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Lat Pulldown Strength Standards

Quick Answer Lat Pulldown

A 180 lb male with an Intermediate-level Lat Pulldown of 187 lbs ranks at the 50th percentile (FVCP), stronger than ~50% of lifters. An Advanced lifter at this weight lifts 246 lbs (1.37x bodyweight).

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

Lat Pulldown demonstration
Competition-Verified

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

Primary Muscles Biceps, Latissimus Dorsi, Rhomboids, Trapezius, Posterior Deltoid
Equipment Lat Pulldown Machine
Data Points 71 rows
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Compound

How Strong Is Your Lat Pulldown?

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 Lat Pulldown?

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

BW (lbs) Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
110 54 86 128 177 232
120 60 94 137 189 245
130 66 102 146 199 258
140 72 109 155 210 269
150 78 116 164 219 280
160 84 123 172 229 291
170 89 130 180 238 301
180 95 136 187 246 311
190 100 142 194 255 320
200 105 148 201 263 329
210 110 154 208 270 338
220 115 159 215 278 346
230 119 165 221 285 354
240 124 170 227 292 362
250 128 176 233 299 369
260 132 181 239 305 377
270 137 186 245 312 384
280 141 190 250 318 391
290 145 195 256 324 397
300 149 200 261 330 404
310 153 204 266 336 410

How Does Age Affect Lat Pulldown Strength?

How Lat Pulldown standards change across different age groups. Values represent a 1RM in lbs.

Age Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
15 72 108 154 207 266
20 82 124 176 237 304
25 85 127 180 243 312
30 85 127 180 243 312
35 85 127 180 243 312
40 85 127 180 243 312
45 80 120 171 231 296
50 75 113 161 217 278
55 70 104 149 200 257
60 64 95 136 183 234
65 57 86 122 165 212
70 52 77 110 148 190
75 46 69 98 133 170
80 41 62 88 118 152
85 37 55 79 106 136
90 33 50 71 96 123

What Do Lat Pulldown Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are building the mind-muscle connection for the Lat Pulldown, learning to initiate the pull with your back rather than your arms, and developing basic grip strength.

Novice

Stronger than 20% of lifters. You can perform the Lat Pulldown with proper scapular retraction and a controlled range of motion. You are progressively overloading and building back thickness and lat width.

Intermediate

Stronger than 50% of lifters. Your Lat Pulldown shows strong back engagement with minimal momentum. You use RPE to regulate pulling intensity and train strategically to balance horizontal and vertical pull volume.

Advanced

Stronger than 80% of lifters. You have built substantial back development through the Lat Pulldown with refined technique and heavy loads. Your grip is no longer a limiting factor, and you manage rowing and pulling fatigue across training blocks.

Elite

Stronger than 95% of lifters. Your Lat Pulldown 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 Lat Pulldown

Tier-specific training recommendations to move your Lat Pulldown to the next level.

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the Lat Pulldown 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.
Track your E1RM progress →
Novice → Intermediate Structured Progression
  • 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 Lat Pulldown at RPE 7-8, saving RPE 9 work for top sets only.
  • Balance horizontal pulls (rows) with vertical pulls (pulldowns/pull-ups).
Plan your RPE-based sessions →
Intermediate → Advanced Periodized Training Blocks
  • Run 4-6 week blocks with progressive overload on the Lat Pulldown.
  • 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.
Program your backoff sets →
Advanced → Elite Mastery
  • Maximize the Lat Pulldown 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.
View RPE-to-percentage chart →

How to Perform Lat Pulldown

  1. Sit down at the lat pulldown machine and adjust the thigh pads to secure your legs.
  2. Grasp the bar with a wide overhand grip, palms facing forward.
  3. Begin with your arms fully extended above your head and back straight.
  4. Pull the bar down towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
  5. Pause briefly at the bottom of the movement.
  6. Slowly return the bar to the starting position with controlled movement.
  7. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Read the complete Lat Pulldown guide on FitnessVolt →

Tips for Lat Pulldown

  • Maintain a straight back and avoid swinging your torso.
  • Engage your core throughout the movement.
  • Exhale as you pull the bar down and inhale as you return it to the starting position.
  • Avoid using momentum; focus on controlled, deliberate movements.

Where Do These Lat Pulldown Standards Come From?

These Lat Pulldown 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 Lat Pulldown Good for Your Weight?

Strength standards help you objectively measure your Lat Pulldown 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 Lat Pulldown 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" Lat Pulldown 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 Lat Pulldown 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.

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Compare Lat Pulldown

See how Lat Pulldown standards compare side by side with other exercises.

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