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barbell standing close grip military press strength standards

What is a good barbell standing close grip military press?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate barbell standing close grip military press is about 131 lb (0.73x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 170 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

Good target 131 lb Intermediate at 180 lb
Next tier 170 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 standing close grip military press

A solid (Intermediate) barbell standing close grip military press for a 180 lb male is about 131 lb (0.73x bodyweight). Use the calculator below to convert your own barbell standing close grip military press into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 170 lb (0.94x bodyweight).

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

barbell standing close grip military press demonstration
Estimated Standards

How strong is your barbell standing close grip military 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 standing close grip military press?

Intermediate (competition scale)
Typical FVCP: 50th percentile
A 180 lb male lifting 131 lbs (0.73x bodyweight) on the barbell standing close grip military 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 standing close grip military press entries yet to publish a stable crowd benchmark. Until then, this panel shows the Intermediate standards baseline only:

131 lb Typical 1RM (Intermediate)
0.73x 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 standing close grip military 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 29 49 75 105 140
120 35 56 83 116 152
130 41 63 92 126 163
140 46 69 100 135 175
150 51 77 108 145 185
160 57 83 115 153 194
170 62 89 122 162 204
180 68 95 131 170 214
190 72 102 137 178 223
200 77 107 144 186 231
210 82 113 151 194 240
220 87 119 158 202 248
230 92 124 164 209 257
240 96 130 170 215 264
250 101 135 176 222 272
260 105 140 182 229 279
270 110 145 188 236 286
280 114 150 194 242 293
290 119 156 199 248 300
300 122 160 204 254 307
310 127 165 210 260 313

Is Your barbell standing close grip military press Good?

A quick read on what counts as a good barbell standing close grip military press at each level, for a typical male and female lifter.

Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) barbell standing close grip military press is about 131 lb (0.73x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 170 lb (0.94x), and Elite is 214 lb (1.19x).

Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) barbell standing close grip military press is about 66 lb (0.47x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 93 lb (0.66x), and Elite is 123 lb (0.88x).

How Much Should You Be Able to barbell standing close grip military press?

Men: a 180 lb male should lift about 131 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 68 lb).

Women: a 140 lb female should lift about 66 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 26 lb).

By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter lifts about 108 lb, and a 220 lb lifter lifts about 158 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 128 lb, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 113 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 standing close grip military press Strength?

How barbell standing close grip military 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 50 77 109 148 190
20 58 87 124 168 217
25 59 89 128 173 223
30 59 89 128 173 223
35 59 89 128 173 223
40 59 89 128 173 223
45 56 85 122 164 212
50 52 79 113 154 198
55 49 74 105 142 184
60 44 68 96 131 167
65 41 60 86 118 151
70 36 55 78 105 136
75 32 49 69 95 122
80 29 43 62 85 109
85 26 39 56 76 97
90 23 35 50 68 87

What Do barbell standing close grip military press Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are learning the bar path and loading on the barbell standing close grip military 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 standing close grip military 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 standing close grip military 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 standing close grip military 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 standing close grip military 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 standing close grip military press

Tier-specific training recommendations to move your barbell standing close grip military press to the next level.

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the barbell standing close grip military 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 standing close grip military 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 standing close grip military press under competition-style commands and judging.
View RPE-to-percentage chart →

How to Perform barbell standing close grip military press

["Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly closer than shoulder-width apart.","Lift the barbell to shoulder height, keeping your elbows close to your body.","Press the barbell overhead, extending your arms fully.","Lower the barbell back to shoulder height.","Repeat for the desired number of repetitions."]

Read the complete barbell standing close grip military press guide on FitnessVolt →

Where Do These barbell standing close grip military 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 standing close grip military press Good for Your Weight?

Use this page to compare your barbell standing close grip military 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 standing close grip military 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 standing close grip military 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 standing close grip military 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.

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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.