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Bench Press vs Squat

Strength Standards Comparison

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

Quick Answer: The average intermediate lifter's Bench Press is approximately 76% of their Squat, 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 76% of their Squat. 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

Squat

  • Primary muscles: Quadriceps, Glutes, Hamstrings, Core
  • Equipment: Barbell, Squat Rack
  • Type: Compound
  • Difficulty: Intermediate

How Should You Interpret This Comparison?

The ratio between your Bench Press and Squat 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 Squat: 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

Squat Standards

BW Beg Nov Int Adv Elite
110 74 114 167 229 298
120 87 131 187 252 324
130 100 147 206 274 349
140 113 162 224 295 373
150 125 177 242 316 396
160 138 192 259 336 418
170 150 207 276 355 439
180 162 221 292 373 460
190 174 235 308 391 479
200 186 248 323 408 499
210 197 261 338 425 517
220 209 274 353 442 535
230 220 287 367 457 553
240 230 299 381 473 570
250 241 311 395 488 586
260 251 323 408 503 603
270 262 335 421 517 618
280 272 346 434 531 634
290 282 357 446 545 649
300 291 368 459 559 664
310 301 379 470 572 678
90 39 71 114 167 226
100 46 79 124 179 241
110 51 87 134 191 254
120 57 94 143 201 267
130 63 101 152 212 279
140 68 108 160 222 290
150 73 115 168 231 301
160 78 121 175 240 311
170 83 127 183 248 320
180 88 133 190 256 329
190 93 138 196 264 338
200 97 144 203 272 347
210 101 149 209 279 355
220 106 154 215 286 363
230 110 159 221 293 371
240 114 164 227 299 378
250 118 169 232 306 385
260 122 173 238 312 392

How Does Muscle Targeting Compare?

Bench Press

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

Squat

Primary Muscles Quadriceps, Glutes, Hamstrings, Core
Secondary Muscles Core, Hamstrings
Equipment Barbell, Squat Rack

Where Can You View Full Standards?

Bench Press vs Squat: How Do They Compare?

The Bench Press and Squat 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 Squat 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 76% of their Squat. 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.