / 0.5×	1.5× / 1×	2× / 1.25×	2.5× / 1.75×	3× / 2.5×
Overhead press	0.35× / 0.2×	0.55× / 0.35×	0.75× / 0.5×	1.05× / 0.75×	1.35× / 1×

A worked example

A man who weighs 180 lb and benches 225 lb has a ratio of 1.25. That clears Intermediate (1.0× bodyweight, 180 lb).

The next level, Advanced, starts at 1.5× bodyweight: 270 lb, or 45 lb more than he lifts now.

Questions

What is a good bench press for my weight?

For men, benching your bodyweight puts you at Intermediate here, and 1.5 times bodyweight at Advanced. For women, 0.75 times bodyweight is Intermediate and bodyweight is Advanced.

Do these standards account for age?

No. They are adult standards with no age adjustment, so treat them as a rough guide if you are a teenager or over about 50.

Why is it harder to rank well if I’m heavier?

Strength grows more slowly than bodyweight, so a straight ratio is generous to light lifters and tough on heavy ones. Wilks, DOTS and IPF GL points correct for that.

Can I use a set instead of a max?

Yes. Enter a weight and reps and the calculator estimates your max with the Epley formula, the same one the one-rep max calculator and the Splyt app use.

How long does it take to reach Intermediate?

For most people, a couple of years of consistent training. Newer lifters move through Beginner and Novice much faster.

Related tools

Wilks, DOTS and IPF GL calculator — Your total, scored three ways federations do.
One-rep max calculator — Your best set in, a max and every percentage out.
RPE calculator — Effort to load, and a set back to a max.
What powerlifters actually lift — real meet results from 182,000 raw lifters, by weight class and bodyweight

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