Skip to content

lever pullover Strength Standards

Quick Answer lever pullover

A 180 lb male with an Intermediate-level lever pullover of 99 lbs ranks at the 50th percentile (FVCP), stronger than ~50% of lifters. An Advanced lifter at this weight lifts 128 lbs (0.71x bodyweight).

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

lever pullover demonstration
Competition-Derived

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

Primary Muscles lats
Equipment lever
Data Points 71 rows
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Compound

Estimated Standards - Estimated from bench-press standards using a 0.45x ratio.. These values are derived from verified competition data for the base exercise. Learn about our methodology

How Strong Is Your lever pullover?

Your FVCP:
FitnessVolt Competition Percentile, based on 2.5M+ verified results
th percentile
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.

How Much Should You lever pullover?

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

BW (lbs) Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
110 24 38 56 78 102
120 28 44 63 86 111
130 33 49 69 94 120
140 37 54 76 101 128
150 42 60 82 108 136
160 46 65 88 115 144
170 50 70 94 122 151
180 54 75 99 128 158
190 59 80 105 134 165
200 63 84 111 140 172
210 67 89 116 146 179
220 70 93 121 152 185
230 74 98 126 158 191
240 78 102 131 163 197
250 81 106 135 168 203
260 86 110 140 174 209
270 89 114 145 179 214
280 92 118 149 184 220
290 96 122 153 189 225
300 99 126 158 193 230
310 103 130 162 198 235

How Does Age Affect lever pullover Strength?

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

Age Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
15 40 59 83 112 143
20 45 68 95 128 163
25 46 69 98 131 167
30 46 69 98 131 167
35 46 69 98 131 167
40 46 69 98 131 167
45 44 66 93 124 159
50 41 62 87 117 149
55 38 57 81 108 138
60 35 52 73 99 126
65 32 47 66 89 114
70 28 42 59 80 102
75 25 38 53 72 91
80 23 34 48 64 81
85 20 30 43 57 73
90 18 27 38 52 66

What Do lever pullover Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

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

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

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the lever pullover 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 pullover 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 pullover.
  • 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 pullover 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 pullover

["Adjust the seat and handles of the leverage machine to a comfortable position.","Sit on the machine with your back against the pad and grasp the handles with an overhand grip.","Keep your arms slightly bent and your core engaged.","Slowly pull the handles towards your chest, squeezing your lats.","Pause for a moment at the peak contraction, then slowly return to the starting position.","Repeat for the desired number of repetitions."]

Read the complete lever pullover guide on FitnessVolt →

Where Do These lever pullover Standards Come From?

These lever pullover 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 pullover Good for Your Weight?

Strength standards help you objectively measure your lever pullover 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 pullover 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 pullover 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 pullover 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.