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cable bar lateral pulldown Strength Standards

Quick Answer cable bar lateral pulldown

A 180 lb male with an Intermediate-level cable bar lateral pulldown of 115 lbs ranks at the 50th percentile (FVCP), stronger than ~50% of lifters. An Advanced lifter at this weight lifts 148 lbs (0.82x bodyweight).

FitnessVolt Competition Percentile (FVCP), based on 2.5M+ verified competition results

cable bar lateral pulldown demonstration
Competition-Derived

How strong is your cable bar lateral pulldown? Compare your 1RM against standards for 21 bodyweight categories, from Beginner to Elite.

Primary Muscles lats
Equipment cable
Data Points 71 rows
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Compound

Estimated Standards - Estimated from bench-press standards using a 0.52x ratio.. These values are derived from verified competition data for the base exercise. Learn about our methodology

How Strong Is Your cable bar lateral pulldown?

Your FVCP:
FitnessVolt Competition Percentile, based on 2.5M+ verified results
th percentile
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to track your progress over time.

How Much Should You cable bar lateral pulldown?

1RM weight (lbs) you should be able to lift at each standard, based on your bodyweight.

BW (lbs) Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
110 28 44 65 90 118
120 33 50 73 99 128
130 38 57 80 108 138
140 43 63 88 116 148
150 48 69 95 125 157
160 53 75 102 133 166
170 58 81 109 140 175
180 63 86 115 148 183
190 68 92 122 155 191
200 72 97 128 162 199
210 77 102 134 169 206
220 81 108 140 176 214
230 86 113 146 182 221
240 90 118 151 188 228
250 94 123 157 194 235
260 99 127 162 201 241
270 102 132 167 206 248
280 107 137 173 212 254
290 111 141 177 218 260
300 114 146 183 223 266
310 119 150 187 228 272

How Does Age Affect cable bar lateral pulldown Strength?

How cable bar lateral pulldown standards change across different age groups. Values represent a 1RM in lbs.

Age Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
15 46 68 96 129 165
20 53 78 110 148 189
25 54 80 113 151 193
30 54 80 113 151 193
35 54 80 113 151 193
40 54 80 113 151 193
45 51 76 107 144 184
50 48 71 100 135 172
55 44 66 93 125 159
60 41 60 85 114 146
65 36 54 76 103 132
70 33 49 69 92 118
75 29 44 61 83 106
80 26 39 55 74 94
85 23 35 49 66 85
90 21 31 44 60 76

What Do cable bar lateral pulldown Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are building the mind-muscle connection for the cable bar lateral pulldown, 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 cable bar lateral pulldown 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 cable bar lateral pulldown 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 cable bar lateral pulldown 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 cable bar lateral pulldown 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 cable bar lateral pulldown

Tier-specific training recommendations to move your cable bar lateral pulldown to the next level.

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the cable bar lateral pulldown 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 your E1RM progress →
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 cable bar lateral pulldown 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 cable bar lateral pulldown.
  • 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 cable bar lateral pulldown 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 cable bar lateral pulldown

["Adjust the cable pulley to a high position and attach a straight bar.","Sit facing the cable machine with your feet flat on the ground and your knees slightly bent.","Grasp the bar with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.","Lean back slightly and keep your chest up, maintaining a slight arch in your lower back.","Pull the bar down towards your chest, leading with your elbows and squeezing your shoulder blades together.","Pause for a moment at the bottom of the movement, then slowly return the bar to the starting position.","Repeat for the desired number of repetitions."]

Read the complete cable bar lateral pulldown guide on FitnessVolt →

Where Do These cable bar lateral pulldown Standards Come From?

These cable bar lateral pulldown standards are based on 2.5M+ verified competition results from powerlifting, weightlifting, and strongman federations worldwide. Every number comes from a sanctioned meet with certified judges - not self-reported gym lifts. Data is sourced from OpenPowerlifting and other verified competition databases, ensuring accuracy you can trust.

Last Updated: March 30, 2026

Reviewed by the Fitness Volt Editorial Team, certified strength training analysts.

Is Your cable bar lateral pulldown Good for Your Weight?

Strength standards help you objectively measure your cable bar lateral pulldown performance relative to other lifters of the same bodyweight and sex. Here is how to interpret them:

  1. Find your bodyweight in the left column of the table above.
  2. Look across the row to find which strength level your 1RM falls into.
  3. Use the age tab to see how your strength compares within your age group.
  4. Switch between Male and Female standards using the toggle - each has its own dataset.

If you do not know your 1RM, use the E1RM Calculator to estimate it from any rep set. For example, if you can cable bar lateral pulldown 185 lbs for 5 reps, the calculator will estimate your max.

These standards are derived from 2.5M+ competition results across powerlifting, weightlifting, and strongman federations worldwide, combined with community training data.

Frequently Asked Questions

A "good" cable bar lateral pulldown depends on your bodyweight, sex, and training experience. As a general benchmark, an Intermediate-level lift (stronger than 50% of lifters) is a solid goal for most recreational athletes. Check the table above for your specific bodyweight.
Most lifters can reach Intermediate level on the cable bar lateral pulldown within 1-2 years of consistent training with progressive overload and proper nutrition. Genetics, training program quality, and recovery all play a role.
Yes. Our standards are calculated from 2.5M+ verified competition results and community-reported data. They are adjusted for bodyweight and age to give you an accurate comparison.
These standards are based on raw (unequipped) lifts. If you use supportive equipment like a bench shirt or squat suit, your equipped numbers will be higher than these standards reflect.

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Related Calculators

E1RM Calculator Estimate your one-rep max from any rep set Benchmarks Compare against competition data RPE Chart Training load percentages by RPE