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Lying Cable Curl strength standards

What is a good Lying Cable Curl?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate Lying Cable Curl is about 124 lb (0.69x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 193 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

Good target 124 lb Intermediate at 180 lb
Next tier 193 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 Lying Cable Curl

A solid (Intermediate) Lying Cable Curl for a 180 lb male is about 124 lb (0.69x bodyweight). Use the calculator below to convert your own Lying Cable Curl into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 193 lb (1.07x bodyweight).

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

Lying Cable Curl demonstration
Estimated Standards

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

Primary Muscles Biceps, Forearms
Equipment Cable Machine, Flat Bench, Straight Bar or EZ Bar
Standards Coverage 21 bodyweights × 5 levels
Difficulty Beginner
Type Isolation

How Strong Is Your Lying Cable Curl?

Intermediate (competition scale)
Typical FVCP: 50th percentile
A 180 lb male lifting 124 lbs (0.69x bodyweight) on the Lying Cable Curl 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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Share your FVCP with friends
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to track your progress over time.

Reader Data Is Still Building

We do not have enough reader-submitted Lying Cable Curl entries yet to publish a stable crowd benchmark. Until then, this panel shows the Intermediate standards baseline only:

124 lb Typical 1RM (Intermediate)
0.69x 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 Lying Cable Curl?

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 13 38 79 135 202
120 16 43 86 145 214
130 19 48 93 153 225
140 22 53 100 162 235
150 25 57 106 170 245
160 28 62 113 178 254
170 31 67 119 186 263
180 34 71 124 193 272
190 37 75 130 200 280
200 40 79 135 206 288
210 42 83 141 213 296
220 45 87 146 219 303
230 48 91 151 225 310
240 51 95 156 231 317
250 54 99 160 237 324
260 56 102 165 242 330
270 59 106 169 248 337
280 61 109 174 253 343
290 64 113 178 258 349
300 67 116 182 263 355
310 69 119 186 268 360

Is Your Lying Cable Curl Good?

A quick read on what counts as a good Lying Cable Curl at each level, for a typical male and female lifter.

Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) Lying Cable Curl is about 124 lb (0.69x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 193 lb (1.07x), and Elite is 272 lb (1.51x).

Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) Lying Cable Curl is about 63 lb (0.45x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 102 lb (0.73x), and Elite is 149 lb (1.06x).

How Much Should You Be Able to Lying Cable Curl?

Men: a 180 lb male should lift about 124 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 34 lb).

Women: a 140 lb female should lift about 63 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 13 lb).

By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter lifts about 106 lb, and a 220 lb lifter lifts about 146 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 119 lb, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 106 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 Lying Cable Curl Strength?

How Lying Cable Curl 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 24 55 101 160 230
20 28 63 116 184 263
25 29 65 119 188 270
30 29 65 119 188 270
35 29 65 119 188 270
40 29 65 119 188 270
45 27 62 113 179 256
50 26 58 106 168 240
55 24 54 98 155 222
60 22 49 89 142 203
65 20 44 81 128 183
70 18 40 72 115 164
75 16 35 65 103 147
80 14 32 58 92 131
85 13 28 52 82 118
90 11 26 47 74 106

What Do Lying Cable Curl Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are learning the movement path and resistance curve on the Lying Cable Curl, building the controlled movement pattern and mind-muscle connection needed to train the target muscle effectively.

Novice

Stronger than 20% of lifters. You can perform the Lying Cable Curl with strict form and a smooth tempo. You are adding resistance progressively without sacrificing range of motion or using body English.

Intermediate

Stronger than 50% of lifters. Your Lying Cable Curl is performed with excellent control and targeted tension. You use RPE to manage isolation work intensity and program it strategically within your training split.

Advanced

Stronger than 80% of lifters. You have built significant strength on the Lying Cable Curl through disciplined, progressive training. You employ advanced techniques like drop sets, pauses, and tempo work to continue driving adaptation.

Elite

Stronger than 95% of lifters. Your Lying Cable Curl strength is at the upper end of what most lifters achieve. You have maximized the target muscle development through years of focused, periodized isolation work.

How to Progress Your Lying Cable Curl

Tier-specific training recommendations to move your Lying Cable Curl to the next level.

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the Lying Cable Curl 2x per week with slow, controlled reps.
  • Focus on full range of motion and eliminating momentum or swinging.
  • Keep sets at RPE 6-7 to develop proper movement patterns.
  • Build the mind-muscle connection - feel the target muscle working on every rep.
Track progress with the one rep max calculator →
Novice → Intermediate Structured Progression
  • Increase load progressively while keeping strict form on the Lying Cable Curl.
  • Program 3-4 sets of 8-15 reps at RPE 7-8.
  • Add a variation (different grip, angle, or equipment) to address development gaps.
  • Place isolation work after your primary compound movements.
Plan your RPE-based sessions →
Intermediate → Advanced Advanced Isolation Techniques
  • Use drop sets, paused reps, and partial reps to break through Lying Cable Curl plateaus.
  • Train at RPE 8-9 with advanced intensity techniques on your last 1-2 sets.
  • Manipulate tempo to increase time under tension without compromising form.
  • Manage total volume for the target muscle group across all exercises.
Calculate working set loads →
Advanced → Elite Mastery
  • Maximize Lying Cable Curl strength through precise programming and fatigue management.
  • Use periodized blocks to cycle between volume, intensity, and deload phases.
  • Quality of contraction matters more than load at this level.
  • Continuous refinement of technique will yield the remaining gains.
View RPE-to-percentage chart →

How to Perform Lying Cable Curl

  1. Set up a flat bench in front of a low pulley cable machine.
  2. Attach a straight bar or EZ bar to the low pulley.
  3. Lie on your back on the bench with your head near the machine and feet flat on the floor.
  4. Reach back and grab the bar with an underhand grip (palms facing up), hands shoulder-width apart.
  5. Begin with your arms fully extended and the bar resting above your thighs.
  6. Curl the bar upwards towards your shoulders by flexing your elbows, keeping your upper arms stationary.
  7. Squeeze your biceps at the top of the movement.
  8. Slowly lower the bar back to the starting position in a controlled manner.
  9. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Read the complete Lying Cable Curl guide on FitnessVolt →

Tips for Lying Cable Curl

  • Keep your upper arms stationary to ensure your biceps are doing the work.
  • Avoid using momentum; focus on a slow and controlled movement.
  • Exhale while curling the weight up and inhale while lowering it.
  • Use a weight that allows you to maintain proper form throughout the exercise.

Where Do These Lying Cable Curl 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 Lying Cable Curl Good for Your Weight?

Use this page to compare your Lying Cable Curl 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 Lying Cable Curl 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" Lying Cable Curl 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 Lying Cable Curl 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.

Related Exercise Standards

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.