Overhead Press standards

Overhead Press standards tell you where your overhead 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 overhead press is the most humbling lift on this list: it moves slowly, it can't be helped by leg drive when done strict, and elite here is close to bodyweight. Standards assume a strict press, not a push press.

Overhead 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	< 61	61	88	116	143	176
120	< 66	66	96	126	156	192
130	< 72	72	104	137	169	208
140	< 77	77	112	147	182	224
150	< 83	83	120	158	195	240
160	< 88	88	128	168	208	256
170	< 94	94	136	179	221	272
180	< 99	99	144	189	234	288
190	< 105	105	152	200	247	304
200	< 110	110	160	210	260	320
210	< 116	116	168	221	273	336
220	< 121	121	176	231	286	352
230	< 127	127	184	242	299	368
240	< 132	132	192	252	312	384
250	< 138	138	200	263	325	400
260	< 143	143	208	273	338	416
270	< 149	149	216	284	351	432
280	< 154	154	224	294	364	448
290	< 160	160	232	305	377	464

Female standards

Body weight (lb)	Beginner	Novice	Intermediate	Advanced	Elite	World class
110	< 39	39	61	83	110	138
120	< 42	42	66	90	120	150
130	< 46	46	72	98	130	163
140	< 49	49	77	105	140	175
150	< 53	53	83	113	150	188
160	< 56	56	88	120	160	200
170	< 59	59	94	128	170	213
180	< 63	63	99	135	180	225
190	< 67	67	105	143	190	238
200	< 70	70	110	150	200	250
210	< 74	74	116	158	210	263
220	< 77	77	121	165	220	275
230	< 81	81	127	173	230	288
240	< 84	84	132	180	240	300
250	< 88	88	138	188	250	313
260	< 91	91	143	195	260	325
270	< 95	95	149	203	270	338
280	< 98	98	154	210	280	350
290	< 102	102	160	218	290	363

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 overhead 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 overhead 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 overhead 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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