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Barbell Standing Wide Military Press strength standards

What is a good Barbell Standing Wide Military Press?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate Barbell Standing Wide Military Press is about 133 lb (0.74x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 174 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

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Barbell Standing Wide Military Press Standards by Bodyweight

Estimates from the FitnessVolt standards model, scaled from the Shoulder Press table by a fixed ratio of 0.92. 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 50 76 108 144
120 36 57 85 119 155
130 41 64 94 129 167
140 47 71 102 138 178
150 52 78 110 148 189
160 58 85 118 156 199
170 63 91 125 166 209
180 69 98 133 174 219
190 74 104 140 182 228
200 79 109 147 190 236
210 84 116 155 198 246
220 89 121 161 206 254
230 94 127 167 213 262
240 98 132 174 220 270
250 103 138 180 227 278
260 108 144 186 234 285
270 112 148 192 241 293
280 117 154 198 247 300
290 121 159 203 254 306
300 125 164 209 259 314
310 130 168 214 266 320

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

Barbell Standing Wide Military Press Standards by Age

How the Barbell Standing Wide 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 52 78 111 151 194
20 59 89 127 172 222
25 61 91 131 177 228
30 61 91 131 177 228
35 61 91 131 177 228
40 61 91 131 177 228
45 57 86 124 167 216
50 53 81 116 157 202
55 50 75 108 145 188
60 45 69 98 133 171
65 41 62 88 121 155
70 37 56 80 108 139
75 33 50 71 97 124
80 29 44 63 86 111
85 27 40 57 77 99
90 24 36 52 70 89

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

Check Your Barbell Standing Wide 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 133 lbs (0.74x bodyweight) on the Barbell Standing Wide 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 Wide Military Press Strength Levels Mean

Beginner

You are learning the bar path and loading on the Barbell Standing Wide Military Press, building the controlled movement pattern and mind-muscle connection needed to train the target muscle effectively.

Novice

You can perform the Barbell Standing Wide Military Press with strict form and a smooth tempo. You are adding resistance progressively without sacrificing range of motion or using body English.

Intermediate

Your Barbell Standing Wide Military Press is performed with excellent control and targeted tension. You use RPE to manage isolation work intensity and program it strategically within your training split.

Advanced

You have built significant strength on the Barbell Standing Wide Military Press through disciplined, progressive training. You employ advanced techniques like drop sets, pauses, and tempo work to continue driving adaptation.

Elite

Your Barbell Standing Wide Military Press strength is at the upper end of what most lifters achieve. You have maximized the target muscle development through years of focused, periodized isolation work.

How to Progress Your Barbell Standing Wide Military Press

Tier-specific training recommendations to move your Barbell Standing Wide Military Press to the next level.

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the Barbell Standing Wide Military Press 2x per week with slow, controlled reps.
  • Focus on full range of motion and eliminating momentum or swinging.
  • Keep sets at RPE 6-7 to develop proper movement patterns.
  • Build the mind-muscle connection - feel the target muscle working on every rep.
Track progress with the one rep max calculator →
Novice → Intermediate Structured Progression
  • Increase load progressively while keeping strict form on the Barbell Standing Wide Military Press.
  • Program 3-4 sets of 8-15 reps at RPE 7-8.
  • Add a variation (different grip, angle, or equipment) to address development gaps.
  • Place isolation work after your primary compound movements.
Plan your RPE-based sessions →
Intermediate → Advanced Advanced Isolation Techniques
  • Use drop sets, paused reps, and partial reps to break through Barbell Standing Wide Military Press plateaus.
  • Train at RPE 8-9 with advanced intensity techniques on your last 1-2 sets.
  • Manipulate tempo to increase time under tension without compromising form.
  • Manage total volume for the target muscle group across all exercises.
Calculate working set loads →
Advanced → Elite Mastery
  • Maximize Barbell Standing Wide Military Press strength through precise programming and fatigue management.
  • Use periodized blocks to cycle between volume, intensity, and deload phases.
  • Quality of contraction matters more than load at this level.
  • Continuous refinement of technique will yield the remaining gains.
View RPE-to-percentage chart →

How to Perform Barbell Standing Wide Military Press

Barbell Standing Wide 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, slightly wider than shoulder-width.","Lift the barbell to shoulder height, keeping your elbows slightly in front of the bar.","Press the barbell overhead, extending your arms fully.","Lower the barbell back to shoulder height and repeat for the desired number of repetitions."]

Read the complete Barbell Standing Wide Military Press guide on FitnessVolt →

Where Do These Barbell Standing Wide Military Press Standards Come From?

The levels on this page are estimates from the FitnessVolt strength standards model. The Barbell Standing Wide Military Press table is the Shoulder Press table scaled by a fixed FitnessVolt ratio of 0.92 (confidence: medium). It is a set of targets, not a measured population. There is no competition or gym dataset for the Barbell Standing Wide 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 Wide 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 Wide 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 Wide Military Press table is the Shoulder Press table scaled by a fixed FitnessVolt ratio of 0.92 (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.