Overhead press standards by bodyweight (lb, one rep max)
| Bodyweight | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 120 | 50 | 75 | 100 | 135 | 175 |
| 135 | 50 | 80 | 110 | 150 | 190 |
| 150 | 55 | 85 | 120 | 160 | 205 |
| 165 | 60 | 95 | 125 | 170 | 220 |
| 180 | 65 | 100 | 135 | 180 | 230 |
| 200 | 65 | 105 | 145 | 190 | 250 |
| 220 | 70 | 110 | 155 | 205 | 265 |
| 240 | 75 | 120 | 160 | 215 | 280 |
| 275 | 85 | 130 | 180 | 235 | 310 |
| 310 | 90 | 140 | 195 | 255 | 335 |
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.
These numbers assume a strict standing press, no leg drive. A push press will read noticeably higher. Compare every lift on the strength standards calculator.