Bench Press Standards
The bench press is the lift everyone knows their number on, which is exactly why the numbers are so inflated. A one-plate bench (60 kg or 135 lb) is a milestone most gym-goers reach; two plates (100 kg or 225 lb) separates the trained from the casual; three plates (140 kg or 315 lb) is genuinely strong for a lifter who does not compete.
The number that actually means something is not the plates on the bar, it is the bar relative to your bodyweight. A 70 kg lifter benching bodyweight is doing something a 100 kg lifter benching the same absolute weight is not. That is what the standard below corrects for.
Enter what you lifted, for how many reps, and your bodyweight to see where you land.
Bench Press standards by bodyweight ratio
Each level as a multiple of your bodyweight. Multiply by your own bodyweight for your target, or use the calculator above to do it for you.
| Level | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| BeginnerA few months of practice | 0.50x | 0.31x |
| NoviceAround six months in | 0.75x | 0.46x |
| IntermediateOne to two years of consistent training | 1.25x | 0.78x |
| AdvancedSeveral years, competitive-adjacent | 1.75x | 1.08x |
| EliteCompetitive powerlifter territory | 2.00x | 1.24x |
Test it honestly
- Use a full range of motion: bar touches the chest, then locks out. A half-rep bench is a different, easier lift.
- Pause briefly on the chest if you want the honest number. Bounced reps borrow from your ribcage, not your chest and triceps.
- Test a heavy set of 1 to 5 reps once you are warm. The calculator turns any rep count into an estimated one-rep max.
If your bench is far ahead of your overhead press and row, that is not a strong bench, it is an unbalanced upper body. Chase the press and the back up to it before you chase a bigger bench.
Common questions
What is a good bench press?
For a male lifter, benching your bodyweight is a solid novice-to-intermediate mark, 1.25 times bodyweight is a genuine intermediate bench, and 1.5 times or more is advanced. For a female lifter the same tiers land near 0.5, 0.75, and 1.0 times bodyweight. It always depends on your bodyweight, which is why the calculator asks for it.
Is a 225 lb (100 kg) bench good?
For most male lifters, yes. At a bodyweight around 80 kg (176 lb) a 100 kg bench is roughly 1.25 times bodyweight, which is a true intermediate lift that takes one to two years of consistent training. At a much heavier bodyweight the same 100 kg is less impressive relative to your size.
How long does it take to bench 1.5x bodyweight?
For a natural male lifter training consistently, an intermediate-to-advanced bench (1.25 to 1.5 times bodyweight) typically takes two to four years. Progress is fast in the first year and slows sharply after, so the last quarter-bodyweight of ratio can take longer than the first full bodyweight did.
Log your bench in Vora
Vora tracks your estimated one-rep max on the bench press every session, catches every PR, and applies progressive overload automatically. Free on iPhone and Android.
