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barbell clean and press Strength Standards

Quick Answer barbell clean and press

A 180 lb male with an Intermediate-level barbell clean and press of 116 lbs ranks at the 50th percentile (FVCP), stronger than ~50% of lifters. An Advanced lifter at this weight lifts 151 lbs (0.84x bodyweight).

FitnessVolt Competition Percentile (FVCP), based on 2.5M+ verified competition results

barbell clean and press demonstration
Competition-Derived

How strong is your barbell clean and press? Compare your 1RM against standards for 21 bodyweight categories, from Beginner to Elite.

Primary Muscles quads
Equipment barbell
Data Points 71 rows
Difficulty Advanced
Type Compound

Estimated Standards - Estimated from shoulder-press standards using a 0.8x ratio.. These values are derived from verified competition data for the base exercise. Learn about our methodology

How Strong Is Your barbell clean and press?

Your FVCP:
FitnessVolt Competition Percentile, based on 2.5M+ verified results
th percentile
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to track your progress over time.

How Much Should You barbell clean and press?

1RM weight (lbs) you should be able to lift at each standard, based on your bodyweight.

BW (lbs) Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
110 26 43 66 94 125
120 31 50 74 103 135
130 36 56 82 112 145
140 41 62 89 120 155
150 46 68 96 129 164
160 50 74 102 136 173
170 55 79 109 144 182
180 60 85 116 151 190
190 64 90 122 158 198
200 69 95 128 166 206
210 73 101 134 172 214
220 78 106 140 179 221
230 82 110 146 186 228
240 86 115 151 191 234
250 90 120 157 198 242
260 94 125 162 203 248
270 98 129 167 210 254
280 102 134 172 215 261
290 106 138 177 221 266
300 109 142 182 226 273
310 113 146 186 231 278

How Does Age Affect barbell clean and press Strength?

How barbell clean and press standards change across different age groups. Values represent a 1RM in lbs.

Age Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
15 45 68 97 131 169
20 51 78 110 150 193
25 53 79 114 154 198
30 53 79 114 154 198
35 53 79 114 154 198
40 53 79 114 154 198
45 50 75 108 146 188
50 46 70 101 137 176
55 43 66 94 126 163
60 39 60 86 116 149
65 36 54 77 105 134
70 32 49 70 94 121
75 29 43 62 84 108
80 26 38 55 75 97
85 23 34 50 67 86
90 21 31 45 61 78

What Do barbell clean and press Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are learning to hit proper depth on the barbell clean and press, building ankle and hip mobility, and developing the bracing pattern needed to keep your torso upright under load.

Novice

Stronger than 20% of lifters. You can execute the barbell clean and press with consistent depth and bracing. You are adding weight session to session using linear progression and building foundational leg strength.

Intermediate

Stronger than 50% of lifters. Your barbell clean and press technique is solid through heavy loads. You use periodized programming, understand RPE-based autoregulation, and can grind through sticking points without form breakdown.

Advanced

Stronger than 80% of lifters. You have refined your barbell clean and press stance, bar position, and breathing to maximize leverage. You train with block periodization, manage fatigue across training cycles, and likely compete or train at a competitive level.

Elite

Stronger than 95% of lifters. Your barbell clean and press is at a regional or national competitive standard. You have years of structured peaking cycles behind you and have optimized every technical detail from walkout to lockout.

How to Progress Your barbell clean and press

Tier-specific training recommendations to move your barbell clean and press to the next level.

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the barbell clean and press 2x per week, focusing on hitting consistent depth every rep.
  • Use linear progression: add 5 lbs each session as long as form stays solid.
  • Record sets at RPE 6-7 to build volume without excessive fatigue.
  • Prioritize ankle and hip mobility work before each session.
Track your E1RM progress →
Novice → Intermediate Structured Progression
  • Switch from linear to weekly periodization (e.g., light/medium/heavy days).
  • Add a barbell clean and press variation (pause squats, tempo squats) for weak-point work.
  • Keep most working sets at RPE 7-8, with occasional top singles at RPE 9.
  • Start tracking your training volume (sets x reps x load) week to week.
Plan your RPE-based sessions →
Intermediate → Advanced Periodized Training Blocks
  • Run 4-6 week training blocks with planned intensity peaks and deloads.
  • Use RPE 8-9 for primary sets, RPE 7 for backoff volume.
  • Address specific sticking points with targeted accessory work.
  • Manage fatigue: total weekly sets of 12-20 for the barbell clean and press movement pattern.
Program your backoff sets →
Advanced → Elite Competition-Level Peaking
  • Run structured peaking cycles (8-12 weeks) leading to maximal attempts.
  • Fine-tune technique details: walkout, descent speed, breath timing.
  • Use the RPE chart to hit precise percentages during peaking blocks.
  • Consider competing to test your barbell clean and press under meet conditions.
View RPE-to-percentage chart →

How to Perform barbell clean and press

["Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and the barbell on the floor in front of you.","Bend your knees and hinge at the hips to lower down and grip the barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.","Drive through your heels and extend your hips and knees to lift the barbell off the floor, keeping it close to your body.","As the barbell reaches your thighs, explosively extend your hips, shrug your shoulders, and pull the barbell up towards your chest.","As the barbell reaches chest height, quickly drop under it and catch it at shoulder level, with your elbows pointing forward and your palms facing up.","From the catch position, press the barbell overhead by extending your arms and pushing the barbell straight up.","Lower the barbell back down to the starting position and repeat for the desired number of repetitions."]

Read the complete barbell clean and press guide on FitnessVolt →

Where Do These barbell clean and press Standards Come From?

These barbell clean and press standards are based on 2.5M+ verified competition results from powerlifting, weightlifting, and strongman federations worldwide. Every number comes from a sanctioned meet with certified judges - not self-reported gym lifts. Data is sourced from OpenPowerlifting and other verified competition databases, ensuring accuracy you can trust.

Last Updated: March 30, 2026

Reviewed by the Fitness Volt Editorial Team, certified strength training analysts.

Is Your barbell clean and press Good for Your Weight?

Strength standards help you objectively measure your barbell clean and press performance relative to other lifters of the same bodyweight and sex. Here is how to interpret them:

  1. Find your bodyweight in the left column of the table above.
  2. Look across the row to find which strength level your 1RM falls into.
  3. Use the age tab to see how your strength compares within your age group.
  4. Switch between Male and Female standards using the toggle - each has its own dataset.

If you do not know your 1RM, use the E1RM Calculator to estimate it from any rep set. For example, if you can barbell clean and press 185 lbs for 5 reps, the calculator will estimate your max.

These standards are derived from 2.5M+ competition results across powerlifting, weightlifting, and strongman federations worldwide, combined with community training data.

Frequently Asked Questions

A "good" barbell clean and press depends on your bodyweight, sex, and training experience. As a general benchmark, an Intermediate-level lift (stronger than 50% of lifters) is a solid goal for most recreational athletes. Check the table above for your specific bodyweight.
Most lifters can reach Intermediate level on the barbell clean and press within 1-2 years of consistent training with progressive overload and proper nutrition. Genetics, training program quality, and recovery all play a role.
Yes. Our standards are calculated from 2.5M+ verified competition results and community-reported data. They are adjusted for bodyweight and age to give you an accurate comparison.
These standards are based on raw (unequipped) lifts. If you use supportive equipment like a bench shirt or squat suit, your equipped numbers will be higher than these standards reflect.

Related Exercise Standards

Related Calculators

E1RM Calculator Estimate your one-rep max from any rep set Benchmarks Compare against competition data RPE Chart Training load percentages by RPE