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barbell low bar squat strength standards

What is a good barbell low bar squat?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate barbell low bar squat is about 298 lb (1.66x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 380 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

Good target 298 lb Intermediate at 180 lb
Next tier 380 lb Advanced standard
Gym median Separate tab Self-reported, not blended
Check My Level Estimate Your 1RM Methodology
Evidence ledger No blended rankings
Primary source FitnessVolt standards model
Available views Standards
Coverage 21 bodyweights × 5 levels

Competition results, gym submissions, and reader logs stay labeled separately so the ranking source is clear.

Quick Answer barbell low bar squat

A solid (Intermediate) barbell low bar squat for a 180 lb male is about 298 lb (1.66x bodyweight). Use the calculator below to convert your own barbell low bar squat into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 380 lb (2.11x bodyweight).

FitnessVolt standards, with FVCP competition rankings shown separately from gym percentiles

barbell low bar squat demonstration
Estimated Standards

How strong is your barbell low bar squat? Compare your 1RM against standards for 21 bodyweight categories, from Beginner to Elite.

Primary Muscles glutes
Equipment barbell
Standards Coverage 21 bodyweights × 5 levels
Difficulty Advanced
Type Compound

Estimated Standards - The level table for this exercise is modeled from FitnessVolt strength ratios for a related base lift, not from direct measurements of this movement. Learn about our methodology

How Strong Is Your barbell low bar squat?

Intermediate (competition scale)
Typical FVCP: 50th percentile
A 180 lb male lifting 298 lbs (1.66x bodyweight) on the barbell low bar squat ranks Intermediate on the FVCP competition scale, stronger than ~50% of verified competition lifters at this bodyweight. Enter your own numbers above to see where you stand.

That clears the median for this bodyweight and gives you a useful benchmark for the next tier.

Over 40? Our calculator also reports an age-adjusted percentile and an age-30 equivalent using the McCulloch age factor, so masters lifters are compared to lifters their own age. See the age-adjusted (Masters 40+) standards below for the full breakdown.

FVCP competition ranking, shown separately from gym percentiles and reader logs
Your FVCP:
Age-adjusted percentile
lb Age-30 equivalent 1RM

FVCP competition ranking, shown separately from gym percentiles and reader logs
th percentile

Illustrative: a normal-distribution model anchored to the real Beginner to Elite percentile thresholds for your bodyweight. The marker shows where your lift falls, not a measured frequency count.

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Share your FVCP with friends
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to track your progress over time.

Reader Data Is Still Building

We do not have enough reader-submitted barbell low bar squat entries yet to publish a stable crowd benchmark. Until then, this panel shows the Intermediate standards baseline only:

298 lb Typical 1RM (Intermediate)
1.66x x Bodyweight

Baseline figures for a 180 lb male at Intermediate level, from the standards table. This is not reader-submitted data. So far readers have logged a lift here.

Enter your numbers above first. We publish reader benchmarks only after a sample threshold is met.

How Much Should You barbell low bar squat?

Use this table to find the standard closest to your bodyweight. The tiers are standards, not claims about reader submissions.

How a male lifter's expected 1RM scales with bodyweight at each level. Exact numbers in the table below.

BW (lbs) Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
110 75 116 170 234 304
120 89 134 191 257 330
130 102 150 210 279 356
140 115 165 228 301 380
150 128 181 247 322 404
160 141 196 264 343 426
170 153 211 282 362 448
180 165 225 298 380 469
190 177 240 314 399 489
200 190 253 329 416 509
210 201 266 345 434 527
220 213 279 360 451 546
230 224 293 374 466 564
240 235 305 389 482 581
250 246 317 403 498 598
260 256 329 416 513 615
270 267 342 429 527 630
280 277 353 443 542 647
290 288 364 455 556 662
300 297 375 468 570 677
310 307 387 479 583 692

Is Your barbell low bar squat Good?

A quick read on what counts as a good barbell low bar squat at each level, for a typical male and female lifter.

Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) barbell low bar squat is about 298 lb (1.66x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 380 lb (2.11x), and Elite is 469 lb (2.61x).

Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) barbell low bar squat is about 163 lb (1.16x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 226 lb (1.61x), and Elite is 296 lb (2.11x).

How Much Should You Be Able to barbell low bar squat?

Men: a 180 lb male should lift about 298 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 165 lb).

Women: a 140 lb female should lift about 163 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 69 lb).

By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter lifts about 247 lb, and a 220 lb lifter lifts about 360 lb at an Intermediate level. Find your exact bodyweight in the table above.

By age (men): at an Intermediate level a 30 year old male lifts about 293 lb, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 260 lb. See the By Age tab for every age band.

FitnessVolt standards, with FVCP competition rankings shown separately from gym percentiles

How Does Age Affect barbell low bar squat Strength?

How barbell low bar squat standards change across different age groups. Values represent a 1RM in lbs.

How a male lifter's expected 1RM changes with age at each level. Exact numbers in the table below.

Age Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
15 122 179 249 330 419
20 141 205 285 378 480
25 144 210 293 389 493
30 144 210 293 389 493
35 144 210 293 389 493
40 144 210 293 389 493
45 137 199 277 368 467
50 129 187 260 346 439
55 118 173 241 320 406
60 108 158 220 292 370
65 98 143 199 264 335
70 88 129 179 237 300
75 79 114 159 212 268
80 70 102 143 190 240
85 63 92 128 169 215
90 57 83 115 153 194

What Do barbell low bar squat Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are learning to hit proper depth on the barbell low bar squat, 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 low bar squat 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 low bar squat 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 low bar squat 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 low bar squat 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 low bar squat

Tier-specific training recommendations to move your barbell low bar squat to the next level.

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the barbell low bar squat 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 progress with the one rep max calculator →
Novice → Intermediate Structured Progression
  • Switch from linear to weekly periodization (e.g., light/medium/heavy days).
  • Add a barbell low bar squat 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 low bar squat 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 low bar squat under meet conditions.
View RPE-to-percentage chart →

How to Perform barbell low bar squat

["Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and the barbell resting on your upper back.","Keeping your chest up and core engaged, slowly lower your body by bending your knees and pushing your hips back.","Continue lowering until your thighs are parallel to the ground or slightly below.","Pause for a moment, then push through your heels to return to the starting position.","Repeat for the desired number of repetitions."]

Read the complete barbell low bar squat guide on FitnessVolt →

Where Do These barbell low bar squat Standards Come From?

FitnessVolt keeps each data population labeled. Competition percentiles use verified raw meet results where available. Gym percentile tabs use self-reported Symmetric Strength data. Reader-submitted benchmarks appear only after enough entries are logged for this lift.

Standards data last refreshed: March 29, 2026

Is Your barbell low bar squat Good for Your Weight?

Use this page to compare your barbell low bar squat against clearly labeled standards and percentile datasets. Here is the cleanest way to read it:

  1. Start with Standards to find the tier closest to your bodyweight.
  2. Use Gym Percentiles when you want self-reported gym comparisons.
  3. Use Competition for verified meet-result percentiles where the lift supports it.
  4. Use By Age when age-segmented gym data is available.

If you do not know your 1RM, use the one rep max calculator to estimate it from any rep set. For example, if you can barbell low bar squat 185 lbs for 5 reps, the calculator will estimate your max.

The important rule: do not mix the tabs. Standards, gym percentiles, competition percentiles, and reader logs answer different questions.

Frequently Asked Questions

A "good" barbell low bar squat depends on your bodyweight, sex, and training background. The Intermediate tier is a useful first serious target, while Advanced and Elite represent much harder standards. Use the table above for the number closest to your bodyweight.
Many lifters can reach the Intermediate tier on the barbell low bar squat after steady training, but the timeline depends on starting point, technique, programming, recovery, and bodyweight changes. Treat the tier as a benchmark, not a deadline.
Yes. Competition views use verified meet-result data where available, gym percentile views use self-reported gym cohorts, and reader-submitted benchmarks are shown only after enough entries are logged. The populations are labeled separately.
For weighted lifts, enter a clean raw 1RM or an estimated 1RM from a recent hard set. For rep-based movements, enter controlled full-range reps. Avoid equipped lifts, partial reps, or bounced reps unless you are comparing against the same style every time.

Related Exercise Standards

Related Calculators

One Rep Max Calculator Estimate your one-rep max from any rep set Benchmarks Compare against competition data RPE Chart Training load percentages by RPE
Written by Tom Miller, CSCS · Reviewed by Editorial Team
Tom Miller, CSCS, is a Sr. Editor & Content Strategist with 10 years of experience in Powerlifting and Personal Training. As a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, he is dedicated to delivering informative, engaging, and reliable health and fitness content. His work has been featured on websites including the-sun.com, Well+Good, Bleacher Report, Muscle and Fitness, UpJourney, Business Insider, NewsBreak and more.