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Cable Shoulder Press strength standards

What is a good Cable Shoulder Press?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate Cable Shoulder Press is about 80 lb (0.44x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 104 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

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Cable Shoulder Press Standards by Bodyweight

Estimates from the FitnessVolt standards model, scaled from the Shoulder 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 18 30 46 64 86
120 21 34 51 71 93
130 25 39 56 77 100
140 28 42 61 83 107
150 31 47 66 89 113
160 35 51 70 94 119
170 38 54 75 99 125
180 41 58 80 104 131
190 44 62 84 109 136
200 47 65 88 114 141
210 50 69 92 118 147
220 53 73 96 123 152
230 56 76 100 128 157
240 59 79 104 131 161
250 62 83 108 136 166
260 64 86 111 140 171
270 67 89 115 144 175
280 70 92 118 148 179
290 73 95 122 152 183
300 75 98 125 155 188
310 78 101 128 159 191

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

Cable Shoulder Press Standards by Age

How the Cable Shoulder Press 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 31 47 67 90 116
20 35 53 76 103 133
25 36 54 78 106 136
30 36 54 78 106 136
35 36 54 78 106 136
40 36 54 78 106 136
45 34 52 74 100 129
50 32 48 69 94 121
55 30 45 64 87 112
60 27 41 59 80 102
65 25 37 53 72 92
70 22 34 48 64 83
75 20 30 42 58 74
80 18 26 38 52 67
85 16 24 34 46 59
90 14 21 31 42 53

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

Check Your Cable Shoulder Press 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 80 lbs (0.44x bodyweight) on the Cable Shoulder Press 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 Shoulder Press Strength Levels Mean

Beginner

You are learning the movement path and resistance curve on the Cable Shoulder Press, building the shoulder stability and pressing coordination needed to handle heavier loads safely.

Novice

You can press with a consistent path and controlled tempo on the Cable Shoulder Press. You are progressing linearly and building the chest, shoulder, and tricep base needed for intermediate strength.

Intermediate

Your Cable Shoulder 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

You have optimized your Cable Shoulder 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

Your Cable Shoulder 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 Shoulder Press

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

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the Cable Shoulder 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 Shoulder 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 Shoulder Press under competition-style commands and judging.
View RPE-to-percentage chart →

How to Perform Cable Shoulder Press

Cable Shoulder Press demonstration
Primary Muscles delts
Equipment cable
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Compound
["Adjust the cable machine so that the handles are at shoulder height.","Stand facing away from the machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.","Grasp the handles with an overhand grip and bring them up to shoulder level, with your elbows bent and pointing outwards.","Press the handles upwards until your arms are fully extended overhead.","Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the handles back down to shoulder level.","Repeat for the desired number of repetitions."]

Read the complete Cable Shoulder Press guide on FitnessVolt →

Where Do These Cable Shoulder Press Standards Come From?

The levels on this page are estimates from the FitnessVolt strength standards model. The Cable Shoulder Press table is the Shoulder 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 Shoulder Press 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 Shoulder 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 Shoulder 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.
They are estimates from the FitnessVolt strength standards model. The Cable Shoulder Press table is the Shoulder 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.