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Military Press strength standards

What is a good Military Press?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate Military Press is about 143 lb (0.79x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 184 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

Good target 143 lb Intermediate at 180 lb
Next tier 184 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 Military Press

A solid (Intermediate) Military Press for a 180 lb male is about 143 lb (0.79x bodyweight). Use the calculator below to convert your own Military Press into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 184 lb (1.02x bodyweight).

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

Military Press demonstration
Estimated Standards

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

Primary Muscles Shoulders (Deltoids), Triceps, Upper Chest
Equipment Barbell, Weight Plates
Standards Coverage 21 bodyweights × 5 levels
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Compound

How Strong Is Your Military Press?

Intermediate (competition scale)
Typical FVCP: 50th percentile
A 180 lb male lifting 143 lbs (0.79x bodyweight) on the Military Press 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 Military Press entries yet to publish a stable crowd benchmark. Until then, this panel shows the Intermediate standards baseline only:

143 lb Typical 1RM (Intermediate)
0.79x 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 Military Press?

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 33 53 80 111 145
120 40 62 89 122 159
130 46 70 99 134 172
140 53 78 108 145 184
150 59 85 118 155 196
160 66 93 126 165 207
170 72 100 135 175 218
180 78 107 143 184 228
190 84 115 152 194 239
200 90 121 159 203 249
210 96 128 167 211 258
220 102 135 175 220 268
230 107 141 182 228 277
240 113 148 189 236 286
250 118 154 196 244 294
260 124 160 203 252 303
270 129 166 210 259 311
280 134 172 216 266 319
290 139 178 223 273 327
300 144 183 229 280 334
310 149 189 235 287 342

Is Your Military Press Good?

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

Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) Military Press is about 143 lb (0.79x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 184 lb (1.02x), and Elite is 228 lb (1.27x).

Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) Military Press is about 74 lb (0.53x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 102 lb (0.73x), and Elite is 133 lb (0.95x).

How Much Should You Be Able to Military Press?

Men: a 180 lb male should lift about 143 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 78 lb).

Women: a 140 lb female should lift about 74 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 32 lb).

By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter lifts about 118 lb, and a 220 lb lifter lifts about 175 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 142 lb, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 126 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 Military Press Strength?

How Military Press 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 59 86 121 161 205
20 67 99 138 184 235
25 69 101 142 189 241
30 69 101 142 189 241
35 69 101 142 189 241
40 69 101 142 189 241
45 65 96 135 180 229
50 61 90 126 169 215
55 57 83 117 156 198
60 52 76 107 142 181
65 47 69 96 129 164
70 42 62 86 115 147
75 38 55 77 103 131
80 34 49 69 92 117
85 30 44 62 83 105
90 27 40 56 75 95

What Do Military Press Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are learning the bar path and loading on the Military Press, building the shoulder stability and pressing coordination needed to handle heavier loads safely.

Novice

Stronger than 20% of lifters. You can press with a consistent path and controlled tempo on the Military Press. You are progressing linearly and building the chest, shoulder, and tricep base needed for intermediate strength.

Intermediate

Stronger than 50% of lifters. Your Military 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

Stronger than 80% of lifters. You have optimized your Military 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

Stronger than 95% of lifters. Your Military 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 Military Press

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

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

How to Perform Military Press

  1. Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and grip a barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width.
  2. Lift the barbell to shoulder height with your elbows pointed slightly forward.
  3. Press the barbell overhead by extending your arms fully while keeping your core tight and back straight.
  4. Lower the barbell back to the starting position in a controlled manner.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Read the complete Military Press guide on FitnessVolt →

Tips for Military Press

  • Keep your core engaged to maintain stability throughout the movement.
  • Avoid arching your back to prevent lower back strain.
  • Use a full range of motion for optimal muscle engagement.
  • Start with a manageable weight to master the form before increasing the load.

Where Do These Military Press 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 Military Press Good for Your Weight?

Use this page to compare your Military Press 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 Military Press 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" Military 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 Military 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.
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.

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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.