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Machine Row strength standards

What is a good Machine Row?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate Machine Row is about 231 lb (1.28x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 320 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

Good target 231 lb Intermediate at 180 lb
Next tier 320 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 Row

A solid (Intermediate) Machine Row for a 180 lb male is about 231 lb (1.28x bodyweight). Use the calculator below to convert your own Machine Row into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 320 lb (1.78x bodyweight).

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

Machine Row demonstration
Estimated Standards

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

Primary Muscles Biceps, Latissimus Dorsi, Rhomboids, Trapezius, Posterior Deltoid
Equipment Rowing Machine
Standards Coverage 21 bodyweights × 5 levels
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Compound

How Strong Is Your Machine Row?

Intermediate (competition scale)
Typical FVCP: 50th percentile
A 180 lb male lifting 231 lbs (1.28x bodyweight) on the Machine Row 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 Row entries yet to publish a stable crowd benchmark. Until then, this panel shows the Intermediate standards baseline only:

231 lb Typical 1RM (Intermediate)
1.28x 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 Row?

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 40 79 134 203 283
120 48 91 149 222 305
130 57 102 164 240 326
140 66 114 178 257 346
150 74 125 192 274 365
160 82 136 205 290 384
170 91 146 218 305 401
180 99 157 231 320 418
190 107 167 243 334 435
200 115 177 255 348 451
210 123 186 267 362 466
220 130 196 278 375 481
230 138 205 289 388 496
240 146 214 300 400 510
250 153 223 310 412 523
260 160 232 321 424 537
270 167 240 331 436 550
280 174 249 341 447 562
290 181 257 350 458 575
300 188 265 360 469 587
310 195 273 369 479 598

Is Your Machine Row Good?

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

Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) Machine Row is about 231 lb (1.28x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 320 lb (1.78x), and Elite is 418 lb (2.32x).

Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) Machine Row is about 116 lb (0.83x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 171 lb (1.22x), and Elite is 234 lb (1.67x).

How Much Should You Be Able to Machine Row?

Men: a 180 lb male should lift about 231 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 99 lb).

Women: a 140 lb female should lift about 116 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 38 lb).

By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter lifts about 192 lb, and a 220 lb lifter lifts about 278 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 222 lb, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 198 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 Row Strength?

How Machine Row 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 72 122 189 271 363
20 82 140 216 310 415
25 84 143 222 318 426
30 84 143 222 318 426
35 84 143 222 318 426
40 84 143 222 318 426
45 80 136 211 302 404
50 75 128 198 283 379
55 69 118 183 262 351
60 63 108 167 239 320
65 57 97 151 216 289
70 51 87 135 194 260
75 46 78 121 173 232
80 41 70 108 155 208
85 37 63 97 139 186
90 33 56 87 125 168

What Do Machine Row Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are building the mind-muscle connection for the Machine 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 Machine 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 Machine 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 Machine 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 Machine 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 Machine Row

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

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the Machine 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 progress with the one rep max calculator →
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 Machine 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 Machine 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 Machine 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 Machine Row

  1. Sit on the machine with your chest against the pad and feet securely on the footrests.
  2. Grasp the handles with a neutral grip (palms facing each other).
  3. Start with your arms fully extended and shoulders relaxed.
  4. Engage your core and pull the handles towards your torso, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
  5. Hold the contraction briefly, then slowly return to the starting position with controlled movement.
  6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
  7. Breathe out while pulling the handles and breathe in while returning to the starting position.

Read the complete Machine Row guide on FitnessVolt →

Tips for Machine Row

  • Keep your back straight and avoid rounding your shoulders.
  • Focus on squeezing your shoulder blades together to maximize muscle engagement.
  • Use a controlled movement to avoid using momentum.
  • Adjust the seat height so that handles are at chest level when your arms are fully extended.

Where Do These Machine Row 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 Machine Row Good for Your Weight?

Use this page to compare your Machine Row 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 Row 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 Row 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 Row 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.