Skip to content
Jefferson Squat strength standards

What is a good Jefferson Squat?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate Jefferson Squat is about 256 lb (1.42x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 341 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

Good target 256 lb Intermediate at 180 lb
Next tier 341 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 Jefferson Squat

A solid (Intermediate) Jefferson Squat for a 180 lb male is about 256 lb (1.42x bodyweight). Use the calculator below to convert your own Jefferson Squat into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 341 lb (1.89x bodyweight).

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

Jefferson Squat demonstration
Estimated Standards

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

Primary Muscles Core, Quadriceps, Glutes, Hamstrings, Hip Adductors
Equipment Barbell
Standards Coverage 21 bodyweights × 5 levels
Difficulty Advanced
Type Compound

How Strong Is Your Jefferson Squat?

Intermediate (competition scale)
Typical FVCP: 50th percentile
A 180 lb male lifting 256 lbs (1.42x bodyweight) on the Jefferson Squat 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.

Help improve accuracy for everyone
Share your FVCP with friends
Thanks for contributing! lifters have shared their data for this exercise.
to track your progress over time.

Reader Data Is Still Building

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

256 lb Typical 1RM (Intermediate)
1.42x 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 Jefferson Squat?

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 62 105 161 230 306
120 72 117 176 248 327
130 81 129 191 265 347
140 90 141 205 281 366
150 99 152 218 297 384
160 108 163 232 312 401
170 117 173 244 327 417
180 125 184 256 341 433
190 134 194 268 355 449
200 142 203 280 368 463
210 150 213 291 381 478
220 158 222 301 393 492
230 165 231 312 405 505
240 173 240 322 417 518
250 180 249 332 428 531
260 187 257 342 439 543
270 194 265 351 450 555
280 201 273 361 460 566
290 208 281 370 470 578
300 214 289 378 480 589
310 221 296 387 490 599

Is Your Jefferson Squat Good?

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

Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) Jefferson Squat is about 256 lb (1.42x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 341 lb (1.89x), and Elite is 433 lb (2.41x).

Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) Jefferson Squat is about 143 lb (1.02x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 202 lb (1.44x), and Elite is 268 lb (1.91x).

How Much Should You Be Able to Jefferson Squat?

Men: a 180 lb male should lift about 256 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 125 lb).

Women: a 140 lb female should lift about 143 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 57 lb).

By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter lifts about 218 lb, and a 220 lb lifter lifts about 301 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 249 lb, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 222 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 Jefferson Squat Strength?

How Jefferson Squat 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 94 146 212 291 377
20 108 167 243 333 432
25 111 171 249 341 443
30 111 171 249 341 443
35 111 171 249 341 443
40 111 171 249 341 443
45 105 163 236 324 420
50 98 153 222 304 395
55 91 141 205 281 365
60 83 129 187 257 333
65 75 116 169 232 301
70 67 104 152 208 270
75 60 93 136 186 241
80 54 83 121 166 216
85 48 75 109 149 194
90 44 67 98 134 174

What Do Jefferson Squat Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are learning to hit proper depth on the Jefferson Squat, 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 Jefferson Squat 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 Jefferson Squat 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 Jefferson Squat 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 Jefferson Squat 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 Jefferson Squat

Tier-specific training recommendations to move your Jefferson Squat to the next level.

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the Jefferson Squat 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 Jefferson Squat 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 Jefferson Squat 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 Jefferson Squat under meet conditions.
View RPE-to-percentage chart →

How to Perform Jefferson Squat

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, straddling a loaded barbell.
  2. Position the barbell between your legs and grip it with one hand in front of your body and one hand behind.
  3. Keep your back straight and chest up, bend your knees and lower your hips into a squat position.
  4. Ensure your knees track over your toes and your weight is evenly distributed.
  5. Drive through your heels to stand back up to the starting position, maintaining a neutral spine.
  6. Keep your core engaged throughout the movement to maintain stability.
  7. Exhale as you lift and inhale as you lower into the squat.

Read the complete Jefferson Squat guide on FitnessVolt →

Tips for Jefferson Squat

  • Maintain a neutral spine to avoid lower back strain.
  • Engage your core for better stability and control.
  • Make sure your knees track over your toes to prevent injury.
  • Use a moderate weight to start and focus on perfecting your form.

Where Do These Jefferson Squat 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 29, 2026

Is Your Jefferson Squat Good for Your Weight?

Use this page to compare your Jefferson Squat 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 Jefferson Squat 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" Jefferson Squat 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 Jefferson Squat 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.

Related Exercise Standards

Related Calculators

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