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Strength standards: how strong are you?
Enter your body weight and a recent set on the squat, bench press, deadlift or overhead press. You get your estimated 1RM, your level from beginner to elite, and the weight for the next level.
Find your strength level
Your level
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Benchmarks for your body weight
| 1RM | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite |
|---|
Short answer: a common intermediate benchmark for a man is a squat of about 1.5 × body weight, a bench press of 1.25 × and a deadlift of 2 ×. For a woman: about 1.25 ×, 0.75 × and 1.25 ×. For a man weighing 80 kg, that is a 120 kg squat, a 100 kg bench press and a 160 kg deadlift.
Strength standards for men
Estimated 1RM as a multiple of body weight. Each column is the threshold to reach that level.
| Exercise | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Squat | 0.75 × | 1.25 × | 1.5 × | 2.25 × | 2.75 × |
| Bench press | 0.5 × | 0.75 × | 1.25 × | 1.5 × | 2 × |
| Deadlift | 1 × | 1.5 × | 2 × | 2.5 × | 3 × |
| Overhead press | 0.4 × | 0.55 × | 0.8 × | 1.05 × | 1.35 × |
Strength standards for women
| Exercise | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Squat | 0.5 × | 0.75 × | 1.25 × | 1.5 × | 2 × |
| Bench press | 0.25 × | 0.5 × | 0.75 × | 1 × | 1.5 × |
| Deadlift | 0.5 × | 1 × | 1.25 × | 1.75 × | 2.5 × |
| Overhead press | 0.2 × | 0.35 × | 0.5 × | 0.75 × | 1 × |
What do the levels mean?
- Beginner: a first benchmark, usually reached in the first weeks of regular training once the technique is in place.
- Novice: a few months of consistent training with a programme. Progress still comes almost every week.
- Intermediate: often one to two years of structured training. Progress slows down and needs a plan.
- Advanced: several years of focused training on the lift. Each gain takes months.
- Elite: a level close to competitive lifters. Few people reach it on every lift.
How to read these standards
- They are rounded benchmarks compiled by STARK from commonly published strength standards, not a scientific norm.
- Ratios favour lighter lifters: lifting 2 × body weight is harder at 110 kg than at 60 kg. Age, height and limb length matter too.
- They assume full range of motion and standard technique: a squat to at least parallel, a bench press touching the chest, a deadlift from the floor and a standing press.
- The best comparison is still with yourself: the same lift, logged session after session.
Watch your level go up, set by set
STARK estimates your 1RM from every set you log, keeps your personal records and shows which lifts are progressing. Free on iPhone, with Apple Watch.
Frequently asked questions
Is a 100 kg bench press good?
It depends on your body weight. For a man weighing 80 kg, 100 kg is 1.25 × body weight: the intermediate benchmark on this page. For a man weighing 100 kg, it is 1 ×, between novice and intermediate. For a woman weighing 65 kg, it is above the advanced benchmark.
How much should I squat for my body weight?
A common intermediate benchmark is about 1.5 × body weight for men and 1.25 × for women. Enter your body weight above to see every level in kilograms or pounds.
Where do these standards come from?
They are rounded body-weight ratios compiled by STARK from commonly published strength standards for adults lifting with a barbell. They are benchmarks to find your bearings, not a scientific norm: age, height, limb length and training history all change what is realistic.
Do I need to test my 1RM?
No. The calculator estimates your 1RM from a set of 1 to 10 reps, the same way as the 1RM calculator. A hard set of 3 to 6 reps gives a good estimate with far less risk than a true max attempt.
How do I reach the next level?
Follow a programme that trains the lift at least twice a week, log every set and add weight or reps when your plan says so. Early levels come within months; the last ones take years of consistent training.