A 180 lb male with an Intermediate-level Face Pull of 106 lbs ranks at the 50th percentile (FVCP), stronger than ~50% of lifters. An Advanced lifter at this weight lifts 161 lbs (0.89x bodyweight).
FitnessVolt Competition Percentile (FVCP), based on 2.5M+ verified competition results
How strong is your Face Pull? Compare your 1RM against standards for 21 bodyweight categories, from Beginner to Elite.
How Strong Is Your Face Pull?
How Much Should You Face Pull?
1RM weight (lbs) you should be able to lift at each standard, based on your bodyweight.
| BW (lbs) | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 110 | 10 | 30 | 62 | 105 | 156 |
| 120 | 13 | 35 | 69 | 114 | 167 |
| 130 | 16 | 40 | 76 | 123 | 178 |
| 140 | 20 | 45 | 82 | 131 | 188 |
| 150 | 23 | 49 | 88 | 139 | 197 |
| 160 | 26 | 54 | 94 | 146 | 206 |
| 170 | 29 | 58 | 100 | 154 | 215 |
| 180 | 32 | 63 | 106 | 161 | 223 |
| 190 | 35 | 67 | 112 | 168 | 231 |
| 200 | 38 | 71 | 117 | 174 | 239 |
| 210 | 41 | 76 | 122 | 181 | 247 |
| 220 | 44 | 80 | 128 | 187 | 254 |
| 230 | 47 | 84 | 133 | 193 | 261 |
| 240 | 50 | 87 | 137 | 199 | 268 |
| 250 | 53 | 91 | 142 | 204 | 274 |
| 260 | 56 | 95 | 147 | 210 | 281 |
| 270 | 59 | 99 | 151 | 215 | 287 |
| 280 | 62 | 102 | 156 | 221 | 293 |
| 290 | 64 | 106 | 160 | 226 | 299 |
| 300 | 67 | 109 | 164 | 231 | 305 |
| 310 | 70 | 113 | 169 | 236 | 311 |
| 90 | 11 | 26 | 50 | 80 | 116 |
| 100 | 13 | 30 | 55 | 87 | 124 |
| 110 | 16 | 34 | 60 | 93 | 131 |
| 120 | 18 | 37 | 64 | 98 | 138 |
| 130 | 21 | 40 | 68 | 104 | 144 |
| 140 | 23 | 44 | 72 | 109 | 150 |
| 150 | 25 | 47 | 76 | 113 | 155 |
| 160 | 27 | 50 | 80 | 118 | 161 |
| 170 | 29 | 52 | 84 | 122 | 166 |
| 180 | 31 | 55 | 87 | 127 | 171 |
| 190 | 34 | 58 | 91 | 131 | 175 |
| 200 | 35 | 61 | 94 | 134 | 180 |
| 210 | 37 | 63 | 97 | 138 | 184 |
| 220 | 39 | 65 | 100 | 142 | 189 |
| 230 | 41 | 68 | 103 | 145 | 193 |
| 240 | 43 | 70 | 106 | 149 | 196 |
| 250 | 45 | 72 | 109 | 152 | 200 |
| 260 | 47 | 75 | 111 | 155 | 204 |
How Does Age Affect Face Pull Strength?
How Face Pull standards change across different age groups. Values represent a 1RM in lbs.
| Age | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 23 | 49 | 86 | 134 | 190 |
| 20 | 26 | 56 | 98 | 153 | 217 |
| 25 | 27 | 57 | 101 | 157 | 223 |
| 30 | 27 | 57 | 101 | 157 | 223 |
| 35 | 27 | 57 | 101 | 157 | 223 |
| 40 | 27 | 57 | 101 | 157 | 223 |
| 45 | 25 | 54 | 96 | 149 | 211 |
| 50 | 24 | 51 | 90 | 140 | 198 |
| 55 | 22 | 47 | 83 | 129 | 183 |
| 60 | 20 | 43 | 76 | 118 | 167 |
| 65 | 18 | 39 | 69 | 107 | 151 |
| 70 | 16 | 35 | 62 | 96 | 136 |
| 75 | 15 | 31 | 55 | 86 | 121 |
| 80 | 13 | 28 | 49 | 77 | 108 |
| 85 | 12 | 25 | 44 | 69 | 97 |
| 90 | 11 | 22 | 40 | 62 | 88 |
| 15 | 18 | 36 | 62 | 94 | 131 |
| 20 | 21 | 42 | 71 | 108 | 150 |
| 25 | 22 | 43 | 73 | 110 | 154 |
| 30 | 22 | 43 | 73 | 110 | 154 |
| 35 | 22 | 43 | 73 | 110 | 154 |
| 40 | 22 | 43 | 73 | 110 | 154 |
| 45 | 20 | 41 | 69 | 105 | 146 |
| 50 | 19 | 38 | 65 | 98 | 137 |
| 55 | 18 | 35 | 60 | 91 | 127 |
| 60 | 16 | 32 | 55 | 83 | 116 |
| 65 | 15 | 29 | 49 | 75 | 104 |
| 70 | 13 | 26 | 44 | 67 | 94 |
| 75 | 12 | 23 | 40 | 60 | 84 |
| 80 | 11 | 21 | 35 | 54 | 75 |
| 85 | 9 | 19 | 32 | 48 | 67 |
| 90 | 8 | 17 | 29 | 43 | 61 |
What Do Face Pull Strength Standards Mean?
Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are building the mind-muscle connection for the Face Pull, learning to initiate the pull with your back rather than your arms, and developing basic grip strength.
Stronger than 20% of lifters. You can perform the Face Pull with proper scapular retraction and a controlled range of motion. You are progressively overloading and building back thickness and lat width.
Stronger than 50% of lifters. Your Face Pull shows strong back engagement with minimal momentum. You use RPE to regulate pulling intensity and train strategically to balance horizontal and vertical pull volume.
Stronger than 80% of lifters. You have built substantial back development through the Face Pull with refined technique and heavy loads. Your grip is no longer a limiting factor, and you manage rowing and pulling fatigue across training blocks.
Stronger than 95% of lifters. Your Face Pull strength is exceptional. You can handle loads that most lifters cannot move with strict form, and your back development reflects years of high-volume, periodized pulling work.
How to Progress Your Face Pull
Tier-specific training recommendations to move your Face Pull to the next level.
- Train the Face Pull 2x per week, focusing on initiating the pull from your back, not your arms.
- Use linear progression with strict form - no swinging or excessive body English.
- Pause briefly at peak contraction to build the mind-muscle connection.
- Develop grip strength in parallel to avoid it becoming a bottleneck.
- Add a pull variation (different grip width, underhand, or single-arm) for balanced development.
- Increase pulling volume to 10-15 sets per week across all back movements.
- Program the Face Pull at RPE 7-8, saving RPE 9 work for top sets only.
- Balance horizontal pulls (rows) with vertical pulls (pulldowns/pull-ups).
- Run 4-6 week blocks with progressive overload on the Face Pull.
- Use RPE 8-9 for heavy sets with calculated backoff work at RPE 6-7.
- Add controlled eccentrics and paused reps to break through plateaus.
- Total back volume of 15-22 sets per week, distributed across pull patterns.
- Maximize the Face Pull through advanced intensity techniques and precise volume management.
- Use periodized blocks with planned overreaching and supercompensation phases.
- Refine execution: squeeze at contraction, controlled stretch, zero momentum.
- Your back development should reflect years of disciplined, high-volume pulling.
How to Perform Face Pull
- Attach a rope handle to a high pulley on a cable machine.
- Stand facing the machine, feet shoulder-width apart, grasping the rope with an overhand grip and arms fully extended.
- Engage your core and maintain a slight bend in the knees.
- Pull the rope towards your face, flaring your elbows out and squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Pause briefly at the peak contraction, ensuring your upper arms are parallel to the floor.
- Slowly return to the starting position, maintaining control of the movement.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, exhaling as you pull and inhaling as you return.
Tips for Face Pull
- Keep your core engaged to prevent arching your lower back.
- Focus on squeezing your shoulder blades together at the peak of the movement.
- Avoid using momentum; control the movement throughout.
- Adjust the height of the pulley to align with your face for optimal form.
Where Do These Face Pull Standards Come From?
These Face Pull standards are based on 2.5M+ verified competition results from powerlifting, weightlifting, and strongman federations worldwide. Every number comes from a sanctioned meet with certified judges - not self-reported gym lifts. Data is sourced from OpenPowerlifting and other verified competition databases, ensuring accuracy you can trust.
Last Updated: March 30, 2026
Reviewed by the Fitness Volt Editorial Team, certified strength training analysts.
Is Your Face Pull Good for Your Weight?
Strength standards help you objectively measure your Face Pull performance relative to other lifters of the same bodyweight and sex. Here is how to interpret them:
- Find your bodyweight in the left column of the table above.
- Look across the row to find which strength level your 1RM falls into.
- Use the age tab to see how your strength compares within your age group.
- Switch between Male and Female standards using the toggle - each has its own dataset.
If you do not know your 1RM, use the E1RM Calculator to estimate it from any rep set. For example, if you can Face Pull 185 lbs for 5 reps, the calculator will estimate your max.
These standards are derived from 2.5M+ competition results across powerlifting, weightlifting, and strongman federations worldwide, combined with community training data.