Skip to content

Bench Press vs Close Grip Bench Press

Strength Standards Comparison

How does your Bench Press compare to your Close Grip Bench Press? See side-by-side strength standards from Beginner to Elite.

Quick Answer: The average intermediate lifter's Bench Press is approximately 107% of their Close Grip Bench Press, based on FitnessVolt intermediate strength standards (anchored to 2.5M+ verified competition results for the base lifts).

What Is the Ratio Between These Lifts?

The average intermediate lifter's Bench Press is 107% of their Close Grip Bench Press. This ratio is calculated from intermediate-level standards across all bodyweight categories.

Standards from the FitnessVolt strength standards model, anchored to 2.5M+ verified competition results (OpenPowerlifting) for the base lifts.

When Should You Use Each Exercise?

Bench Press

  • Primary muscles: Chest, Triceps, Shoulders (Deltoids)
  • Equipment: Barbell, Bench
  • Type: Compound
  • Difficulty: Intermediate

Close Grip Bench Press

  • Primary muscles: Shoulders (Deltoids), Triceps, Chest
  • Equipment: Barbell, Flat Bench
  • Type: Compound
  • Difficulty: Intermediate

How Should You Interpret This Comparison?

The ratio between your Bench Press and Close Grip Bench Press reveals important information about your training balance. A ratio significantly above the average suggests relative strength in your Bench Press, while a lower ratio may indicate it is a relative weakness worth addressing in your programming.

Use these standards to identify imbalances, then target weak points with the Backoff Calculator for accessory volume or the Block Planner for structured periodization.

All standards are based on the FitnessVolt Competition Percentile (FVCP), derived from 2.5M+ verified competition results. Learn more about our methodology.

Bench Press vs Close Grip Bench Press: 1RM at Each Level

Expected 1RM for a male lifter at 180 lb bodyweight, from Beginner to Elite.

Bench Press Standards

BW Beg Nov Int Adv Elite
110 53 84 125 173 226
120 63 97 140 191 247
130 73 109 154 208 266
140 83 121 169 224 285
150 93 133 182 240 302
160 102 144 196 255 319
170 112 155 209 270 336
180 121 166 221 284 352
190 130 177 234 298 367
200 139 187 246 312 382
210 148 197 257 325 397
220 156 207 269 338 411
230 165 217 280 350 425
240 173 227 291 362 438
250 181 236 301 374 451
260 190 245 312 386 464
270 197 254 322 397 476
280 205 263 332 408 488
290 213 272 341 419 500
300 220 280 351 429 511
310 228 289 360 439 523
90 19 40 71 111 157
100 23 46 79 121 169
110 27 52 87 130 180
120 32 58 94 139 190
130 36 63 101 148 200
140 40 69 108 156 209
150 43 74 114 163 218
160 47 79 120 170 227
170 51 83 126 177 235
180 55 88 132 184 242
190 58 93 137 191 250
200 62 97 143 197 257
210 65 101 148 203 264
220 68 105 153 209 270
230 72 109 157 214 277
240 75 113 162 220 283
250 78 117 167 225 289
260 81 121 171 230 295

Close Grip Bench Press Standards

BW Beg Nov Int Adv Elite
110 49 76 110 150 194
120 59 88 124 167 213
130 70 101 139 184 232
140 80 113 153 200 250
150 90 125 167 216 268
160 100 136 180 231 285
170 110 148 194 246 301
180 119 159 206 260 317
190 129 170 219 274 332
200 138 180 231 288 347
210 147 191 243 301 362
220 156 201 254 314 376
230 165 211 266 326 390
240 174 221 277 339 403
250 183 231 288 350 416
260 191 240 298 362 429
270 199 250 309 374 441
280 208 259 319 385 454
290 216 268 329 396 466
300 224 277 339 407 477
310 231 286 348 417 489
90 22 40 65 96 131
100 27 47 74 106 143
110 32 54 82 116 154
120 37 60 90 125 165
130 42 66 97 134 175
140 47 72 104 142 184
150 51 77 111 150 193
160 56 83 117 158 202
170 60 88 124 165 210
180 64 94 130 172 218
190 69 99 136 179 226
200 73 104 142 186 233
210 77 108 147 192 241
220 81 113 153 198 248
230 84 118 158 204 254
240 88 122 163 210 261
250 92 126 168 216 267
260 96 131 173 221 273

How Does Muscle Targeting Compare?

Bench Press

Primary Muscles Chest, Triceps, Shoulders (Deltoids)
Secondary Muscles Triceps
Equipment Barbell, Bench

Close Grip Bench Press

Primary Muscles Shoulders (Deltoids), Triceps, Chest
Secondary Muscles Chest
Equipment Barbell, Flat Bench

Where Can You View Full Standards?

Bench Press vs Close Grip Bench Press: How Do They Compare?

The Bench Press and Close Grip Bench Press are both popular exercises, but they target different muscles and have different strength expectations. This page compares their strength standards side by side so you can see exactly how your lifts stack up.

The tables above show 1RM strength standards by bodyweight for both exercises, from Beginner to Elite, using the FitnessVolt strength standards model. Use the Male/Female toggle to switch between gender-specific data. For the big three (squat, bench press, deadlift) we also publish verified competition percentiles from 2.5M+ powerlifting meet results, always shown separately.

Want to check your own levels? Visit the individual exercise pages for Bench Press or Close Grip Bench Press to use the interactive strength calculator and find your exact percentile.

Frequently Asked Questions

Based on competition data, the average intermediate lifter's Bench Press is approximately 107% of their Close Grip Bench Press. Ratios vary by bodyweight and training experience.
No. Different exercises involve different muscle groups and leverage advantages. The ratio between lifts varies by anatomy, training history, and movement patterns.
Difficulty depends on your individual strengths and training history. Compare the standards tables above at your bodyweight to see which exercise you are relatively stronger at. The exercise where your 1RM falls into a higher tier is the one you are more advanced in.
If both exercises target muscles you want to develop, incorporating both into your program can provide complementary training stimulus. Check the muscle targeting comparison above to see how they differ.
Increase training frequency for the weaker lift to 2-3x per week, add targeted accessory work, and use RPE-based programming to manage fatigue. Our Block Planner can help structure a program.
Standards are derived from 2.5M+ verified competition results and community-reported training data. They are broken down by bodyweight and gender to give you an accurate comparison. Learn about our methodology.

What Other Exercises Can You Compare?

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.