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Incline Bench Press strength standards

What is a good Incline Bench Press?

The Intermediate Incline Bench Press standard is about 199 lb (1.11x bodyweight) for a 180 lb man and 93 lb for a 140 lb woman. Advanced starts around 252 lb for men and 138 lb for women. Enter your bodyweight below for your exact standard. These are estimates from the FitnessVolt standards model, not averages of what people lift in the gym.

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Incline Bench Press Standards by Bodyweight

Estimates from the FitnessVolt standards model. Gym data has its own section below. Updated March 29, 2026. Find the row closest to your bodyweight. Beginner is a first target for a new lifter, Novice a few months in, Intermediate about one to two years of structured training, Advanced several years, Elite the top of the table.

BW (lbs) Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
110 48 75 108 148 192
120 58 86 122 165 211
130 67 98 136 180 229
140 77 109 149 196 246
150 86 120 162 210 262
160 95 131 175 225 278
170 104 142 187 239 294
180 113 152 199 252 309
190 122 162 211 265 323
200 131 172 222 278 337
210 139 182 233 290 351
220 148 192 244 302 364
230 156 201 255 314 377
240 164 210 265 326 389
250 172 219 275 337 402
260 180 228 285 348 413
270 188 237 294 358 425
280 195 245 304 369 436
290 203 254 313 379 448
300 210 262 322 389 458
310 217 270 331 399 469

The Incline Bench Press standard at each level as bodyweight rises, for the sex selected above. Exact numbers in the table above.

Incline Bench Press Standards by Age

How the Incline Bench Press standards change with age, as a 1RM in lb. This table is not tied to one bodyweight, so read it for the trend and use the bodyweight table above for your own number.

Age Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
15 83 121 167 221 280
20 95 138 191 253 321
25 98 142 196 260 329
30 98 142 196 260 329
35 98 142 196 260 329
40 98 142 196 260 329
45 93 134 186 247 312
50 87 126 175 231 293
55 80 117 162 214 271
60 73 106 148 195 247
65 66 96 133 176 223
70 60 86 120 158 200
75 53 77 107 142 179
80 48 69 96 127 160
85 43 62 86 113 144
90 38 56 77 102 129

The Incline Bench Press standard at each level as age rises, for the sex selected above. Exact numbers in the table above.

Incline Bench Press in the Gym

Self-reported lifts from the Symmetric Strength gym dataset, n=117,620, updated June 5, 2026. These are real logged lifts as estimated 1RM. Bodyweight classes with fewer than 100 entries are not shown.

Bodyweight class Sample size 25th %ile Median 75th %ile 90th %ile Median × BW
59kg 2,310 96 lb (43.7 kg) 118 lb (53.3 kg) 140 lb (63.5 kg) 163 lb (73.7 kg) 0.90x
66kg 8,368 121 lb (55.0 kg) 146 lb (66.1 kg) 165 lb (74.7 kg) 182 lb (82.8 kg) 1.00x
74kg 20,890 137 lb (62.3 kg) 159 lb (72.0 kg) 184 lb (83.2 kg) 206 lb (93.3 kg) 0.97x
83kg 33,940 150 lb (68.0 kg) 176 lb (79.7 kg) 204 lb (92.5 kg) 228 lb (103.4 kg) 0.96x
93kg 28,329 160 lb (72.6 kg) 190 lb (86.3 kg) 220 lb (100.0 kg) 249 lb (112.7 kg) 0.93x
105kg 13,046 169 lb (76.7 kg) 204 lb (92.5 kg) 237 lb (107.7 kg) 272 lb (123.5 kg) 0.88x
120kg 4,700 181 lb (82.0 kg) 220 lb (99.8 kg) 251 lb (114.0 kg) 285 lb (129.3 kg) 0.83x
120+kg 1,518 158 lb (71.4 kg) 219 lb (99.2 kg) 268 lb (121.5 kg) 313 lb (141.9 kg) 0.77x
Bodyweight class Sample size 25th %ile Median 75th %ile 90th %ile Median × BW
47kg 100 35 lb (15.9 kg) 52 lb (23.4 kg) 103 lb (46.7 kg) 118 lb (53.3 kg) 0.50x
52kg 454 56 lb (25.3 kg) 73 lb (33.3 kg) 82 lb (37.3 kg) 93 lb (42.3 kg) 0.64x
57kg 1,039 64 lb (29.3 kg) 82 lb (37.3 kg) 97 lb (44.1 kg) 109 lb (49.3 kg) 0.66x
63kg 762 69 lb (31.4 kg) 82 lb (37.3 kg) 98 lb (44.3 kg) 116 lb (52.8 kg) 0.59x
69kg 755 72 lb (32.8 kg) 88 lb (39.7 kg) 99 lb (45.0 kg) 125 lb (56.5 kg) 0.58x
76kg 785 76 lb (34.5 kg) 89 lb (40.2 kg) 106 lb (48.0 kg) 132 lb (59.9 kg) 0.53x
84kg 388 80 lb (36.3 kg) 105 lb (47.6 kg) 118 lb (53.5 kg) 133 lb (60.5 kg) 0.57x
84+kg 236 86 lb (39.1 kg) 103 lb (46.7 kg) 123 lb (55.7 kg) 210 lb (95.1 kg) 0.49x

Incline Bench Press in the Gym by Age

The same Symmetric Strength gym lifts, grouped by age bracket across all bodyweights. Age brackets with fewer than 100 entries are not shown.

Age bracket Sample size 25th %ile Median 75th %ile 90th %ile
<20 18,010 133 lb (60.5 kg) 165 lb (74.7 kg) 194 lb (88.0 kg) 223 lb (101.3 kg)
20-29 60,302 150 lb (67.8 kg) 179 lb (81.1 kg) 212 lb (96.0 kg) 246 lb (111.6 kg)
30-39 21,565 150 lb (67.8 kg) 180 lb (81.7 kg) 209 lb (94.8 kg) 241 lb (109.2 kg)
40-49 6,315 147 lb (66.7 kg) 180 lb (81.7 kg) 210 lb (95.3 kg) 239 lb (108.5 kg)
50-59 2,365 146 lb (66.0 kg) 167 lb (75.8 kg) 197 lb (89.5 kg) 225 lb (102.0 kg)
60+ 441 151 lb (68.4 kg) 165 lb (74.7 kg) 186 lb (84.5 kg) 209 lb (94.8 kg)
Age bracket Sample size 25th %ile Median 75th %ile 90th %ile
<20 374 57 lb (25.9 kg) 73 lb (33.3 kg) 82 lb (37.2 kg) 91 lb (41.3 kg)
20-29 2,170 70 lb (31.7 kg) 86 lb (38.8 kg) 102 lb (46.3 kg) 120 lb (54.6 kg)
30-39 1,364 76 lb (34.5 kg) 91 lb (41.1 kg) 108 lb (48.8 kg) 123 lb (55.6 kg)
40-49 310 68 lb (30.7 kg) 88 lb (39.8 kg) 102 lb (46.3 kg) 112 lb (50.8 kg)
60+ 102 35 lb (15.9 kg) 39 lb (17.5 kg) 44 lb (20.0 kg) 47 lb (21.3 kg)

Check Your Incline Bench Press Level

Intermediate
Level score: 50 of 100
Level score on the FitnessVolt standards: Beginner 5, Novice 20, Intermediate 50, Advanced 80, Elite 95
A 180 lb male lifting 199 lbs (1.11x bodyweight) on the Incline Bench Press is at the Intermediate standard for his bodyweight. Enter your own numbers above to see where you stand.

Over 40? Add your age and the calculator also shows an age-adjusted level and an age-30 equivalent, using the McCulloch age factor to scale your lift to peak age. Every age band is in the standards by age table above.

Level score:
Level score on the FitnessVolt standards: Beginner 5, Novice 20, Intermediate 50, Advanced 80, Elite 95

Competition percentile (FVCP): .

Gym percentile: .

Age-adjusted score
lb Age-30 equivalent 1RM

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What the Incline Bench Press Strength Levels Mean

Beginner

You are learning the bar path and loading on the Incline Bench Press, building the shoulder stability and pressing coordination needed to handle heavier loads safely.

Novice

You can press with a consistent path and controlled tempo on the Incline Bench Press. You are progressing linearly and building the chest, shoulder, and tricep base needed for intermediate strength.

Intermediate

Your Incline Bench 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

You have optimized your Incline Bench 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

Your Incline Bench 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 Incline Bench Press

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

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the Incline Bench 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 progress with the one rep max calculator →
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 Incline Bench 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 Incline Bench Press under competition-style commands and judging.
View RPE-to-percentage chart →

How to Perform Incline Bench Press

Incline Bench Press demonstration
Primary Muscles Shoulders (Deltoids), Triceps, Upper Chest
Equipment Incline Bench, Barbell or Dumbbells
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Compound
  1. Set an adjustable bench to a 30-45 degree incline and lie back on it.
  2. Grasp the barbell with a shoulder-width grip or hold a dumbbell in each hand.
  3. Position the weights at chest level with elbows bent and pointed down.
  4. Inhale, then press the weights up until your arms are fully extended.
  5. Exhale as you lower the weights back to the starting position with control.
  6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Tips

  • Keep your feet flat on the floor for stability.
  • Avoid flaring your elbows too wide to prevent shoulder strain.
  • Maintain a slight arch in your lower back.
  • Control the movement to maximize muscle engagement and minimize injury risk.

Read the complete Incline Bench Press guide on FitnessVolt →

Where Do These Incline Bench Press Standards Come From?

The levels on this page are estimates from the FitnessVolt strength standards model. The Incline Bench Press table is an editorial FitnessVolt table, not a measured population. The Incline Bench Press in the Gym section uses self-reported Symmetric Strength data and is kept separate. Reader-submitted benchmarks appear only after enough entries are logged for this lift.

Standards data last refreshed: March 29, 2026

  • Level tables: the FitnessVolt strength standards model, not meet data.
  • Method: Strength standards methodology - how the level tables are built and where each data source on the site comes from.
Cite this Fitness Volt strength standards model, 2026. Beginner to Elite levels are model values, not competition percentiles. https://fitnessvolt.com/strength-standards/methodology/

Frequently Asked Questions

A "good" Incline Bench 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 Incline Bench 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.
Partly. The levels are estimates from the FitnessVolt strength standards model. The Incline Bench Press table is an editorial FitnessVolt table, not a measured population. The Incline Bench Press in the Gym section holds real entries: self-reported Incline Bench Press results from gym lifters, shown 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.

Related Exercise Standards

Compare Incline Bench Press

See how Incline Bench Press standards compare side by side with other exercises.

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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.