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lever seated row Strength Standards

Quick Answer lever seated row

A 180 lb male with an Intermediate-level lever seated row of 122 lbs ranks at the 50th percentile (FVCP), stronger than ~50% of lifters. An Advanced lifter at this weight lifts 156 lbs (0.87x bodyweight).

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

lever seated row demonstration
Competition-Derived

How strong is your lever seated 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 0.55x ratio.. These values are derived from verified competition data for the base exercise. Learn about our methodology

How Strong Is Your lever seated 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 seated 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 29 46 69 95 124
120 35 53 77 105 136
130 40 60 85 114 146
140 46 67 93 123 157
150 51 73 100 132 166
160 56 79 108 140 175
170 62 85 115 149 185
180 67 91 122 156 194
190 72 97 129 164 202
200 76 103 135 172 210
210 81 108 141 179 218
220 86 114 148 186 226
230 91 119 154 193 234
240 95 125 160 199 241
250 100 130 166 206 248
260 105 135 172 212 255
270 108 140 177 218 262
280 113 145 183 224 268
290 117 150 188 230 275
300 121 154 193 236 281
310 125 159 198 241 288

How Does Age Affect lever seated row Strength?

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

Age Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
15 48 72 102 136 174
20 56 83 116 156 200
25 57 85 119 160 205
30 57 85 119 160 205
35 57 85 119 160 205
40 57 85 119 160 205
45 54 80 113 152 194
50 51 75 106 142 182
55 47 70 98 132 168
60 43 63 90 120 154
65 39 57 81 109 139
70 35 52 73 97 125
75 31 46 65 87 112
80 28 41 58 78 100
85 25 37 52 70 90
90 23 33 47 63 80

What Do lever seated row Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

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

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

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the lever seated 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 seated 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 seated 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 seated 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 seated row

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

Read the complete lever seated row guide on FitnessVolt →

Where Do These lever seated row Standards Come From?

These lever seated 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 seated row Good for Your Weight?

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

Related Exercise Standards

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