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barbell seated overhead press strength standards

What is a good barbell seated overhead press?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate barbell seated overhead press is about 138 lb (0.77x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 180 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

Good target 138 lb Intermediate at 180 lb
Next tier 180 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 seated overhead press

A solid (Intermediate) barbell seated overhead press for a 180 lb male is about 138 lb (0.77x bodyweight). Use the calculator below to convert your own barbell seated overhead press into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 180 lb (1x bodyweight).

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

barbell seated overhead press demonstration
Estimated Standards

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

Primary Muscles delts
Equipment barbell
Standards Coverage 21 bodyweights × 5 levels
Difficulty Intermediate
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 seated overhead press?

Intermediate (competition scale)
Typical FVCP: 50th percentile
A 180 lb male lifting 138 lbs (0.77x bodyweight) on the barbell seated overhead press 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 seated overhead press entries yet to publish a stable crowd benchmark. Until then, this panel shows the Intermediate standards baseline only:

138 lb Typical 1RM (Intermediate)
0.77x 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 seated overhead press?

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 30 51 79 111 148
120 37 59 87 123 161
130 43 67 97 133 172
140 48 73 105 143 184
150 54 81 114 153 195
160 60 87 122 162 205
170 66 94 129 171 216
180 71 101 138 180 226
190 76 107 144 188 236
200 82 113 152 197 244
210 86 120 160 204 254
220 92 125 166 213 262
230 97 131 173 220 271
240 102 137 180 227 278
250 106 143 186 235 287
260 111 148 192 241 295
270 116 153 199 249 302
280 121 159 204 256 310
290 125 164 210 262 316
300 129 169 216 268 324
310 134 174 221 275 331

Is Your barbell seated overhead press Good?

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

Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) barbell seated overhead press is about 138 lb (0.77x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 180 lb (1x), and Elite is 226 lb (1.26x).

Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) barbell seated overhead press is about 69 lb (0.49x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 98 lb (0.7x), and Elite is 130 lb (0.93x).

How Much Should You Be Able to barbell seated overhead press?

Men: a 180 lb male should lift about 138 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 71 lb).

Women: a 140 lb female should lift about 69 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 28 lb).

By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter lifts about 114 lb, and a 220 lb lifter lifts about 166 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 135 lb, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 120 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 seated overhead press Strength?

How barbell seated overhead press 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 53 81 115 156 200
20 61 92 131 178 229
25 63 94 135 182 236
30 63 94 135 182 236
35 63 94 135 182 236
40 63 94 135 182 236
45 59 89 128 173 223
50 55 84 120 162 209
55 51 78 111 150 194
60 47 71 102 138 177
65 43 64 91 124 160
70 38 58 83 111 143
75 34 51 73 100 128
80 30 46 66 89 115
85 28 41 59 80 103
90 25 37 53 72 92

What Do barbell seated overhead press Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are learning the bar path and loading on the barbell seated overhead press, building the shoulder stability and pressing coordination needed to handle heavier loads safely.

Novice

Stronger than 20% of lifters. You can press with a consistent path and controlled tempo on the barbell seated overhead press. You are progressing linearly and building the chest, shoulder, and tricep base needed for intermediate strength.

Intermediate

Stronger than 50% of lifters. Your barbell seated overhead press technique is efficient under heavy loads. You use programmed variations, understand how to manage pressing fatigue, and can grind through the mid-range sticking point.

Advanced

Stronger than 80% of lifters. You have optimized your barbell seated overhead press setup for maximal force production - arch, leg drive, and grip width are dialed in. You train with periodized intensity blocks and accessory work targeting weak points.

Elite

Stronger than 95% of lifters. Your barbell seated overhead press is at a competitive standard. You have refined every aspect of the lift through years of structured peaking and can produce maximal force with technical precision.

How to Progress Your barbell seated overhead press

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

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the barbell seated overhead press 2-3x per week to build pressing strength and shoulder stability.
  • Use linear progression: add 2.5-5 lbs per session.
  • Practice controlled eccentrics (3-second lowering) to build tendon strength.
  • Keep working sets at RPE 6-7 to accumulate quality volume.
Track progress with the one rep max calculator →
Novice → Intermediate Structured Progression
  • Add a pressing variation (close-grip, incline, or paused) for weak-point development.
  • Increase frequency to 2-3 sessions per week with varied rep ranges.
  • Program most sets at RPE 7-8 with one heavy session including RPE 9 work.
  • Build tricep and shoulder accessory volume to support the barbell seated overhead press.
Plan your RPE-based sessions →
Intermediate → Advanced Periodized Training Blocks
  • Run 4-6 week blocks with planned volume and intensity progression.
  • Use RPE 8-9 for competition-style sets, RPE 7 for volume backoffs.
  • Target your sticking point with specific accessory work (board press, pin press, bands).
  • Manage total weekly pressing volume (12-20 sets) across all push movements.
Program your backoff sets →
Advanced → Elite Competition-Level Peaking
  • Peak with structured 8-12 week cycles targeting a competition or max attempt.
  • Refine your setup: arch, leg drive, grip width, and bar path for maximal efficiency.
  • Use the RPE chart for precise percentage work during peaking phases.
  • Test your barbell seated overhead press under competition-style commands and judging.
View RPE-to-percentage chart →

How to Perform barbell seated overhead press

["Sit on a bench with your back straight and feet flat on the ground.","Hold the barbell with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.","Lift the barbell off the rack and bring it to shoulder level, with your elbows bent and palms facing forward.","Press the barbell overhead by extending your arms fully.","Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the barbell back to shoulder level.","Repeat for the desired number of repetitions."]

Read the complete barbell seated overhead press guide on FitnessVolt →

Where Do These barbell seated overhead press 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 seated overhead press Good for Your Weight?

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