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Machine Shrug strength standards

What is a good Machine Shrug?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate Machine Shrug is about 205 lb (1.14x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 284 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

Good target 205 lb Intermediate at 180 lb
Next tier 284 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 Shrug

A solid (Intermediate) Machine Shrug for a 180 lb male is about 205 lb (1.14x bodyweight). Use the calculator below to convert your own Machine Shrug into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 284 lb (1.58x bodyweight).

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

Estimated Standards

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

Primary Muscles Rhomboids, Trapezius, Levator Scapulae
Equipment Shrug Machine
Standards Coverage 21 bodyweights × 5 levels

How Strong Is Your Machine Shrug?

Intermediate (competition scale)
Typical FVCP: 50th percentile
A 180 lb male lifting 205 lbs (1.14x bodyweight) on the Machine Shrug 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 Shrug entries yet to publish a stable crowd benchmark. Until then, this panel shows the Intermediate standards baseline only:

205 lb Typical 1RM (Intermediate)
1.14x 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 Shrug?

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 34 68 116 177 247
120 42 79 130 194 267
130 49 89 143 210 286
140 57 100 157 226 305
150 65 110 169 241 322
160 73 120 182 256 339
170 81 130 194 271 356
180 88 139 205 284 372
190 96 149 217 298 387
200 103 158 228 311 402
210 111 167 239 323 416
220 118 176 249 336 430
230 125 185 260 347 443
240 132 193 270 359 456
250 139 201 279 370 469
260 145 209 289 381 481
270 152 217 298 392 493
280 159 225 308 403 505
290 165 233 317 413 517
300 172 241 325 423 528
310 178 248 334 433 539

Is Your Machine Shrug Good?

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

Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) Machine Shrug is about 205 lb (1.14x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 284 lb (1.58x), and Elite is 372 lb (2.07x).

Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) Machine Shrug is about 91 lb (0.65x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 143 lb (1.02x), and Elite is 203 lb (1.45x).

How Much Should You Be Able to Machine Shrug?

Men: a 180 lb male should lift about 205 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 88 lb).

Women: a 140 lb female should lift about 91 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 23 lb).

By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter lifts about 169 lb, and a 220 lb lifter lifts about 249 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 202 lb, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 180 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 Shrug Strength?

How Machine Shrug 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 65 111 172 247 332
20 74 127 197 283 380
25 76 130 202 291 390
30 76 130 202 291 390
35 76 130 202 291 390
40 76 130 202 291 390
45 72 124 192 276 369
50 68 116 180 259 347
55 63 107 167 239 321
60 57 98 152 218 293
65 52 88 138 197 265
70 46 79 123 177 237
75 41 71 110 158 212
80 37 63 99 142 190
85 33 57 88 127 170
90 30 51 80 114 153

What Do Machine Shrug Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

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

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

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the Machine Shrug 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 Shrug.
  • 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 Shrug 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 Shrug 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 Shrug

  1. Adjust the machine to suit your height, ensuring the pads are resting comfortably on your shoulders.
  2. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and grasp the handles firmly.
  3. Begin with arms fully extended, keeping a slight bend in the elbows.
  4. Lift your shoulders towards your ears, squeezing your trapezius muscles at the top of the movement.
  5. Hold the contraction for a brief moment.
  6. Slowly lower your shoulders back to the starting position.
  7. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
  8. Breathing: Exhale as you lift your shoulders and inhale as you lower them.

Tips for Machine Shrug

  • Maintain a neutral spine throughout the exercise.
  • Avoid rotating or rolling your shoulders; focus on a straight-up-and-down motion.
  • Use a controlled tempo to maximize muscle engagement and reduce injury risk.
  • Start with a lighter weight to master the form before progressing to heavier loads.

Where Do These Machine Shrug 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 Shrug Good for Your Weight?

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