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Lat Pulldown strength standards

What is a good Lat Pulldown?

The Intermediate Lat Pulldown standard is about 187 lb (1.04x bodyweight) for a 180 lb man and 100 lb for a 140 lb woman. Advanced starts around 246 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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Lat Pulldown Standards by Bodyweight

Estimates from the FitnessVolt standards model. 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 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

The Lat Pulldown standard at each level as bodyweight rises, for the sex selected above. Exact numbers in the table above.

Lat Pulldown Standards by Age

How the Lat Pulldown 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 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

The Lat Pulldown standard at each level as age rises, for the sex selected above. Exact numbers in the table above.

Check Your Lat Pulldown 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 187 lbs (1.04x bodyweight) on the Lat Pulldown 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
Age-adjusted score
lb Age-30 equivalent 1RM

of 100
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What the Lat Pulldown Strength Levels Mean

Beginner

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

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

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

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

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 progress with the one rep max calculator →
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

Lat Pulldown demonstration
Primary Muscles Biceps, Latissimus Dorsi, Rhomboids, Trapezius, Posterior Deltoid
Equipment Lat Pulldown Machine
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Compound
  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.

Tips

  • 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.

Read the complete Lat Pulldown guide on FitnessVolt →

Where Do These Lat Pulldown Standards Come From?

The levels on this page are estimates from the FitnessVolt strength standards model. The Lat Pulldown table is an editorial FitnessVolt table, not a measured population. There is no competition or gym dataset for the Lat Pulldown itself. 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" Lat Pulldown 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 Lat Pulldown 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.
They are estimates from the FitnessVolt strength standards model. The Lat Pulldown table is an editorial FitnessVolt table, not a measured population. Treat the levels as targets.
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.