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Bench Press Standards — How Heavy Should Your Bench Be?

Presser 6 days ago

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“How much ya bench?” Whether it’s your first experience in the gym or you’ve loaded up your best barbell countless times for heavy training, this question always seems to present itself when talking about strength. While there’s no magic weight total that constitutes a good bench press — everybody’s body is different — there are generalized averages that can help you determine whether your one-rep max is aligned with typical bench press standards.

With help from our team of certified fitness experts and weightlifting enthusiasts, we’ve compiled the following bench press strength standards to provide some guidance on benchmarks (get it?) based on your fitness level, body weight, age, and gender. It’s important to remember, though, that these metrics are guidelines rather than strict requirements. Every athlete is different, but when used appropriately, bench press standards can be beneficial when trying to gauge your in-gym progress, set new fitness goals, or even when looking for a quick boost of confidence.

Key Takeaways

A standard bench press weight for intermediate female lifters is 0.70 times their body weight, or roughly 119.6 pounds based on current body weight averages for women in the US. (1)
A standard bench press weight for intermediate male lifters is 1.15 times their body weight, or roughly 229.8 pounds based on current body weight averages for men in the US. (1)
Multiple factors are used when determining these strength training numbers, including age, gender, body weight, and fitness level, among others.
Data is not listed for nonbinary athletes.

Experts Who Contributed

Bench Press Standards

The following measurements showcase relative strength standards for the bench press exercise based on a wide range of factors such as body weight, age, gender, training experience, and fitness level. The amount of weight listed in these charts reflects an individual’s projected one-rep max (1RM), or how much an athlete can lift successfully for a single repetition. These guidelines were crafted based on insight from our expert-led team as well as user-provided data from two trusted weight training sites, StrengthLog and Strength Level. (2)(3)

Jake Benching with the Gymreapers Wrist Wraps — Jake Benching with Rogue plates and Gymreapers Wrist Wraps.

You’ll notice, too, that we’ve broken down fitness levels across five generalized monikers. We understand that classifying oneself as a beginner or advanced lifter can be subjective, so here is the rationale behind each category, per insight from StrengthLog. (2)

Beginner: This class of athlete is relatively new to training with roughly one month of consistent bench press frequency following proper technique and form. Generally, beginner athletes are stronger than roughly 5% of the lifting community.
Novice: Novice athletes have more experience in the gym and are generally stronger than 20% of the lifting population. A novice will likely have at least six months of experience in performing the bench press with proper form and technique.
Intermediate: Intermediate athletes have routinely been performing the bench press exercise for at least two years with a relative level of comfortability and efficiency. Because of this consistent work toward building strength, intermediate athletes are generally stronger than 50% of lifters.
Advanced: This athlete class has been practicing weight training for at least five years with multiple strength increases throughout that timeframe. An advanced lifter is generally stronger than 80% of the lifting population.
Elite: Elite athletes are, in a sense, competitive weightlifters or powerlifters with over five years of training experience. As a result, elite athletes are considered stronger than 95% of lifters. Classifying oneself as ‘Elite’ does not mean you need to have competed in a powerlifting, Olympic weightlifting, or bodybuilding competition, but we’ve often found these aspirations and goals are prominent within the group itself.

Editor’s Note: BW refers to body weight in pounds (lbs)

A Note on Gender Inclusivity

Similar to squat standards and other strength training recommendations, these average bench press weight standards were not compiled from data inclusive of nonbinary athletes. These individuals can still utilize the data, though, according to Alex Polish, transmasculine certified personal trainer and BarBend editorial team member. “Trans and nonbinary athletes aren’t typically considered in mainstream fitness data, but the information can still be useful if you know how to interpret it.

“I’ve personally used many strategies in determining my strength standards,” Polish adds. “For example, before I was on HRT (hormone replacement therapy) and when I was on T for less than one year, I based my fitness goals around standards assigned to male athletes, but was extra gentle with myself when my performance was closer to standards of my gender assigned at birth. After being on HRT for a few years now, I typically average the numbers for male and female athletes together to create my own goals, even though the lifts I aspire to perform mostly skew toward the ‘for men’ side of the spectrum.”

Whether adopting a practice to help determine your own strength goals, Polish notes that this decision can be dependent on a range of personal factors, including but not limited to your body’s in-gym abilities, your current fitness level, and your HRT status. Take the above standards how you please and find a methodology that works for your interests best. Remember, too, that all of these numbers are merely guidelines, not gospel.

Average Bench Press for Men

Below are some average bench press one-rep maxes for each male fitness level. These average male bench press totals were calculated with the formulas listed above based on the average male body weight for Americans. Per the CDC, the average American male weighs 199.8 pounds. (1)

Bench Press Strength Standards for Men

Average Bench Press for Women

We’ve also gone ahead and calculated the average bench press for women based on the five fitness level monikers. These averages were landed upon through the aforementioned formulas (derived from user-generated lifts) using the average body weight of American female athletes. Per the CDC, the average American female weighs 170.8 pounds. (1)

Bench Press Strength Standards for Women

How Much Should I Bench Press?

According to Jake Boly, former BarBend editorial team member and certified strength and conditioning specialist, “The bench press is both a simple and complex movement. It takes a lot more than simply laying down and pressing weight to be efficient with this movement.” As such, determining how much your bench press total should be is related to a number of factors including your fitness level, training experience, age, body weight, and gender.

When looking to calculate your own bench press standard, use the aforementioned charts as guidance, erring on the side of caution when it comes to adding weight. Having too much on the barbell can lead to common bench press mistakes that may compromise form and put you at risk for injury. As you build muscle and increase body strength through consistent training, your bench press totals should increase, as well.

How to Bench Press Heavier

OK, so you’ve answered the question, “How much should I be able to bench press?” With this information in hand, you can now set your goals either to achieve your calculated bench standard or to improve your one-rep max through proper training protocols that focus on the muscle groups worked during the movement. Below are a handful of tips for how to increase your bench press.

Find a Program

A great starting point for your journey toward heavier bench totals is a well-rounded training program. The best bench press programs are designed to help you maximize performance, utilizing proper warm-ups and periodization techniques to achieve stronger results. Using your bench press standard metrics, you can structure your workout sessions around your one-rep max and program effectively to increase totals over a projected amount of time.

Our tester bench pressing with Nike Grind Bumper Plates

While these programs can be taken on individually, we do recommend having a spotter handy when it comes time to perform heavier lifts or weights you may not be comfortable with. While increasing your bench press weight with some of the best weight plates is a necessity when chasing down heavier totals, that shouldn’t open the door to unsafe training. If you must go about lifting on your own, make sure to take full advantage of any safety mechanisms featured across some of the best power racks and weight benches including spotter arms, catches, and more.

Implement Progressive Overload

In relation to bench press programming, it can also be helpful to implement some progressive overload in your training. Jake Boly, certified strength and conditioning specialist, defines progressive overload as, “A gradual and trackable increase of stress on the body to warrant a goal-oriented adaptation.” In essence, this means that you’re intentionally placing your body under stress in order to support muscle growth. This can come in the form of increased weight, shorter periods in between sets, movement intensity, and more.

When looking at progressive overload, it’s important to remember, too, that these upticks in programming stress should be gradual, manageable, scalable, and trackable. Excessive stress can stall your progress, potentially leading to loss of motivation and even potential injuries. Scale your stimuli based on your personal comfort levels and continue to progress toward your goals — a higher bench total is a marathon, not a sprint.

Master Your Technique

You can’t expect to improve your bench press performance if you aren’t practicing the proper form. Many bench press tips focus on achieving proper form and maintaining control of the barbell through the entire range of motion. These tips and tricks can include changes to your grip, foot placement, and body alignment on the bench, among others.

Our tester bench pressing with the REP Fitness Double Black Diamond Power Bar. — Jake bench pressing with the REP Fitness Double Black Diamond Power Bar

If you’re looking to improve your form, it’s best to train with a weight you can comfortably control, focusing on performing the lift as efficiently as possible rather than the amount of weight moved in the process. Another good practice is to run through a mental checklist as you perform the bench press, keeping tabs on all factors as you un-rack, lower, press, and re-rack the bar. These habits can soon become second nature, potentially lowering the chance of injury as your weight totals begin to increase.

Plan Accessory Lifts Around Your Bench Press

While you’ll certainly have some time on your best weight bench if your aim is to improve your bench press, your entire program shouldn’t be focused around this single exercise. A well-rounded bench press program for increasing muscle mass can have an abundance of integrated accessory lifts such as the dumbbell bench press, push-ups, and more. These accessory exercises can help you target any weaknesses in your strength profile, allowing you to work through plateaus more easily. These can also keep your training volume high while potentially avoiding excessive strain on your joints that can result from extensive barbell bench pressing.

Adding some of the best bench press accessory exercises to your routine can also help avoid burnout. Benching non-stop can begin to wear on your mental state, especially if you aren’t progressing as much as you’d prefer in terms of your one-rep max. Accessory lifts and supporting exercises can give you a lane to still work toward bench press goals without necessarily hitting the weight bench day in and day out.

Methodology

This bench press strength standards piece references the one-rep max (1RM) you can shoot for at each phase of your fitness journey. We researched the data of reputable weight training apps — including StrengthLog, Strength Level, and ExRx — and our in-house credentialed experts examined the ranges and found the averages they believe are both achievable and effective. (2)(3)

Bench Press Standards FAQs

How do I increase my bench press weight?

You can increase your bench press weight through goal-oriented training protocols and utilizing progressive overload to achieve muscular development. As you consistently train the proper muscle groups through the bench press and accessory exercises, you can expect to see some strength increases over time.

Why can’t I bench press heavy?

A lighter bench press total can be the result of a variety of factors such as improper technique, inadequate strength levels across your upper body, weaker supporting muscle groups, improper grip placement across the barbell, inadequate range of motion, and more. However, all of these issues can generally be resolved through proper training regimens and a heightened focus on the exercise. Corrections and improvements can be easily made provided you’re interested and determined to work toward a better bench press total.

How rare is a 185-pound bench press?

The rarity of a 185-pound bench press one-rep max is entirely dependent on an athlete’s training experience, fitness level, age, gender, and body weight. Per our bench press strength standards chart, for example, many novice male athletes weighing 200 pounds or more may be able to successfully achieve this 1RM. This possibility increases with experience and fitness levels as athletes grow stronger with consistent training.

What percentage of men can bench press 225 pounds?

Determining the percentage of male athletes capable of a 225-pound one-rep max on bench press is difficult, as the exercise can be influenced by a wide range of factors including experience level, fitness level, age, body weight, and gender. From our bench press strength standards chart, we found that 49 body weight groups across five fitness level categories did not reach a 225-pound bench press max. But, the probability that you can hit this weight increases with higher body weight and more extensive in-gym experience.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, September 10). FASTSTATS – body measurements. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/body-measurements.htm
Bench Press Strength Standards for men and women (LB). StrengthLog. (2024, June 7). https://www.strengthlog.com/bench-press-strength-standards-lb/
Bench press standards for men and women (LB). Strength Level. (n.d.). https://strengthlevel.com/strength-standards/bench-press

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