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Bench Press vs Incline Bench Press

Strength Standards Comparison

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

Quick Answer: The average intermediate lifter's Bench Press is approximately 111% of their Incline Bench Press, based on the FitnessVolt Competition Percentile (FVCP) from 2.5M+ verified competition results.

What Is the Ratio Between These Lifts?

The average intermediate lifter's Bench Press is 111% of their Incline Bench Press. This ratio is calculated from intermediate-level standards across all bodyweight categories.

Standards based on the FitnessVolt Competition Percentile (FVCP), calculated from 2.5M+ verified competition results via OpenPowerlifting.

When Should You Use Each Exercise?

Bench Press

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

Incline Bench Press

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

How Should You Interpret This Comparison?

The ratio between your Bench Press and Incline 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 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

Incline Bench Press Standards

BW Beg Nov Int Adv Elite
110 48 75 108 148 192
120 58 86 122 165 211
130 67 98 136 180 229
140 77 109 149 196 246
150 86 120 162 210 262
160 95 131 175 225 278
170 104 142 187 239 294
180 113 152 199 252 309
190 122 162 211 265 323
200 131 172 222 278 337
210 139 182 233 290 351
220 148 192 244 302 364
230 156 201 255 314 377
240 164 210 265 326 389
250 172 219 275 337 402
260 180 228 285 348 413
270 188 237 294 358 425
280 195 245 304 369 436
290 203 254 313 379 448
300 210 262 322 389 458
310 217 270 331 399 469
90 12 30 58 94 137
100 16 36 65 104 149
110 19 41 72 113 160
120 23 46 79 121 170
130 27 51 86 130 179
140 30 56 93 138 189
150 34 61 99 145 198
160 37 66 105 152 206
170 41 71 110 159 214
180 44 75 116 166 222
190 48 79 121 172 229
200 51 84 127 179 236
210 54 88 132 185 243
220 57 92 137 190 250
230 61 96 142 196 256
240 64 100 146 202 263
250 67 103 151 207 269
260 70 107 155 212 275

How Does Muscle Targeting Compare?

Bench Press

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

Incline Bench Press

Primary Muscles Shoulders (Deltoids), Triceps, Upper Chest
Secondary Muscles Triceps
Equipment Incline Bench, Barbell or Dumbbells

Where Can You View Full Standards?

Bench Press vs Incline Bench Press: How Do They Compare?

The Bench Press and Incline 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. Use the Male/Female toggle to switch between gender-specific data. All standards are based on 2.5M+ verified competition results from powerlifting, weightlifting, and strongman federations worldwide.

Want to check your own levels? Visit the individual exercise pages for Bench Press or Incline 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 111% of their Incline 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.

Standards reviewed by the Fitness Volt Editorial Team, certified strength training analysts.

What Other Exercises Can You Compare?