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barbell overhead squat strength standards

What is a good barbell overhead squat?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate barbell overhead squat is about 161 lb (0.89x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 205 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

Good target 161 lb Intermediate at 180 lb
Next tier 205 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 overhead squat

A solid (Intermediate) barbell overhead squat for a 180 lb male is about 161 lb (0.89x bodyweight). Use the calculator below to convert your own barbell overhead squat into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 205 lb (1.14x bodyweight).

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

barbell overhead squat demonstration
Estimated Standards

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

Primary Muscles quads
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 overhead squat?

Intermediate (competition scale)
Typical FVCP: 50th percentile
A 180 lb male lifting 161 lbs (0.89x bodyweight) on the barbell overhead 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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to track your progress over time.

Reader Data Is Still Building

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

161 lb Typical 1RM (Intermediate)
0.89x 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 overhead 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 41 63 92 126 164
120 48 72 103 139 178
130 55 81 113 151 192
140 62 89 123 162 205
150 69 97 133 174 218
160 76 106 142 185 230
170 83 114 152 195 241
180 89 122 161 205 253
190 96 129 169 215 263
200 102 136 178 224 274
210 108 144 186 234 284
220 115 151 194 243 294
230 121 158 202 251 304
240 127 164 210 260 314
250 133 171 217 268 322
260 138 178 224 277 332
270 144 184 232 284 340
280 150 190 239 292 349
290 155 196 245 300 357
300 160 202 252 307 365
310 166 208 259 315 373

Is Your barbell overhead squat Good?

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

Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) barbell overhead squat is about 161 lb (0.89x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 205 lb (1.14x), and Elite is 253 lb (1.41x).

Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) barbell overhead squat is about 88 lb (0.63x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 122 lb (0.87x), and Elite is 160 lb (1.14x).

How Much Should You Be Able to barbell overhead squat?

Men: a 180 lb male should lift about 161 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 89 lb).

Women: a 140 lb female should lift about 88 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 37 lb).

By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter lifts about 133 lb, and a 220 lb lifter lifts about 194 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 158 lb, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 140 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 overhead squat Strength?

How barbell overhead 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 66 96 134 178 226
20 76 111 153 204 259
25 78 113 158 210 266
30 78 113 158 210 266
35 78 113 158 210 266
40 78 113 158 210 266
45 74 107 150 199 252
50 69 101 140 186 237
55 64 94 130 173 219
60 58 85 119 157 200
65 53 77 107 142 180
70 47 69 96 128 162
75 42 62 86 114 145
80 38 55 77 102 129
85 34 50 69 91 116
90 31 45 62 83 105

What Do barbell overhead squat Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

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

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

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the barbell overhead 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 overhead 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 overhead 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 overhead squat under meet conditions.
View RPE-to-percentage chart →

How to Perform barbell overhead squat

["Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and toes slightly turned out.","Hold the barbell with a wide grip, positioning it overhead with your arms fully extended.","Engage your core and lower your body down into a squat position, keeping your chest up and knees tracking over your toes.","Pause for a moment at the bottom, then push through your heels to return to the starting position.","Repeat for the desired number of repetitions."]

Read the complete barbell overhead squat guide on FitnessVolt →

Where Do These barbell overhead 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 overhead squat Good for Your Weight?

Use this page to compare your barbell overhead 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 overhead 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 overhead 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 overhead 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.