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Floor Press Strength Standards

Quick Answer Floor Press

A 180 lb male with an Intermediate-level Floor Press of 216 lbs ranks at the 50th percentile (FVCP), stronger than ~50% of lifters. An Advanced lifter at this weight lifts 295 lbs (1.64x bodyweight).

FitnessVolt Competition Percentile (FVCP), based on 2.5M+ verified competition results

Floor Press demonstration
Competition-Verified

How strong is your Floor Press? Compare your 1RM against standards for 21 bodyweight categories, from Beginner to Elite.

Equipment Barbell, Dumbbells
Data Points 71 rows
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Compound

How Strong Is Your Floor Press?

Your FVCP:
FitnessVolt Competition Percentile, based on 2.5M+ verified results
th percentile
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to track your progress over time.

How Much Should You Floor Press?

1RM weight (lbs) you should be able to lift at each standard, based on your bodyweight.

BW (lbs) Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
110 35 69 116 176 244
120 44 81 132 195 266
130 53 93 147 213 288
140 62 104 161 230 308
150 71 116 176 247 328
160 79 127 189 264 346
170 88 138 203 280 365
180 97 149 216 295 382
190 106 160 229 310 399
200 114 171 242 325 416
210 123 181 254 339 432
220 131 191 266 353 448
230 140 201 278 366 463
240 148 211 289 380 477
250 156 220 300 392 492
260 164 230 311 405 506
270 171 239 322 417 519
280 179 248 332 429 533
290 187 257 343 441 546
300 194 266 353 452 558
310 201 274 363 463 571

How Does Age Affect Floor Press Strength?

How Floor Press standards change across different age groups. Values represent a 1RM in lbs.

Age Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
15 71 119 182 258 344
20 81 136 208 296 393
25 84 140 214 303 403
30 84 140 214 303 403
35 84 140 214 303 403
40 84 140 214 303 403
45 79 132 203 288 383
50 74 124 190 270 359
55 69 115 176 250 332
60 63 105 161 228 303
65 57 95 145 206 274
70 51 85 130 185 246
75 46 76 116 165 220
80 41 68 104 148 197
85 37 61 93 132 176
90 33 55 84 119 159

What Do Floor Press Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are learning the bar path and loading on the Floor Press, building the shoulder stability and pressing coordination needed to handle heavier loads safely.

Novice

Stronger than 20% of lifters. You can press with a consistent path and controlled tempo on the Floor Press. You are progressing linearly and building the chest, shoulder, and tricep base needed for intermediate strength.

Intermediate

Stronger than 50% of lifters. Your Floor Press technique is efficient under heavy loads. You use programmed variations, understand how to manage pressing fatigue, and can grind through the mid-range sticking point.

Advanced

Stronger than 80% of lifters. You have optimized your Floor Press setup for maximal force production - arch, leg drive, and grip width are dialed in. You train with periodized intensity blocks and accessory work targeting weak points.

Elite

Stronger than 95% of lifters. Your Floor Press is at a competitive standard. You have refined every aspect of the lift through years of structured peaking and can produce maximal force with technical precision.

How to Progress Your Floor Press

Tier-specific training recommendations to move your Floor Press to the next level.

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the Floor Press 2-3x per week to build pressing strength and shoulder stability.
  • Use linear progression: add 2.5-5 lbs per session.
  • Practice controlled eccentrics (3-second lowering) to build tendon strength.
  • Keep working sets at RPE 6-7 to accumulate quality volume.
Track your E1RM progress →
Novice → Intermediate Structured Progression
  • Add a pressing variation (close-grip, incline, or paused) for weak-point development.
  • Increase frequency to 2-3 sessions per week with varied rep ranges.
  • Program most sets at RPE 7-8 with one heavy session including RPE 9 work.
  • Build tricep and shoulder accessory volume to support the Floor Press.
Plan your RPE-based sessions →
Intermediate → Advanced Periodized Training Blocks
  • Run 4-6 week blocks with planned volume and intensity progression.
  • Use RPE 8-9 for competition-style sets, RPE 7 for volume backoffs.
  • Target your sticking point with specific accessory work (board press, pin press, bands).
  • Manage total weekly pressing volume (12-20 sets) across all push movements.
Program your backoff sets →
Advanced → Elite Competition-Level Peaking
  • Peak with structured 8-12 week cycles targeting a competition or max attempt.
  • Refine your setup: arch, leg drive, grip width, and bar path for maximal efficiency.
  • Use the RPE chart for precise percentage work during peaking phases.
  • Test your Floor Press under competition-style commands and judging.
View RPE-to-percentage chart →

How to Perform Floor Press

  1. Lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat.
  2. Hold a barbell or dumbbells with a shoulder-width grip, elbows resting on the floor.
  3. Press the weight upward until your arms are fully extended over your chest.
  4. Lower the weight back down until your upper arms touch the floor, keeping your elbows at a 45-degree angle to your body.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Read the complete Floor Press guide on FitnessVolt →

Tips for Floor Press

  • Keep your core engaged to maintain stability.
  • Control the weight as you lower it to avoid bouncing your elbows off the floor.
  • Keep your wrists straight and aligned with your forearms.
  • Avoid flaring your elbows out excessively to prevent shoulder strain.

Where Do These Floor Press Standards Come From?

These Floor Press 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 Floor Press Good for Your Weight?

Strength standards help you objectively measure your Floor Press performance relative to other lifters of the same bodyweight and sex. Here is how to interpret them:

  1. Find your bodyweight in the left column of the table above.
  2. Look across the row to find which strength level your 1RM falls into.
  3. Use the age tab to see how your strength compares within your age group.
  4. 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 Floor Press 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

A "good" Floor Press depends on your bodyweight, sex, and training experience. As a general benchmark, an Intermediate-level lift (stronger than 50% of lifters) is a solid goal for most recreational athletes. Check the table above for your specific bodyweight.
Most lifters can reach Intermediate level on the Floor Press within 1-2 years of consistent training with progressive overload and proper nutrition. Genetics, training program quality, and recovery all play a role.
Yes. Our standards are calculated from 2.5M+ verified competition results and community-reported data. They are adjusted for bodyweight and age to give you an accurate comparison.
These standards are based on raw (unequipped) lifts. If you use supportive equipment like a bench shirt or squat suit, your equipped numbers will be higher than these standards reflect.

Related Exercise Standards

Related Calculators

E1RM Calculator Estimate your one-rep max from any rep set Benchmarks Compare against competition data RPE Chart Training load percentages by RPE