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lever chest press strength standards

What is a good lever chest press?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate lever chest press is about 177 lb (0.98x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 227 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

Good target 177 lb Intermediate at 180 lb
Next tier 227 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 lever chest press

A solid (Intermediate) lever chest press for a 180 lb male is about 177 lb (0.98x bodyweight). Use the calculator below to convert your own lever chest press into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 227 lb (1.26x bodyweight).

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

lever chest press demonstration
Estimated Standards

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

Primary Muscles pectorals
Equipment lever
Standards Coverage 21 bodyweights × 5 levels
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Compound

Estimated Standards - The level table for this exercise is modeled from FitnessVolt strength ratios for a related base lift, not from direct measurements of this movement. Learn about our methodology

How Strong Is Your lever chest press?

Intermediate (competition scale)
Typical FVCP: 50th percentile
A 180 lb male lifting 177 lbs (0.98x bodyweight) on the lever chest 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 lever chest press entries yet to publish a stable crowd benchmark. Until then, this panel shows the Intermediate standards baseline only:

177 lb Typical 1RM (Intermediate)
0.98x 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 lever chest 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 42 67 100 138 181
120 50 78 112 153 198
130 58 87 123 166 213
140 66 97 135 179 228
150 74 106 146 192 242
160 82 115 157 204 255
170 90 124 167 216 269
180 97 133 177 227 282
190 104 142 187 238 294
200 111 150 197 250 306
210 118 158 206 260 318
220 125 166 215 270 329
230 132 174 224 280 340
240 138 182 233 290 350
250 145 189 241 299 361
260 152 196 250 309 371
270 158 203 258 318 381
280 164 210 266 326 390
290 170 218 273 335 400
300 176 224 281 343 409
310 182 231 288 351 418

Is Your lever chest press Good?

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

Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) lever chest press is about 177 lb (0.98x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 227 lb (1.26x), and Elite is 282 lb (1.57x).

Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) lever chest press is about 86 lb (0.61x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 125 lb (0.89x), and Elite is 167 lb (1.19x).

How Much Should You Be Able to lever chest press?

Men: a 180 lb male should lift about 177 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 97 lb).

Women: a 140 lb female should lift about 86 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 32 lb).

By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter lifts about 146 lb, and a 220 lb lifter lifts about 215 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 174 lb, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 154 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 lever chest press Strength?

How lever chest 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 70 105 148 198 254
20 81 120 169 227 290
25 82 123 174 233 298
30 82 123 174 233 298
35 82 123 174 233 298
40 82 123 174 233 298
45 78 117 165 221 282
50 74 110 154 207 265
55 68 102 143 192 245
60 62 92 130 175 224
65 56 83 118 158 202
70 50 75 106 142 182
75 45 67 94 127 162
80 40 60 85 114 145
85 36 54 76 102 130
90 33 48 68 92 117

What Do lever chest press Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are learning the movement on the lever chest press, building the shoulder stability and pressing coordination needed to handle heavier loads safely.

Novice

Stronger than 20% of lifters. You can press with a consistent path and controlled tempo on the lever chest press. You are progressing linearly and building the chest, shoulder, and tricep base needed for intermediate strength.

Intermediate

Stronger than 50% of lifters. Your lever chest 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

Stronger than 80% of lifters. You have optimized your lever chest 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

Stronger than 95% of lifters. Your lever chest 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 lever chest press

Tier-specific training recommendations to move your lever chest press to the next level.

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the lever chest 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 lever chest 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 lever chest press under competition-style commands and judging.
View RPE-to-percentage chart →

How to Perform lever chest press

["Adjust the seat height and position yourself on the machine with your back flat against the pad.","Grasp the handles with an overhand grip and position your elbows at a 90-degree angle.","Push the handles forward until your arms are fully extended, exhaling during the movement.","Pause briefly at the end of the movement, then slowly return to the starting position, inhaling as you do so.","Repeat for the desired number of repetitions."]

Read the complete lever chest press guide on FitnessVolt →

Where Do These lever chest 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 29, 2026

Is Your lever chest press Good for Your Weight?

Use this page to compare your lever chest 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 lever chest 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" lever chest 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 lever chest 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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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.