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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.

Good target 80 lb Intermediate at 180 lb
Next tier 104 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 shoulder press

A solid (Intermediate) cable shoulder press for a 180 lb male is about 80 lb (0.44x bodyweight). Use the calculator below to convert your own cable shoulder press into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 104 lb (0.58x bodyweight).

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

cable shoulder press demonstration
Estimated Standards

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

Primary Muscles delts
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 shoulder press?

Intermediate (competition scale)
Typical FVCP: 50th percentile
A 180 lb male lifting 80 lbs (0.44x bodyweight) on the cable shoulder 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.

Help improve accuracy for everyone
Share your FVCP with friends
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to track your progress over time.

Reader Data Is Still Building

We do not have enough reader-submitted cable shoulder press entries yet to publish a stable crowd benchmark. Until then, this panel shows the Intermediate standards baseline only:

80 lb Typical 1RM (Intermediate)
0.44x 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 shoulder 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 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

Is Your cable shoulder press Good?

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

Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) cable shoulder press is about 80 lb (0.44x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 104 lb (0.58x), and Elite is 131 lb (0.73x).

Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) cable shoulder press is about 40 lb (0.29x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 57 lb (0.41x), and Elite is 75 lb (0.54x).

How Much Should You Be Able to cable shoulder press?

Men: a 180 lb male should lift about 80 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 41 lb).

Women: a 140 lb female should lift about 40 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 16 lb).

By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter lifts about 66 lb, and a 220 lb lifter lifts about 96 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 78 lb, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 69 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 shoulder press Strength?

How cable shoulder 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 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

What Do cable shoulder press Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

Stronger than 5% of lifters. 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

Stronger than 20% of lifters. 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

Stronger than 50% of lifters. 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

Stronger than 80% of lifters. 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

Stronger than 95% of lifters. 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

["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?

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 shoulder press Good for Your Weight?

Use this page to compare your cable shoulder 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 shoulder 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 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.
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.