Bench Press standards

Bench Press standards tell you where your bench press sits against everyone else's, once bodyweight is taken into account. Enter your weight and one honest set below, and the calculator places it in one of six bands — then the tables show exactly what each band costs at every bodyweight.

The bench press is the most compared lift in any gym and the one most distorted by leverages — arm length and chest depth change the bar path enough to matter. Bands here assume a paused or controlled touch, not a bounce.

Bench Press standards by bodyweight

Estimated one-rep max needed to enter each band, in the unit selected above.

Male standards

Body weight (lb)	Beginner	Novice	Intermediate	Advanced	Elite	World class
110	< 83	83	138	193	220	270
120	< 90	90	150	210	240	294
130	< 98	98	163	228	260	319
140	< 105	105	175	245	280	343
150	< 113	113	188	263	300	368
160	< 120	120	200	280	320	392
170	< 128	128	213	298	340	417
180	< 135	135	225	315	360	441
190	< 143	143	238	333	380	466
200	< 150	150	250	350	400	490
210	< 158	158	263	368	420	515
220	< 165	165	275	385	440	539
230	< 173	173	288	403	460	564
240	< 180	180	300	420	480	588
250	< 188	188	313	438	500	613
260	< 195	195	325	455	520	637
270	< 203	203	338	473	540	662
280	< 210	210	350	490	560	686
290	< 218	218	363	508	580	711

Female standards

Body weight (lb)	Beginner	Novice	Intermediate	Advanced	Elite	World class
110	< 55	55	83	110	154	193
120	< 60	60	90	120	168	210
130	< 65	65	98	130	182	228
140	< 70	70	105	140	196	245
150	< 75	75	113	150	210	263
160	< 80	80	120	160	224	280
170	< 85	85	128	170	238	298
180	< 90	90	135	180	252	315
190	< 95	95	143	190	266	333
200	< 100	100	150	200	280	350
210	< 105	105	158	210	294	368
220	< 110	110	165	220	308	385
230	< 115	115	173	230	322	403
240	< 120	120	180	240	336	420
250	< 125	125	188	250	350	438
260	< 130	130	195	260	364	455
270	< 135	135	203	270	378	473
280	< 140	140	210	280	392	490
290	< 145	145	218	290	406	508

How your band is worked out

Your set becomes an estimated 1RM with the Epley formula, that estimate is divided by your bodyweight, and the ratio is placed against the table for your sex. So five reps counts — you never have to test a true max to find out where you stand.

Because the bands are ratios, gaining weight moves you down the table unless the bench press moves with you. That's not a flaw; it's the comparison working correctly.

If the band is lower than you hoped

Almost everyone is uneven — strong on one lift, average on another — and the gap is the most useful thing on this page, because it names your next training block. A lagging bench press responds to the same things everything else does: progressive overload, enough hard sets, and a log that stops you from repeating last month.

Tanko Pro places every canonical lift you log on these bands automatically and paints them onto a muscle map, so the weak link surfaces without you checking a table.

Frequently asked questions

What is a good bench press?

It depends on your bodyweight and sex, which is what the tables above are for. As a rule of thumb, the intermediate band is what a couple of years of consistent training produces.

Do I need to test a 1RM to use this?

No. Enter any set of 1–12 reps and the calculator estimates your max from it.

Are these standards for raw lifting?

Yes — no supportive equipment beyond a belt. Sleeves, wraps and suits move numbers enough to make the comparison meaningless.

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