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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.

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Barbell Standing Close Grip Military Press Standards by Bodyweight

Estimates from the FitnessVolt standards model, scaled from the Shoulder Press table by a fixed ratio of 0.9. Updated March 29, 2026. Find the row closest to your bodyweight. Beginner is a first target for a new lifter, Novice a few months in, Intermediate about one to two years of structured training, Advanced several years, Elite the top of the table.

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

The Barbell Standing Close Grip Military Press standard at each level as bodyweight rises, for the sex selected above. Exact numbers in the table above.

Barbell Standing Close Grip Military Press Standards by Age

How the Barbell Standing Close Grip Military Press standards change with age, as a 1RM in lb. This table is not tied to one bodyweight, so read it for the trend and use the bodyweight table above for your own number.

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

The Barbell Standing Close Grip Military Press standard at each level as age rises, for the sex selected above. Exact numbers in the table above.

Check Your Barbell Standing Close Grip Military Press Level

Intermediate
Level score: 50 of 100
Level score on the FitnessVolt standards: Beginner 5, Novice 20, Intermediate 50, Advanced 80, Elite 95
A 180 lb male lifting 131 lbs (0.73x bodyweight) on the Barbell Standing Close Grip Military Press is at the Intermediate standard for his bodyweight. Enter your own numbers above to see where you stand.

Over 40? Add your age and the calculator also shows an age-adjusted level and an age-30 equivalent, using the McCulloch age factor to scale your lift to peak age. Every age band is in the standards by age table above.

Level score:
Level score on the FitnessVolt standards: Beginner 5, Novice 20, Intermediate 50, Advanced 80, Elite 95
Age-adjusted score
lb Age-30 equivalent 1RM

of 100
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What the Barbell Standing Close Grip Military Press Strength Levels Mean

Beginner

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

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

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

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

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

Barbell Standing Close Grip Military Press demonstration
Primary Muscles delts
Equipment barbell
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Compound
["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?

The levels on this page are estimates from the FitnessVolt strength standards model. The Barbell Standing Close Grip Military Press table is the Shoulder Press table scaled by a fixed FitnessVolt ratio of 0.9 (confidence: medium). It is a set of targets, not a measured population. There is no competition or gym dataset for the Barbell Standing Close Grip Military Press itself. Reader-submitted benchmarks appear only after enough entries are logged for this lift.

Standards data last refreshed: March 29, 2026

  • Level tables: the FitnessVolt strength standards model, not meet data.
  • Method: Strength standards methodology - how the level tables are built and where each data source on the site comes from.
Cite this Fitness Volt strength standards model, 2026. Beginner to Elite levels are model values, not competition percentiles. https://fitnessvolt.com/strength-standards/methodology/

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.
They are estimates from the FitnessVolt strength standards model. The Barbell Standing Close Grip Military Press table is the Shoulder Press table scaled by a fixed FitnessVolt ratio of 0.9 (confidence: medium). It is a set of targets, not a measured population.
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.