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Bent Over Row vs Bench Press

Strength Standards Comparison

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

Quick Answer: The average intermediate lifter's Bent Over Row is approximately 87% of their 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 Bent Over Row is 87% of their 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?

Bent Over Row

  • Primary muscles: Shoulders (Deltoids), Biceps, Back
  • Equipment: Barbell
  • Type: Compound
  • Difficulty: Intermediate

Bench Press

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

How Should You Interpret This Comparison?

The ratio between your Bent Over Row and Bench Press reveals important information about your training balance. A ratio significantly above the average suggests relative strength in your Bent Over Row, 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.

Bent Over Row vs Bench Press: 1RM at Each Level

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

Bent Over Row Standards

BW Beg Nov Int Adv Elite
110 46 74 111 156 206
120 54 85 124 171 223
130 62 95 137 186 240
140 70 105 148 200 255
150 78 115 160 213 271
160 86 124 171 226 285
170 94 134 182 238 299
180 102 143 193 251 313
190 109 152 203 262 326
200 117 160 213 274 338
210 124 169 223 285 351
220 131 177 232 295 362
230 138 185 242 306 374
240 145 193 251 316 385
250 152 201 259 326 396
260 158 208 268 335 407
270 165 216 276 345 417
280 171 223 285 354 427
290 177 230 293 363 437
300 183 237 301 372 447
310 189 244 308 380 456
90 23 42 70 104 143
100 25 46 74 109 149
110 28 49 79 115 155
120 30 52 82 119 161
130 32 55 86 124 166
140 34 58 90 128 171
150 36 61 93 132 175
160 38 63 96 136 180
170 40 66 99 139 184
180 42 68 102 143 188
190 44 70 105 146 192
200 46 73 108 149 195
210 47 75 110 152 199
220 49 77 113 155 202
230 51 79 115 158 205
240 52 81 117 161 208
250 54 83 120 163 211
260 55 84 122 166 214

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

How Does Muscle Targeting Compare?

Bent Over Row

Primary Muscles Shoulders (Deltoids), Biceps, Back
Secondary Muscles Biceps
Equipment Barbell

Bench Press

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

Where Can You View Full Standards?

Bent Over Row vs Bench Press: How Do They Compare?

The Bent Over Row and 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 Bent Over Row or 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 Bent Over Row is approximately 87% of their 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.