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lever high row Strength Standards

Quick Answer lever high row

A 180 lb male with an Intermediate-level lever high row of 115 lbs ranks at the 50th percentile (FVCP), stronger than ~50% of lifters. An Advanced lifter at this weight lifts 148 lbs (0.82x bodyweight).

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

lever high row demonstration
Competition-Derived

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

Primary Muscles upper-back
Equipment lever
Data Points 71 rows
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Compound

Estimated Standards - Estimated from bench-press standards using a 0.52x ratio.. These values are derived from verified competition data for the base exercise. Learn about our methodology

How Strong Is Your lever high row?

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 lever high row?

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

BW (lbs) Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
110 28 44 65 90 118
120 33 50 73 99 128
130 38 57 80 108 138
140 43 63 88 116 148
150 48 69 95 125 157
160 53 75 102 133 166
170 58 81 109 140 175
180 63 86 115 148 183
190 68 92 122 155 191
200 72 97 128 162 199
210 77 102 134 169 206
220 81 108 140 176 214
230 86 113 146 182 221
240 90 118 151 188 228
250 94 123 157 194 235
260 99 127 162 201 241
270 102 132 167 206 248
280 107 137 173 212 254
290 111 141 177 218 260
300 114 146 183 223 266
310 119 150 187 228 272

How Does Age Affect lever high row Strength?

How lever high row standards change across different age groups. Values represent a 1RM in lbs.

Age Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
15 46 68 96 129 165
20 53 78 110 148 189
25 54 80 113 151 193
30 54 80 113 151 193
35 54 80 113 151 193
40 54 80 113 151 193
45 51 76 107 144 184
50 48 71 100 135 172
55 44 66 93 125 159
60 41 60 85 114 146
65 36 54 76 103 132
70 33 49 69 92 118
75 29 44 61 83 106
80 26 39 55 74 94
85 23 35 49 66 85
90 21 31 44 60 76

What Do lever high row Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are building the mind-muscle connection for the lever high row, 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 lever high row 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 lever high row 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 lever high row 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 lever high row 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 lever high row

Tier-specific training recommendations to move your lever high row to the next level.

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the lever high row 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 lever high row 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 lever high row.
  • 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 lever high row 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 lever high row

["Adjust the seat height and foot platform to a comfortable position.","Sit on the machine with your chest against the pad and your feet flat on the foot platform.","Grasp the handles with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.","Keep your back straight and engage your core.","Pull the handles towards your body, squeezing your shoulder blades together.","Pause for a moment at the peak of the movement, then slowly release the handles back to the starting position.","Repeat for the desired number of repetitions."]

Read the complete lever high row guide on FitnessVolt →

Where Do These lever high row Standards Come From?

These lever high row 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 lever high row Good for Your Weight?

Strength standards help you objectively measure your lever high row 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 lever high row 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" lever high row 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 lever high row 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.