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Behind The Neck Press strength standards

What is a good Behind The Neck Press?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate Behind The Neck Press is about 142 lb (0.79x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 199 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

Good target 142 lb Intermediate at 180 lb
Next tier 199 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 Behind The Neck Press

A solid (Intermediate) Behind The Neck Press for a 180 lb male is about 142 lb (0.79x bodyweight). Use the calculator below to convert your own Behind The Neck Press into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 199 lb (1.11x bodyweight).

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

Estimated Standards

How strong is your Behind The Neck Press? Compare your 1RM against standards for 21 bodyweight categories, from Beginner to Elite.

Primary Muscles Shoulders (Deltoids), Triceps, Trapezius, Upper Back
Equipment Barbell, Squat Rack
Standards Coverage 21 bodyweights × 5 levels

How Strong Is Your Behind The Neck Press?

Intermediate (competition scale)
Typical FVCP: 50th percentile
A 180 lb male lifting 142 lbs (0.79x bodyweight) on the Behind The Neck 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 Behind The Neck Press entries yet to publish a stable crowd benchmark. Until then, this panel shows the Intermediate standards baseline only:

142 lb Typical 1RM (Intermediate)
0.79x 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 Behind The Neck 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 18 40 73 115 164
120 23 48 83 128 180
130 29 56 94 141 195
140 35 64 104 153 209
150 41 72 114 165 223
160 47 80 123 177 237
170 52 87 133 188 250
180 58 95 142 199 263
190 64 102 151 210 275
200 70 109 160 220 287
210 76 117 169 231 298
220 82 124 177 240 310
230 87 131 185 250 321
240 93 137 194 259 331
250 98 144 202 269 342
260 104 151 209 278 352
270 109 157 217 286 361
280 114 164 224 295 371
290 120 170 232 303 381
300 125 176 239 311 390
310 130 182 246 320 399

Is Your Behind The Neck Press Good?

A quick read on what counts as a good Behind The Neck Press at each level, for a typical male and female lifter.

Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) Behind The Neck Press is about 142 lb (0.79x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 199 lb (1.11x), and Elite is 263 lb (1.46x).

Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) Behind The Neck Press is about 73 lb (0.52x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 102 lb (0.73x), and Elite is 134 lb (0.96x).

How Much Should You Be Able to Behind The Neck Press?

Men: a 180 lb male should lift about 142 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 58 lb).

Women: a 140 lb female should lift about 73 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 31 lb).

By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter lifts about 114 lb, and a 220 lb lifter lifts about 177 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 143 lb, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 128 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 Behind The Neck Press Strength?

How Behind The Neck 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 43 77 122 178 241
20 50 88 140 204 275
25 51 90 143 209 283
30 51 90 143 209 283
35 51 90 143 209 283
40 51 90 143 209 283
45 48 86 136 198 268
50 45 80 128 186 252
55 42 74 118 172 233
60 38 68 108 157 212
65 35 61 97 142 192
70 31 55 87 127 172
75 28 49 78 114 154
80 25 44 70 102 138
85 22 39 63 91 123
90 20 36 56 82 111

What Do Behind The Neck Press Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are learning the bar path and loading on the Behind The Neck Press, building the controlled movement pattern and mind-muscle connection needed to train the target muscle effectively.

Novice

Stronger than 20% of lifters. You can perform the Behind The Neck Press with strict form and a smooth tempo. You are adding resistance progressively without sacrificing range of motion or using body English.

Intermediate

Stronger than 50% of lifters. Your Behind The Neck 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

Stronger than 80% of lifters. You have built significant strength on the Behind The Neck Press through disciplined, progressive training. You employ advanced techniques like drop sets, pauses, and tempo work to continue driving adaptation.

Elite

Stronger than 95% of lifters. Your Behind The Neck 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 Behind The Neck Press

Tier-specific training recommendations to move your Behind The Neck Press to the next level.

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the Behind The Neck 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 Behind The Neck 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 Behind The Neck 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 Behind The Neck 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 Behind The Neck Press

  1. Start by setting up a barbell at shoulder height in a squat rack or power rack.
  2. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and grip the barbell with a pronated (overhand) grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width.
  3. Step under the bar and position it behind your neck, resting it on your trapezius muscles.
  4. Lift the bar off the rack by pushing through your legs and step back to clear the rack.
  5. Maintain a tight core, keep your head neutral, and ensure your elbows are pointing downward.
  6. Press the barbell overhead by extending your elbows until your arms are fully extended, keeping the bar path straight and close to your head.
  7. Lower the barbell back down to the starting position behind your neck with control.
  8. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
  9. Breathe in as you lower the barbell and exhale as you press it overhead.

Tips for Behind The Neck Press

  • Make sure to warm up your shoulders and rotator cuff before performing this exercise.
  • Keep your core engaged throughout the movement to maintain stability.
  • Avoid using excessive weight to prevent shoulder strain or injury.
  • If you have a history of shoulder issues, consider performing alternative shoulder exercises.

Where Do These Behind The Neck 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 28, 2026

Is Your Behind The Neck Press Good for Your Weight?

Use this page to compare your Behind The Neck 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 Behind The Neck 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" Behind The Neck 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 Behind The Neck 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.