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Bent Over Row strength standards

What is a good Bent Over Row?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate Bent Over Row is about 193 lb (1.07x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 251 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

Good target 193 lb Intermediate at 180 lb
Next tier 251 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 Bent Over Row

A solid (Intermediate) Bent Over Row for a 180 lb male is about 193 lb (1.07x bodyweight). Use the calculator below to convert your own Bent Over Row into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 251 lb (1.39x bodyweight).

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

Bent Over Row demonstration
Estimated Standards

How strong is your Bent Over Row? Compare your 1RM against standards for 21 bodyweight categories, from Beginner to Elite.

Primary Muscles Shoulders (Deltoids), Biceps, Back
Equipment Barbell
Standards Coverage 21 bodyweights × 5 levels
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Compound

How Strong Is Your Bent Over Row?

Intermediate (competition scale)
Typical FVCP: 50th percentile
A 180 lb male lifting 193 lbs (1.07x bodyweight) on the Bent Over Row 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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Share your FVCP with friends
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to track your progress over time.

Reader Data Is Still Building

We do not have enough reader-submitted Bent Over Row entries yet to publish a stable crowd benchmark. Until then, this panel shows the Intermediate standards baseline only:

193 lb Typical 1RM (Intermediate)
1.07x 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 Bent Over Row?

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 46 74 111 156 206
120 54 85 124 171 223
130 62 95 137 186 240
140 70 105 148 200 255
150 78 115 160 213 271
160 86 124 171 226 285
170 94 134 182 238 299
180 102 143 193 251 313
190 109 152 203 262 326
200 117 160 213 274 338
210 124 169 223 285 351
220 131 177 232 295 362
230 138 185 242 306 374
240 145 193 251 316 385
250 152 201 259 326 396
260 158 208 268 335 407
270 165 216 276 345 417
280 171 223 285 354 427
290 177 230 293 363 437
300 183 237 301 372 447
310 189 244 308 380 456

Is Your Bent Over Row Good?

A quick read on what counts as a good Bent Over Row at each level, for a typical male and female lifter.

Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) Bent Over Row is about 193 lb (1.07x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 251 lb (1.39x), and Elite is 313 lb (1.74x).

Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) Bent Over Row is about 90 lb (0.64x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 128 lb (0.91x), and Elite is 171 lb (1.22x).

How Much Should You Be Able to Bent Over Row?

Men: a 180 lb male should lift about 193 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 102 lb).

Women: a 140 lb female should lift about 90 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 34 lb).

By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter lifts about 160 lb, and a 220 lb lifter lifts about 232 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 188 lb, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 168 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 Bent Over Row Strength?

How Bent Over Row 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 76 113 160 215 275
20 87 130 183 246 315
25 89 133 188 253 323
30 89 133 188 253 323
35 89 133 188 253 323
40 89 133 188 253 323
45 85 126 179 240 307
50 80 119 168 225 288
55 74 110 155 208 266
60 67 100 141 190 243
65 61 90 128 172 220
70 54 81 115 154 197
75 49 73 103 138 176
80 44 65 92 123 158
85 39 58 82 110 141
90 35 52 74 100 127

What Do Bent Over Row Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are building the mind-muscle connection for the Bent Over Row, learning to initiate the pull with your back rather than your arms, and developing basic grip strength.

Novice

Stronger than 20% of lifters. You can perform the Bent Over Row with proper scapular retraction and a controlled range of motion. You are progressively overloading and building back thickness and lat width.

Intermediate

Stronger than 50% of lifters. Your Bent Over Row shows strong back engagement with minimal momentum. You use RPE to regulate pulling intensity and train strategically to balance horizontal and vertical pull volume.

Advanced

Stronger than 80% of lifters. You have built substantial back development through the Bent Over Row with refined technique and heavy loads. Your grip is no longer a limiting factor, and you manage rowing and pulling fatigue across training blocks.

Elite

Stronger than 95% of lifters. Your Bent Over Row strength is exceptional. You can handle loads that most lifters cannot move with strict form, and your back development reflects years of high-volume, periodized pulling work.

How to Progress Your Bent Over Row

Tier-specific training recommendations to move your Bent Over Row to the next level.

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the Bent Over Row 2x per week, focusing on initiating the pull from your back, not your arms.
  • Use linear progression with strict form - no swinging or excessive body English.
  • Pause briefly at peak contraction to build the mind-muscle connection.
  • Develop grip strength in parallel to avoid it becoming a bottleneck.
Track progress with the one rep max calculator →
Novice → Intermediate Structured Progression
  • Add a pull variation (different grip width, underhand, or single-arm) for balanced development.
  • Increase pulling volume to 10-15 sets per week across all back movements.
  • Program the Bent Over Row at RPE 7-8, saving RPE 9 work for top sets only.
  • Balance horizontal pulls (rows) with vertical pulls (pulldowns/pull-ups).
Plan your RPE-based sessions →
Intermediate → Advanced Periodized Training Blocks
  • Run 4-6 week blocks with progressive overload on the Bent Over Row.
  • Use RPE 8-9 for heavy sets with calculated backoff work at RPE 6-7.
  • Add controlled eccentrics and paused reps to break through plateaus.
  • Total back volume of 15-22 sets per week, distributed across pull patterns.
Program your backoff sets →
Advanced → Elite Mastery
  • Maximize the Bent Over Row through advanced intensity techniques and precise volume management.
  • Use periodized blocks with planned overreaching and supercompensation phases.
  • Refine execution: squeeze at contraction, controlled stretch, zero momentum.
  • Your back development should reflect years of disciplined, high-volume pulling.
View RPE-to-percentage chart →

How to Perform Bent Over Row

  1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a barbell with a pronated (overhand) grip.
  2. Bend your knees slightly and hinge at the hips, keeping your back straight and head in line with your spine.
  3. Let the barbell hang at arm's length in front of you, with your arms fully extended.
  4. Pull the barbell towards your torso, focusing on squeezing your shoulder blades together.
  5. Pause briefly at the top of the movement, then slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position.
  6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, maintaining proper form throughout.

Read the complete Bent Over Row guide on FitnessVolt →

Tips for Bent Over Row

  • Keep your back straight to avoid injury.
  • Engage your core to maintain stability.
  • Avoid using momentum to lift the weight; focus on controlled movement.
  • Ensure your head stays in line with your spine.

Where Do These Bent Over Row 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 Bent Over Row Good for Your Weight?

Use this page to compare your Bent Over Row 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 Bent Over Row 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" Bent Over Row 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 Bent Over Row 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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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.