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cable incline bench press strength standards

What is a good cable incline bench press?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate cable incline bench press is about 88 lb (0.49x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 114 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

Good target 88 lb Intermediate at 180 lb
Next tier 114 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 cable incline bench press

A solid (Intermediate) cable incline bench press for a 180 lb male is about 88 lb (0.49x bodyweight). Use the calculator below to convert your own cable incline bench press into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 114 lb (0.63x bodyweight).

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

cable incline bench press demonstration
Estimated Standards

How strong is your cable incline bench press? Compare your 1RM against standards for 21 bodyweight categories, from Beginner to Elite.

Primary Muscles pectorals
Equipment cable
Standards Coverage 21 bodyweights × 5 levels
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Compound

Estimated Standards - The level table for this exercise is modeled from FitnessVolt strength ratios for a related base lift, not from direct measurements of this movement. Learn about our methodology

How Strong Is Your cable incline bench press?

Intermediate (competition scale)
Typical FVCP: 50th percentile
A 180 lb male lifting 88 lbs (0.49x bodyweight) on the cable incline bench 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 cable incline bench press entries yet to publish a stable crowd benchmark. Until then, this panel shows the Intermediate standards baseline only:

88 lb Typical 1RM (Intermediate)
0.49x 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 cable incline bench 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 21 34 50 69 90
120 25 39 56 76 99
130 29 44 62 83 106
140 33 48 68 90 114
150 37 53 73 96 121
160 41 58 78 102 128
170 45 62 84 108 134
180 48 66 88 114 141
190 52 71 94 119 147
200 56 75 98 125 153
210 59 79 103 130 159
220 62 83 108 135 164
230 66 87 112 140 170
240 69 91 116 145 175
250 72 94 120 150 180
260 76 98 125 154 186
270 79 102 129 159 190
280 82 105 133 163 195
290 85 109 136 168 200
300 88 112 140 172 204
310 91 116 144 176 209

Is Your cable incline bench press Good?

A quick read on what counts as a good cable incline bench press at each level, for a typical male and female lifter.

Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) cable incline bench press is about 88 lb (0.49x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 114 lb (0.63x), and Elite is 141 lb (0.78x).

Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) cable incline bench press is about 43 lb (0.31x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 62 lb (0.44x), and Elite is 84 lb (0.6x).

How Much Should You Be Able to cable incline bench press?

Men: a 180 lb male should lift about 88 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 48 lb).

Women: a 140 lb female should lift about 43 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 16 lb).

By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter lifts about 73 lb, and a 220 lb lifter lifts about 108 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 87 lb, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 77 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 cable incline bench press Strength?

How cable incline bench 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 35 52 74 99 127
20 40 60 84 114 145
25 41 62 87 116 149
30 41 62 87 116 149
35 41 62 87 116 149
40 41 62 87 116 149
45 39 58 82 110 141
50 37 55 77 104 132
55 34 51 72 96 122
60 31 46 65 88 112
65 28 42 59 79 101
70 25 38 53 71 91
75 22 34 47 64 81
80 20 30 42 57 72
85 18 27 38 51 65
90 16 24 34 46 58

What Do cable incline bench press Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are learning the movement path and resistance curve on the cable incline bench press, building the shoulder stability and pressing coordination needed to handle heavier loads safely.

Novice

Stronger than 20% of lifters. You can press with a consistent path and controlled tempo on the cable incline bench press. You are progressing linearly and building the chest, shoulder, and tricep base needed for intermediate strength.

Intermediate

Stronger than 50% of lifters. Your cable incline bench 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

Stronger than 80% of lifters. You have optimized your cable incline bench 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

Stronger than 95% of lifters. Your cable incline bench 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 cable incline bench press

Tier-specific training recommendations to move your cable incline bench press to the next level.

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the cable incline bench 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 cable incline bench 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 cable incline bench press under competition-style commands and judging.
View RPE-to-percentage chart →

How to Perform cable incline bench press

["Adjust the bench to a 45-degree incline.","Attach the cable handles to the high pulleys.","Sit on the bench facing the cable machine with your feet flat on the ground.","Grasp the handles with an overhand grip and bring them to shoulder height.","Push the handles forward and upward until your arms are fully extended.","Pause for a moment, then slowly lower the handles back to the starting position.","Repeat for the desired number of repetitions."]

Read the complete cable incline bench press guide on FitnessVolt →

Where Do These cable incline bench 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 29, 2026

Is Your cable incline bench press Good for Your Weight?

Use this page to compare your cable incline bench 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 cable incline bench 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" cable incline bench 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 cable incline bench 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.

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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.