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Lever Shoulder Press strength standards

What is a good Lever Shoulder Press?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate Lever Shoulder Press is about 116 lb (0.64x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 151 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

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Lever Shoulder Press Standards by Bodyweight

Estimates from the FitnessVolt standards model, scaled from the Shoulder Press table by a fixed ratio of 0.8. 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 26 43 66 94 125
120 31 50 74 103 135
130 36 56 82 112 145
140 41 62 89 120 155
150 46 68 96 129 164
160 50 74 102 136 173
170 55 79 109 144 182
180 60 85 116 151 190
190 64 90 122 158 198
200 69 95 128 166 206
210 73 101 134 172 214
220 78 106 140 179 221
230 82 110 146 186 228
240 86 115 151 191 234
250 90 120 157 198 242
260 94 125 162 203 248
270 98 129 167 210 254
280 102 134 172 215 261
290 106 138 177 221 266
300 109 142 182 226 273
310 113 146 186 231 278

The Lever Shoulder Press standard at each level as bodyweight rises, for the sex selected above. Exact numbers in the table above.

Lever Shoulder Press Standards by Age

How the Lever Shoulder Press 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 45 68 97 131 169
20 51 78 110 150 193
25 53 79 114 154 198
30 53 79 114 154 198
35 53 79 114 154 198
40 53 79 114 154 198
45 50 75 108 146 188
50 46 70 101 137 176
55 43 66 94 126 163
60 39 60 86 116 149
65 36 54 77 105 134
70 32 49 70 94 121
75 29 43 62 84 108
80 26 38 55 75 97
85 23 34 50 67 86
90 21 31 45 61 78

The Lever Shoulder Press standard at each level as age rises, for the sex selected above. Exact numbers in the table above.

Check Your Lever Shoulder Press 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 116 lbs (0.64x bodyweight) on the Lever Shoulder Press 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 Lever Shoulder Press Strength Levels Mean

Beginner

You are learning the movement on the Lever Shoulder Press, building the shoulder stability and pressing coordination needed to handle heavier loads safely.

Novice

You can press with a consistent path and controlled tempo on the Lever Shoulder Press. You are progressing linearly and building the chest, shoulder, and tricep base needed for intermediate strength.

Intermediate

Your Lever Shoulder 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

You have optimized your Lever Shoulder 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

Your Lever Shoulder 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 Shoulder Press

Tier-specific training recommendations to move your Lever Shoulder Press to the next level.

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the Lever Shoulder 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 Shoulder 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 Shoulder Press under competition-style commands and judging.
View RPE-to-percentage chart →

How to Perform Lever Shoulder Press

Lever Shoulder Press demonstration
Primary Muscles delts
Equipment lever
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Compound
["Adjust the seat height and position yourself on the machine with your back against the backrest.","Grasp the handles with an overhand grip and position your hands at shoulder level.","Push the handles upward until your arms are fully extended, but do not lock your elbows.","Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the handles back down to the starting position.","Repeat for the desired number of repetitions."]

Read the complete Lever Shoulder Press guide on FitnessVolt →

Where Do These Lever Shoulder Press Standards Come From?

The levels on this page are estimates from the FitnessVolt strength standards model. The Lever Shoulder Press table is the Shoulder Press table scaled by a fixed FitnessVolt ratio of 0.8 (confidence: medium). It is a set of targets, not a measured population. There is no competition or gym dataset for the Lever Shoulder Press 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" Lever Shoulder 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 Shoulder 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.
They are estimates from the FitnessVolt strength standards model. The Lever Shoulder Press table is the Shoulder Press table scaled by a fixed FitnessVolt ratio of 0.8 (confidence: medium). It is a set of targets, not a measured population.
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.