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Horizontal Leg Press strength standards

What is a good Horizontal Leg Press?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate Horizontal Leg Press is about 443 lb (2.46x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 617 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

Good target 443 lb Intermediate at 180 lb
Next tier 617 lb Advanced standard
Gym median Separate tab Self-reported, not blended
Check My Level Estimate Your 1RM Methodology
Evidence ledger No blended rankings
Primary source FitnessVolt standards model
Available views Standards
Coverage 21 bodyweights × 5 levels

Competition results, gym submissions, and reader logs stay labeled separately so the ranking source is clear.

Quick Answer Horizontal Leg Press

A solid (Intermediate) Horizontal Leg Press for a 180 lb male is about 443 lb (2.46x bodyweight). Use the calculator below to convert your own Horizontal Leg Press into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 617 lb (3.43x bodyweight).

FitnessVolt standards, with FVCP competition rankings shown separately from gym percentiles

Estimated Standards

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

Primary Muscles Calves, Quadriceps, Glutes, Hamstrings
Equipment Leg Press Machine
Standards Coverage 21 bodyweights × 5 levels

How Strong Is Your Horizontal Leg Press?

Intermediate (competition scale)
Typical FVCP: 50th percentile
A 180 lb male lifting 443 lbs (2.46x bodyweight) on the Horizontal Leg Press ranks Intermediate on the FVCP competition scale, stronger than ~50% of verified competition lifters at this bodyweight. Enter your own numbers above to see where you stand.

That clears the median for this bodyweight and gives you a useful benchmark for the next tier.

Over 40? Our calculator also reports an age-adjusted percentile and an age-30 equivalent using the McCulloch age factor, so masters lifters are compared to lifters their own age. See the age-adjusted (Masters 40+) standards below for the full breakdown.

FVCP competition ranking, shown separately from gym percentiles and reader logs
Your FVCP:
Age-adjusted percentile
lb Age-30 equivalent 1RM

FVCP competition ranking, shown separately from gym percentiles and reader logs
th percentile

Illustrative: a normal-distribution model anchored to the real Beginner to Elite percentile thresholds for your bodyweight. The marker shows where your lift falls, not a measured frequency count.

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to track your progress over time.

Reader Data Is Still Building

We do not have enough reader-submitted Horizontal Leg Press entries yet to publish a stable crowd benchmark. Until then, this panel shows the Intermediate standards baseline only:

443 lb Typical 1RM (Intermediate)
2.46x x Bodyweight

Baseline figures for a 180 lb male at Intermediate level, from the standards table. This is not reader-submitted data. So far readers have logged a lift here.

Enter your numbers above first. We publish reader benchmarks only after a sample threshold is met.

How Much Should You Horizontal Leg Press?

Use this table to find the standard closest to your bodyweight. The tiers are standards, not claims about reader submissions.

How a male lifter's expected 1RM scales with bodyweight at each level. Exact numbers in the table below.

BW (lbs) Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
110 80 158 269 408 568
120 95 180 296 442 608
130 111 201 323 474 646
140 126 221 348 505 682
150 141 241 373 535 716
160 156 260 397 563 749
170 171 279 420 591 781
180 185 297 443 617 811
190 199 315 464 643 840
200 213 332 486 668 869
210 227 349 506 692 896
220 240 366 526 715 923
230 253 382 545 738 948
240 266 398 564 760 973
250 279 414 583 781 997
260 291 429 601 802 1021
270 304 444 618 822 1044
280 316 458 636 842 1066
290 328 472 652 861 1088
300 339 486 669 880 1109
310 351 500 685 899 1130

Is Your Horizontal Leg Press Good?

A quick read on what counts as a good Horizontal Leg Press at each level, for a typical male and female lifter.

Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) Horizontal Leg Press is about 443 lb (2.46x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 617 lb (3.43x), and Elite is 811 lb (4.51x).

Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) Horizontal Leg Press is about 252 lb (1.8x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 374 lb (2.67x), and Elite is 514 lb (3.67x).

How Much Should You Be Able to Horizontal Leg Press?

Men: a 180 lb male should lift about 443 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 185 lb).

Women: a 140 lb female should lift about 252 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 82 lb).

By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter lifts about 373 lb, and a 220 lb lifter lifts about 526 lb at an Intermediate level. Find your exact bodyweight in the table above.

By age (men): at an Intermediate level a 30 year old male lifts about 425 lb, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 379 lb. See the By Age tab for every age band.

FitnessVolt standards, with FVCP competition rankings shown separately from gym percentiles

How Does Age Affect Horizontal Leg Press Strength?

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

How a male lifter's expected 1RM changes with age at each level. Exact numbers in the table below.

Age Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
15 133 231 362 523 703
20 152 264 415 598 805
25 156 271 425 614 826
30 156 271 425 614 826
35 156 271 425 614 826
40 156 271 425 614 826
45 148 257 404 582 784
50 139 242 379 547 735
55 129 223 350 506 680
60 118 204 320 461 621
65 106 184 289 417 561
70 95 165 259 374 503
75 85 148 232 335 450
80 76 132 207 299 402
85 68 118 186 268 361
90 62 107 167 242 325

What Do Horizontal Leg Press Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are learning to hit proper depth on the Horizontal Leg Press, building ankle and hip mobility, and developing the bracing pattern needed to keep your torso upright under load.

Novice

Stronger than 20% of lifters. You can execute the Horizontal Leg Press with consistent depth and bracing. You are adding weight session to session using linear progression and building foundational leg strength.

Intermediate

Stronger than 50% of lifters. Your Horizontal Leg Press technique is solid through heavy loads. You use periodized programming, understand RPE-based autoregulation, and can grind through sticking points without form breakdown.

Advanced

Stronger than 80% of lifters. You have refined your Horizontal Leg Press stance, bar position, and breathing to maximize leverage. You train with block periodization, manage fatigue across training cycles, and likely compete or train at a competitive level.

Elite

Stronger than 95% of lifters. Your Horizontal Leg Press is at a regional or national competitive standard. You have years of structured peaking cycles behind you and have optimized every technical detail from walkout to lockout.

How to Progress Your Horizontal Leg Press

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

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the Horizontal Leg Press 2x per week, focusing on hitting consistent depth every rep.
  • Use linear progression: add 5 lbs each session as long as form stays solid.
  • Record sets at RPE 6-7 to build volume without excessive fatigue.
  • Prioritize ankle and hip mobility work before each session.
Track progress with the one rep max calculator →
Novice → Intermediate Structured Progression
  • Switch from linear to weekly periodization (e.g., light/medium/heavy days).
  • Add a Horizontal Leg Press variation (pause squats, tempo squats) for weak-point work.
  • Keep most working sets at RPE 7-8, with occasional top singles at RPE 9.
  • Start tracking your training volume (sets x reps x load) week to week.
Plan your RPE-based sessions →
Intermediate → Advanced Periodized Training Blocks
  • Run 4-6 week training blocks with planned intensity peaks and deloads.
  • Use RPE 8-9 for primary sets, RPE 7 for backoff volume.
  • Address specific sticking points with targeted accessory work.
  • Manage fatigue: total weekly sets of 12-20 for the Horizontal Leg Press movement pattern.
Program your backoff sets →
Advanced → Elite Competition-Level Peaking
  • Run structured peaking cycles (8-12 weeks) leading to maximal attempts.
  • Fine-tune technique details: walkout, descent speed, breath timing.
  • Use the RPE chart to hit precise percentages during peaking blocks.
  • Consider competing to test your Horizontal Leg Press under meet conditions.
View RPE-to-percentage chart →

How to Perform Horizontal Leg Press

  1. Sit down on the leg press machine and position your feet shoulder-width apart on the platform.
  2. Adjust the seat and backrest so your knees are at a 90-degree angle when starting.
  3. Grip the handles on the sides of the seat for stability.
  4. Inhale, then press the platform away by extending your legs, keeping your back flat against the seat.
  5. Exhale as you push and avoid locking your knees at the top of the movement.
  6. Slowly return to the starting position by bending your knees to a 90-degree angle, controlling the movement.
  7. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Tips for Horizontal Leg Press

  • Ensure your feet are placed evenly on the platform to avoid muscle imbalances.
  • Control the movement to prevent the weight from slamming down.
  • Keep your knees aligned with your toes to avoid strain on the knee joints.
  • Avoid locking your knees fully at the top of the press to maintain tension on the muscles.

Where Do These Horizontal Leg Press Standards Come From?

FitnessVolt keeps each data population labeled. Competition percentiles use verified raw meet results where available. Gym percentile tabs use self-reported Symmetric Strength data. Reader-submitted benchmarks appear only after enough entries are logged for this lift.

Standards data last refreshed: March 28, 2026

Is Your Horizontal Leg Press Good for Your Weight?

Use this page to compare your Horizontal Leg Press against clearly labeled standards and percentile datasets. Here is the cleanest way to read it:

  1. Start with Standards to find the tier closest to your bodyweight.
  2. Use Gym Percentiles when you want self-reported gym comparisons.
  3. Use Competition for verified meet-result percentiles where the lift supports it.
  4. Use By Age when age-segmented gym data is available.

If you do not know your 1RM, use the one rep max calculator to estimate it from any rep set. For example, if you can Horizontal Leg Press 185 lbs for 5 reps, the calculator will estimate your max.

The important rule: do not mix the tabs. Standards, gym percentiles, competition percentiles, and reader logs answer different questions.

Frequently Asked Questions

A "good" Horizontal Leg Press depends on your bodyweight, sex, and training background. The Intermediate tier is a useful first serious target, while Advanced and Elite represent much harder standards. Use the table above for the number closest to your bodyweight.
Many lifters can reach the Intermediate tier on the Horizontal Leg Press after steady training, but the timeline depends on starting point, technique, programming, recovery, and bodyweight changes. Treat the tier as a benchmark, not a deadline.
Yes. Competition views use verified meet-result data where available, gym percentile views use self-reported gym cohorts, and reader-submitted benchmarks are shown only after enough entries are logged. The populations are labeled separately.
For weighted lifts, enter a clean raw 1RM or an estimated 1RM from a recent hard set. For rep-based movements, enter controlled full-range reps. Avoid equipped lifts, partial reps, or bounced reps unless you are comparing against the same style every time.

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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.