Bench Press Strength Standards (kg)
A 102.1 kg (225 lb) bench press beats 22.1% of male competitive powerlifters and beats 97.4% of female competitive powerlifters in the OpenPowerlifting dataset.
This page shows how a bench press ranks for men and women at every bodyweight. The numbers come from the OpenPowerlifting database, a public domain archive of sanctioned meet results, filtered to raw (unequipped) lifts and reduced to each lifter's single best bench so no one is counted twice.
Read it in two parts. The strength levels table uses traditional bodyweight multiples that gym lifters can aim for, from untrained through elite, while the percentile tables rank competitive powerlifters, who are stronger than the average gym-goer. Treat those percentiles as a hard grading curve rather than a snapshot of the general public.
Viewing in kg. Switch to lb
Strength levels by bodyweight
Traditional bodyweight-multiple estimates. Each cell is a bodyweight multiple applied to the row bodyweight, rounded to the nearest 2.5 kg.
Men (kg)
| Bodyweight (kg) | Untrained | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55 | 27.5 | 42.5 | 55 | 82.5 | 110 |
| 65 | 32.5 | 50 | 65 | 97.5 | 130 |
| 75 | 37.5 | 57.5 | 75 | 112.5 | 150 |
| 85 | 42.5 | 65 | 85 | 127.5 | 170 |
| 95 | 47.5 | 72.5 | 95 | 142.5 | 190 |
| 105 | 52.5 | 80 | 105 | 157.5 | 210 |
| 110 | 55 | 82.5 | 110 | 165 | 220 |
Women (kg)
| Bodyweight (kg) | Untrained | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55 | 17.5 | 25 | 32.5 | 50 | 65 |
| 65 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 57.5 | 77.5 |
| 75 | 22.5 | 35 | 45 | 67.5 | 90 |
| 85 | 25 | 37.5 | 50 | 77.5 | 102.5 |
| 95 | 27.5 | 42.5 | 57.5 | 85 | 115 |
| 105 | 32.5 | 47.5 | 62.5 | 95 | 125 |
| 110 | 32.5 | 50 | 65 | 100 | 132.5 |
Percentiles among competitive powerlifters (kg)
Each row is a bodyweight class from the dataset. Columns are the bench press at the 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th, and 99th percentile within that class.
Men (kg)
| Bodyweight class | Lifters | 25th | 50th | 75th | 90th | 99th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| under 56 kg | 8,888 | 40 | 60 | 77.5 | 95 | 150 |
| 56-64 kg | 17,458 | 70 | 85 | 100 | 115 | 152.5 |
| 64-73 kg | 45,811 | 85 | 102.5 | 117.5 | 132.5 | 160 |
| 73-82 kg | 79,997 | 102.5 | 117.5 | 135 | 150 | 177.5 |
| 82-91 kg | 84,555 | 112.5 | 130 | 147.5 | 165 | 197.5 |
| 91-100 kg | 58,728 | 120 | 140 | 160 | 177.5 | 210 |
| 100-109 kg | 45,150 | 127.5 | 150 | 170 | 190 | 225 |
| 109-118 kg | 23,041 | 130 | 155 | 180 | 200 | 237.5 |
| over 118 kg | 34,269 | 140 | 165 | 192.5 | 215 | 257.5 |
Women (kg)
| Bodyweight class | Lifters | 25th | 50th | 75th | 90th | 99th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| under 56 kg | 29,951 | 40 | 47.5 | 57.5 | 67.5 | 90 |
| 56-64 kg | 36,788 | 47.5 | 55 | 67.5 | 77.5 | 100 |
| 64-73 kg | 36,704 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 82.5 | 110 |
| 73-82 kg | 24,478 | 52.5 | 62.5 | 75 | 90 | 120 |
| 82-91 kg | 13,685 | 52.5 | 65 | 77.5 | 90 | 125 |
| 91-100 kg | 6,252 | 55 | 65 | 77.5 | 92.5 | 122.5 |
| 100-109 kg | 4,134 | 57.5 | 67.5 | 80 | 95 | 125 |
| 109-118 kg | 2,508 | 60 | 70 | 82.5 | 97.5 | 132.5 |
| over 118 kg | 3,265 | 62.5 | 75 | 92.5 | 105 | 145 |
How rare is a big bench press?
Percent of competitive powerlifters whose best bench press is below each weight.
| Bench Press (kg) | Percent of men below | Percent of women below |
|---|---|---|
| 60 kg | 3.2% | 57.0% |
| 85 kg | 10.1% | 90.2% |
| 102.5 kg | 22.1% | 97.4% |
| 125 kg | 45.3% | 99.5% |
| 142.5 kg | 67.3% | 99.9% |
| 165 kg | 85.1% | 100.0% |
| 182.5 kg | 92.6% | 100.0% |
Methodology
These standards are computed from the public domain bulk data published by OpenPowerlifting, which aggregates results from sanctioned powerlifting meets. The data is released into the public domain, so it can be reused and republished freely.
Only raw (unequipped) lifts are included, so figures reflect lifts performed without a bench shirt, squat suit, or supportive equipment beyond a belt and sleeves. For each lifter we keep only their single best result on this lift, which prevents someone with many logged meets from counting more than once. This snapshot was generated on 2026-07-11 from 1,876,119 raw competition entries, covering 397,897 men and 157,765 women for the bench press.
One honest caveat: everyone in this dataset chose to compete in powerlifting, and competitive powerlifters are considerably stronger than the general gym population. These percentiles therefore understate how rare a given lift is among all men or women. A lift that beats a modest share of competitors would beat a far larger share of the untrained public.
Frequently asked questions
How rare is a 225 lb bench press?
A 225 lb bench press beats 22.1% of the men in this competitive dataset, so it sits below the middle of the pack among people who compete in powerlifting. Because those lifters are far stronger than average, the same 225 lb bench would beat a much larger share of untrained and recreational gym-goers.
How rare is a 315 lb bench press?
A 315 lb bench press beats 67.3% of male competitive powerlifters, placing it comfortably above the median in a field of dedicated lifters. Among the general gym population it is rarer still, since competitors bench far more than the typical untrained man.
How much should a 200 lb man be able to bench press?
An intermediate 200 lb man should aim for a bench press of about 200 lb, roughly one times bodyweight. In the competitive data the median lifter in the 200-220 lb class benches 309 lb, but that group trains specifically for the lift and is stronger than the average gym member.
What is a good bench press for a woman?
A good bench press for a woman is roughly 0.6 times bodyweight at an intermediate level, about 90 lb for a 150 lb lifter. Among competitive women the median in the 140-160 lb class benches 132 lb, and those lifters are stronger than the typical gym-goer.
What percentage of people can bench 135 lb?
Among competitive powerlifters, about 96.8% of men and 43.0% of women can bench at least 135 lb. These figures come from a population that trains for strength, so in the general public the share who can bench 135 lb is lower, especially among people who do not lift.