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cable rear pulldown strength standards

What is a good cable rear pulldown?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate cable rear pulldown is about 106 lb (0.59x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 136 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

Good target 106 lb Intermediate at 180 lb
Next tier 136 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 rear pulldown

A solid (Intermediate) cable rear pulldown for a 180 lb male is about 106 lb (0.59x bodyweight). Use the calculator below to convert your own cable rear pulldown into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 136 lb (0.76x bodyweight).

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

cable rear pulldown demonstration
Estimated Standards

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

Primary Muscles lats
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 rear pulldown?

Intermediate (competition scale)
Typical FVCP: 50th percentile
A 180 lb male lifting 106 lbs (0.59x bodyweight) on the cable rear pulldown 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 rear pulldown entries yet to publish a stable crowd benchmark. Until then, this panel shows the Intermediate standards baseline only:

106 lb Typical 1RM (Intermediate)
0.59x 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 rear pulldown?

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 25 40 60 83 108
120 30 47 67 92 119
130 35 52 74 100 128
140 40 58 81 108 137
150 45 64 87 115 145
160 49 69 94 122 153
170 54 74 100 130 161
180 58 80 106 136 169
190 62 85 112 143 176
200 67 90 118 150 183
210 71 95 123 156 191
220 75 99 129 162 197
230 79 104 134 168 204
240 83 109 140 174 210
250 87 113 144 180 216
260 91 118 150 185 223
270 95 122 155 191 228
280 98 126 159 196 234
290 102 131 164 201 240
300 106 134 168 206 245
310 109 139 173 211 251

Is Your cable rear pulldown Good?

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

Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) cable rear pulldown is about 106 lb (0.59x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 136 lb (0.76x), and Elite is 169 lb (0.94x).

Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) cable rear pulldown is about 52 lb (0.37x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 75 lb (0.54x), and Elite is 100 lb (0.71x).

How Much Should You Be Able to cable rear pulldown?

Men: a 180 lb male should lift about 106 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 58 lb).

Women: a 140 lb female should lift about 52 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 19 lb).

By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter lifts about 87 lb, and a 220 lb lifter lifts about 129 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 104 lb, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 93 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 rear pulldown Strength?

How cable rear pulldown 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 42 63 89 119 152
20 48 72 101 136 174
25 49 74 104 140 179
30 49 74 104 140 179
35 49 74 104 140 179
40 49 74 104 140 179
45 47 70 99 132 169
50 44 66 93 124 159
55 41 61 86 115 147
60 37 55 78 105 134
65 34 50 71 95 121
70 30 45 63 85 109
75 27 40 57 76 97
80 24 36 51 68 87
85 22 32 46 61 78
90 20 29 41 55 70

What Do cable rear pulldown Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

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

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

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the cable rear 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 rear 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 rear 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 rear 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 rear pulldown

["Adjust the cable machine so that the pulley is at the highest position.","Sit facing the machine with your feet flat on the ground and your knees slightly bent.","Grasp the cable attachment with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.","Lean back slightly, keeping your back straight and your chest up.","Pull the cable attachment down towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.","Pause for a moment at the bottom of the movement, then slowly release the cable back up to the starting position.","Repeat for the desired number of repetitions."]

Read the complete cable rear pulldown guide on FitnessVolt →

Where Do These cable rear pulldown 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 rear pulldown Good for Your Weight?

Use this page to compare your cable rear pulldown 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 rear pulldown 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 rear 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 rear 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.
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.