FitForge

Bench press Standards

How much should you bench for your bodyweight? Check your level and the full bench press standards table for men and women.

Units
Sex
lb
lb
reps

Your bench press level

Beginner

Estimated 1RM 100 lb · 0.57× bodyweight

32 lb more to reach Novice.

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Bench press standards by bodyweight (lb, one rep max)

BodyweightBeginnerNoviceIntermediateAdvancedElite
12070100135205275
13575110150220295
15080120160235315
16585125170255335
18090135180270360
20095145190290385
220100155205305410
240110160215325435
275120180235355475
310130195255385515

What the levels mean

  • Beginner: Can perform the lift with correct form; a few weeks of training.
  • Novice: Several months of consistent training.
  • Intermediate: One to two years of structured training.
  • Advanced: Multiple years of dedicated training; competitive at local meets.
  • Elite: Top few percent of drug-tested competitive lifters.

FitForge standards are bodyweight multiples at a reference bodyweight (80 kg for men, 60 kg for women), scaled by bodyweight to the power of two-thirds. That scaling reflects a well-established finding in strength research: strength rises with muscle cross-sectional area, which grows slower than bodyweight. It is why a 60 kg lifter benching 1.5× bodyweight and a 110 kg lifter benching 1.25× can be equally strong for their size. The multiples are rounded benchmarks in line with common coaching standards, not percentiles from a database.

The bench is usually the lift that stalls first. Pressing two or three times a week with varied rep ranges, plus overhead pressing and rows, keeps it moving. Compare every lift on the strength standards calculator.

Questions lifters ask

How much should I bench press?

An intermediate man benches about his bodyweight and an intermediate woman about three-quarters of hers, adjusted for size. Enter yours for an exact number.

Do I need to test a true max to use these bench press standards?

No. Enter any hard set of up to about 10 reps and the calculator estimates your one rep max from seven formulas.

Why are the standards not a simple multiple of bodyweight?

Strength scales with muscle cross-section, which grows slower than bodyweight, so heavier lifters lift less per kilogram. The standards scale with bodyweight to the power of two-thirds to reflect that.

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