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Cable Kickback strength standards

What is a good Cable Kickback?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate Cable Kickback is about 47 lb (0.26x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 73 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

Good target 47 lb Intermediate at 180 lb
Next tier 73 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 Kickback

A solid (Intermediate) Cable Kickback for a 180 lb male is about 47 lb (0.26x bodyweight). Use the calculator below to convert your own Cable Kickback into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 73 lb (0.41x bodyweight).

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

Cable Kickback demonstration
Estimated Standards

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

Primary Muscles Glutes, Hamstrings, Lower Back
Equipment Cable Machine, Ankle Strap
Standards Coverage 21 bodyweights × 5 levels
Difficulty Beginner
Type Isolation

How Strong Is Your Cable Kickback?

Intermediate (competition scale)
Typical FVCP: 50th percentile
A 180 lb male lifting 47 lbs (0.26x bodyweight) on the Cable Kickback 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 Kickback entries yet to publish a stable crowd benchmark. Until then, this panel shows the Intermediate standards baseline only:

47 lb Typical 1RM (Intermediate)
0.26x 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 Kickback?

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 3 12 27 47 72
120 4 14 30 51 78
130 6 16 33 55 82
140 7 18 36 59 87
150 8 20 39 63 91
160 9 22 41 66 96
170 11 24 44 70 100
180 12 26 47 73 103
190 13 28 49 76 107
200 15 30 51 79 111
210 16 32 54 82 114
220 17 33 56 85 118
230 18 35 58 88 121
240 20 37 61 90 124
250 21 39 63 93 127
260 22 40 65 96 130
270 23 42 67 98 133
280 25 43 69 100 136
290 26 45 71 103 139
300 27 47 73 105 141
310 28 48 75 107 144

Is Your Cable Kickback Good?

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

Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) Cable Kickback is about 47 lb (0.26x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 73 lb (0.41x), and Elite is 103 lb (0.57x).

Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) Cable Kickback is about 63 lb (0.45x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 108 lb (0.77x), and Elite is 162 lb (1.16x).

How Much Should You Be Able to Cable Kickback?

Men: a 180 lb male should lift about 47 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 12 lb).

Women: a 140 lb female should lift about 63 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 10 lb).

By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter lifts about 39 lb, and a 220 lb lifter lifts about 56 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 44 lb, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 39 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 Kickback Strength?

How Cable Kickback 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 8 20 37 60 87
20 9 22 42 69 99
25 10 23 44 70 102
30 10 23 44 70 102
35 10 23 44 70 102
40 10 23 44 70 102
45 9 22 41 67 97
50 9 21 39 63 91
55 8 19 36 58 84
60 7 17 33 53 77
65 7 16 30 48 69
70 6 14 27 43 62
75 5 13 24 38 56
80 5 11 21 34 50
85 4 10 19 31 45
90 4 9 17 28 40

What Do Cable Kickback Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are learning the movement path and resistance curve on the Cable Kickback, 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 Cable Kickback 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 Cable Kickback 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 Cable Kickback 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 Cable Kickback 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 Cable Kickback

Tier-specific training recommendations to move your Cable Kickback to the next level.

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the Cable Kickback 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 Cable Kickback.
  • 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 Cable Kickback 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 Cable Kickback 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 Cable Kickback

  1. Attach an ankle strap to a low pulley cable machine and secure it around your ankle.
  2. Stand facing the machine, holding onto it for support, with your feet hip-width apart.
  3. Engage your core and keep a slight bend in your standing leg.
  4. Keeping your leg straight, extend it backward as far as possible, squeezing your glutes at the top of the movement.
  5. Slowly return to the starting position.
  6. Repeat for the desired number of reps, then switch legs.

Read the complete Cable Kickback guide on FitnessVolt →

Tips for Cable Kickback

  • Keep your core engaged throughout the movement to maintain balance.
  • Avoid arching your lower back; focus on squeezing your glutes.
  • Move slowly and with control to maximize muscle engagement.
  • Start with a lighter weight to master the form before increasing resistance.

Where Do These Cable Kickback 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 Kickback Good for Your Weight?

Use this page to compare your Cable Kickback 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 Kickback 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 Kickback 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 Kickback 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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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.