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barbell rear delt row Strength Standards

Quick Answer barbell rear delt row

A 180 lb male with an Intermediate-level barbell rear delt row of 80 lbs ranks at the 50th percentile (FVCP), stronger than ~50% of lifters. An Advanced lifter at this weight lifts 104 lbs (0.58x bodyweight).

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

barbell rear delt row demonstration
Competition-Derived

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

Primary Muscles delts
Equipment barbell
Data Points 71 rows
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Compound

Estimated Standards - Estimated from shoulder-press standards using a 0.55x ratio.. These values are derived from verified competition data for the base exercise. Learn about our methodology

How Strong Is Your barbell rear delt row?

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 rear delt row?

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

BW (lbs) Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
110 18 30 46 64 86
120 21 34 51 71 93
130 25 39 56 77 100
140 28 42 61 83 107
150 31 47 66 89 113
160 35 51 70 94 119
170 38 54 75 99 125
180 41 58 80 104 131
190 44 62 84 109 136
200 47 65 88 114 141
210 50 69 92 118 147
220 53 73 96 123 152
230 56 76 100 128 157
240 59 79 104 131 161
250 62 83 108 136 166
260 64 86 111 140 171
270 67 89 115 144 175
280 70 92 118 148 179
290 73 95 122 152 183
300 75 98 125 155 188
310 78 101 128 159 191

How Does Age Affect barbell rear delt row Strength?

How barbell rear delt row standards change across different age groups. Values represent a 1RM in lbs.

Age Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
15 31 47 67 90 116
20 35 53 76 103 133
25 36 54 78 106 136
30 36 54 78 106 136
35 36 54 78 106 136
40 36 54 78 106 136
45 34 52 74 100 129
50 32 48 69 94 121
55 30 45 64 87 112
60 27 41 59 80 102
65 25 37 53 72 92
70 22 34 48 64 83
75 20 30 42 58 74
80 18 26 38 52 67
85 16 24 34 46 59
90 14 21 31 42 53

What Do barbell rear delt row Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are building the mind-muscle connection for the barbell rear delt row, learning to initiate the pull with your back rather than your arms, and developing basic grip strength.

Novice

Stronger than 20% of lifters. You can perform the barbell rear delt row with proper scapular retraction and a controlled range of motion. You are progressively overloading and building back thickness and lat width.

Intermediate

Stronger than 50% of lifters. Your barbell rear delt row shows strong back engagement with minimal momentum. You use RPE to regulate pulling intensity and train strategically to balance horizontal and vertical pull volume.

Advanced

Stronger than 80% of lifters. You have built substantial back development through the barbell rear delt row with refined technique and heavy loads. Your grip is no longer a limiting factor, and you manage rowing and pulling fatigue across training blocks.

Elite

Stronger than 95% of lifters. Your barbell rear delt row strength is exceptional. You can handle loads that most lifters cannot move with strict form, and your back development reflects years of high-volume, periodized pulling work.

How to Progress Your barbell rear delt row

Tier-specific training recommendations to move your barbell rear delt row to the next level.

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the barbell rear delt row 2x per week, focusing on initiating the pull from your back, not your arms.
  • Use linear progression with strict form - no swinging or excessive body English.
  • Pause briefly at peak contraction to build the mind-muscle connection.
  • Develop grip strength in parallel to avoid it becoming a bottleneck.
Track your E1RM progress →
Novice → Intermediate Structured Progression
  • Add a pull variation (different grip width, underhand, or single-arm) for balanced development.
  • Increase pulling volume to 10-15 sets per week across all back movements.
  • Program the barbell rear delt row at RPE 7-8, saving RPE 9 work for top sets only.
  • Balance horizontal pulls (rows) with vertical pulls (pulldowns/pull-ups).
Plan your RPE-based sessions →
Intermediate → Advanced Periodized Training Blocks
  • Run 4-6 week blocks with progressive overload on the barbell rear delt row.
  • Use RPE 8-9 for heavy sets with calculated backoff work at RPE 6-7.
  • Add controlled eccentrics and paused reps to break through plateaus.
  • Total back volume of 15-22 sets per week, distributed across pull patterns.
Program your backoff sets →
Advanced → Elite Mastery
  • Maximize the barbell rear delt row through advanced intensity techniques and precise volume management.
  • Use periodized blocks with planned overreaching and supercompensation phases.
  • Refine execution: squeeze at contraction, controlled stretch, zero momentum.
  • Your back development should reflect years of disciplined, high-volume pulling.
View RPE-to-percentage chart →

How to Perform barbell rear delt row

["Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent.","Hold a barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.","Bend forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and chest up.","Pull the barbell towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.","Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position.","Repeat for the desired number of repetitions."]

Read the complete barbell rear delt row guide on FitnessVolt →

Where Do These barbell rear delt row Standards Come From?

These barbell rear delt row 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 rear delt row Good for Your Weight?

Strength standards help you objectively measure your barbell rear delt row 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 rear delt row 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 rear delt row 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 rear delt row 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