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Machine Reverse Fly strength standards

What is a good Machine Reverse Fly?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate Machine Reverse Fly is about 149 lb (0.83x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 210 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

Good target 149 lb Intermediate at 180 lb
Next tier 210 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 Machine Reverse Fly

A solid (Intermediate) Machine Reverse Fly for a 180 lb male is about 149 lb (0.83x bodyweight). Use the calculator below to convert your own Machine Reverse Fly into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 210 lb (1.17x bodyweight).

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

Estimated Standards

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

Primary Muscles Rhomboids, Trapezius, Infraspinatus, Posterior Deltoid
Equipment Reverse Fly Machine
Standards Coverage 21 bodyweights × 5 levels

How Strong Is Your Machine Reverse Fly?

Intermediate (competition scale)
Typical FVCP: 50th percentile
A 180 lb male lifting 149 lbs (0.83x bodyweight) on the Machine Reverse Fly 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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to track your progress over time.

Reader Data Is Still Building

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

149 lb Typical 1RM (Intermediate)
0.83x 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 Machine Reverse Fly?

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 24 50 87 135 191
120 29 57 97 147 205
130 34 64 106 159 218
140 39 71 115 170 231
150 45 78 124 180 243
160 50 85 133 190 255
170 55 92 141 200 267
180 60 98 149 210 278
190 65 105 156 219 288
200 70 111 164 228 298
210 74 117 171 236 308
220 79 123 178 245 318
230 84 128 185 253 327
240 88 134 192 261 336
250 93 140 199 268 345
260 97 145 205 276 353
270 102 150 212 283 361
280 106 155 218 290 369
290 110 161 224 297 377
300 114 166 230 304 385
310 118 171 235 311 392

Is Your Machine Reverse Fly Good?

A quick read on what counts as a good Machine Reverse Fly at each level, for a typical male and female lifter.

Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) Machine Reverse Fly is about 149 lb (0.83x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 210 lb (1.17x), and Elite is 278 lb (1.54x).

Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) Machine Reverse Fly is about 31 lb (0.22x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 51 lb (0.36x), and Elite is 74 lb (0.53x).

How Much Should You Be Able to Machine Reverse Fly?

Men: a 180 lb male should lift about 149 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 60 lb).

Women: a 140 lb female should lift about 31 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 7 lb).

By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter lifts about 124 lb, and a 220 lb lifter lifts about 178 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 141 lb, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 125 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 Machine Reverse Fly Strength?

How Machine Reverse Fly 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 43 76 120 174 236
20 49 87 137 200 270
25 50 89 141 205 277
30 50 89 141 205 277
35 50 89 141 205 277
40 50 89 141 205 277
45 48 84 134 194 263
50 45 79 125 182 247
55 41 73 116 169 228
60 38 67 106 154 208
65 34 60 96 139 188
70 31 54 86 125 169
75 27 48 77 112 151
80 25 43 69 100 135
85 22 39 62 89 121
90 20 35 55 81 109

What Do Machine Reverse Fly Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are learning the movement path and resistance curve on the Machine Reverse Fly, 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 Machine Reverse Fly 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 Machine Reverse Fly 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 Machine Reverse Fly 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 Machine Reverse Fly 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 Machine Reverse Fly

Tier-specific training recommendations to move your Machine Reverse Fly to the next level.

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the Machine Reverse Fly 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 Machine Reverse Fly.
  • 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 Machine Reverse Fly 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 Machine Reverse Fly 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 Machine Reverse Fly

  1. Adjust the machine to suit your height and sit with your chest against the pad, feet flat on the floor.
  2. Grasp the handles with a neutral grip (palms facing each other), keeping your arms extended but slightly bent at the elbows.
  3. Inhale and brace your core.
  4. Exhale as you slowly pull the handles apart, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
  5. Hold the contraction for a second while maintaining a slight bend in your elbows.
  6. Inhale as you slowly return to the starting position, controlling the movement.
  7. Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Tips for Machine Reverse Fly

  • Keep your movements slow and controlled to maximize muscle engagement.
  • Avoid overextending your elbows to reduce the risk of injury.
  • Focus on squeezing your shoulder blades together at the peak of the movement.

Where Do These Machine Reverse Fly 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 28, 2026

Is Your Machine Reverse Fly Good for Your Weight?

Use this page to compare your Machine Reverse Fly 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 Machine Reverse Fly 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" Machine Reverse Fly 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 Machine Reverse Fly 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.