Skip to content
Chest Press strength standards

What is a good Chest Press?

The Intermediate Chest Press standard is about 207 lb (1.15x bodyweight) for a 180 lb man and 81 lb for a 140 lb woman. Advanced starts around 292 lb for men and 127 lb for women. Enter your bodyweight below for your exact standard. These are estimates from the FitnessVolt standards model, not averages of what people lift in the gym.

Check My Level Estimate Your 1RM Methodology

Chest Press Standards by Bodyweight

Estimates from the FitnessVolt standards model. 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 38 76 130 199 278
120 45 86 143 214 296
130 51 95 154 228 313
140 58 104 166 242 329
150 64 112 177 255 344
160 71 121 187 268 358
170 77 129 197 280 372
180 83 137 207 292 386
190 89 145 216 303 399
200 95 152 226 314 411
210 101 159 235 324 423
220 107 167 243 334 435
230 113 174 252 344 446
240 118 180 260 354 457
250 124 187 268 363 468
260 129 194 276 372 478
270 134 200 283 381 488
280 139 206 291 390 498
290 144 213 298 398 507
300 149 219 305 406 517
310 154 224 312 415 526

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

Chest Press Standards by Age

How the Chest 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 61 107 169 245 332
20 69 122 193 281 380
25 71 125 198 288 389
30 71 125 198 288 389
35 71 125 198 288 389
40 71 125 198 288 389
45 68 119 188 273 369
50 63 112 177 257 347
55 59 103 163 237 321
60 54 94 149 217 293
65 48 85 135 196 264
70 43 76 121 176 237
75 39 68 108 157 212
80 35 61 97 140 190
85 31 55 87 126 170
90 28 49 78 113 153

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

Check Your Chest 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 207 lbs (1.15x bodyweight) on the Chest 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
Help improve accuracy for everyone
Share your result
Thanks for contributing! lifters have shared their data for this exercise.
to track your progress over time.

What the Chest Press Strength Levels Mean

Beginner

You are learning the bar path and loading on the Chest 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 Chest Press. You are progressing linearly and building the chest, shoulder, and tricep base needed for intermediate strength.

Intermediate

Your Chest 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 Chest 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 Chest 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 Chest Press

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

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

How to Perform Chest Press

Chest Press demonstration
Primary Muscles Triceps, Anterior Deltoid, Pectorals
Equipment Barbell, Dumbbells, Bench
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Compound
  1. Lie flat on your back on a bench with feet planted firmly on the ground.
  2. Hold a barbell or dumbbells above your chest with elbows bent and arms at a 90-degree angle.
  3. Press the weight upwards by extending your arms until they are fully extended but not locked out.
  4. Lower the weight back down to the starting position in a controlled manner.
  5. Inhale as you lower the weight and exhale as you press it upwards.

Tips

  • Maintain a natural arch in your lower back without lifting it off the bench.
  • Avoid locking out your elbows at the top of the movement to keep tension on the muscles.
  • Keep your wrists straight and aligned with your forearms.
  • Control the weight throughout the movement to avoid bouncing or jerking.

Read the complete Chest Press guide on FitnessVolt →

Where Do These Chest Press Standards Come From?

The levels on this page are estimates from the FitnessVolt strength standards model. The Chest Press table is an editorial FitnessVolt table, not a measured population. There is no competition or gym dataset for the Chest 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" Chest 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 Chest 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 Chest Press table is an editorial FitnessVolt table, not a measured population. Treat the levels as targets.
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.

Related Exercise Standards

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.