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Cable Pulldown strength standards

What is a good Cable Pulldown?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate Cable Pulldown is about 122 lb (0.68x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 156 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

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Cable Pulldown Standards by Bodyweight

Estimates from the FitnessVolt standards model, scaled from the Bench Press table by a fixed ratio of 0.55. Updated March 29, 2026. Find the row closest to your bodyweight. Beginner is a first target for a new lifter, Novice a few months in, Intermediate about one to two years of structured training, Advanced several years, Elite the top of the table.

BW (lbs) Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
110 29 46 69 95 124
120 35 53 77 105 136
130 40 60 85 114 146
140 46 67 93 123 157
150 51 73 100 132 166
160 56 79 108 140 175
170 62 85 115 149 185
180 67 91 122 156 194
190 72 97 129 164 202
200 76 103 135 172 210
210 81 108 141 179 218
220 86 114 148 186 226
230 91 119 154 193 234
240 95 125 160 199 241
250 100 130 166 206 248
260 105 135 172 212 255
270 108 140 177 218 262
280 113 145 183 224 268
290 117 150 188 230 275
300 121 154 193 236 281
310 125 159 198 241 288

The Cable Pulldown standard at each level as bodyweight rises, for the sex selected above. Exact numbers in the table above.

Cable Pulldown Standards by Age

How the Cable Pulldown standards change with age, as a 1RM in lb. This table is not tied to one bodyweight, so read it for the trend and use the bodyweight table above for your own number.

Age Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
15 48 72 102 136 174
20 56 83 116 156 200
25 57 85 119 160 205
30 57 85 119 160 205
35 57 85 119 160 205
40 57 85 119 160 205
45 54 80 113 152 194
50 51 75 106 142 182
55 47 70 98 132 168
60 43 63 90 120 154
65 39 57 81 109 139
70 35 52 73 97 125
75 31 46 65 87 112
80 28 41 58 78 100
85 25 37 52 70 90
90 23 33 47 63 80

The Cable Pulldown standard at each level as age rises, for the sex selected above. Exact numbers in the table above.

Check Your Cable Pulldown Level

Intermediate
Level score: 50 of 100
Level score on the FitnessVolt standards: Beginner 5, Novice 20, Intermediate 50, Advanced 80, Elite 95
A 180 lb male lifting 122 lbs (0.68x bodyweight) on the Cable Pulldown is at the Intermediate standard for his bodyweight. Enter your own numbers above to see where you stand.

Over 40? Add your age and the calculator also shows an age-adjusted level and an age-30 equivalent, using the McCulloch age factor to scale your lift to peak age. Every age band is in the standards by age table above.

Level score:
Level score on the FitnessVolt standards: Beginner 5, Novice 20, Intermediate 50, Advanced 80, Elite 95
Age-adjusted score
lb Age-30 equivalent 1RM

of 100
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What the Cable Pulldown Strength Levels Mean

Beginner

You are building the mind-muscle connection for the Cable Pulldown, learning to initiate the pull with your back rather than your arms, and developing basic grip strength.

Novice

You can perform the Cable Pulldown with proper scapular retraction and a controlled range of motion. You are progressively overloading and building back thickness and lat width.

Intermediate

Your Cable 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

You have built substantial back development through the Cable 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

Your Cable 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 Pulldown

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

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the Cable 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 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 Cable 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 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 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 Pulldown

Cable Pulldown demonstration
Primary Muscles lats
Equipment cable
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Compound
["Adjust the cable pulldown machine so that the seat is at a comfortable height and the knee pad is secured.","Sit on the seat with your back straight and your feet flat on the ground.","Grasp the cable bar with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.","Lean back slightly and engage your core.","Pull the cable bar down towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.","Pause for a moment at the bottom of the movement, then slowly release the bar back to the starting position.","Repeat for the desired number of repetitions."]

Read the complete Cable Pulldown guide on FitnessVolt →

Where Do These Cable Pulldown Standards Come From?

The levels on this page are estimates from the FitnessVolt strength standards model. The Cable Pulldown table is the Bench Press table scaled by a fixed FitnessVolt ratio of 0.55 (confidence: medium). It is a set of targets, not a measured population. There is no competition or gym dataset for the Cable Pulldown itself. Reader-submitted benchmarks appear only after enough entries are logged for this lift.

Standards data last refreshed: March 29, 2026

  • Level tables: the FitnessVolt strength standards model, not meet data.
  • Method: Strength standards methodology - how the level tables are built and where each data source on the site comes from.
Cite this Fitness Volt strength standards model, 2026. Beginner to Elite levels are model values, not competition percentiles. https://fitnessvolt.com/strength-standards/methodology/

Frequently Asked Questions

A "good" Cable Pulldown 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 Pulldown 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.
They are estimates from the FitnessVolt strength standards model. The Cable Pulldown table is the Bench Press table scaled by a fixed FitnessVolt ratio of 0.55 (confidence: medium). It is a set of targets, not a measured population.
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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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.