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One Arm Lat Pulldown strength standards

What is a good One Arm Lat Pulldown?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate One Arm Lat Pulldown is about 90 lb (0.5x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 131 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

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One Arm Lat Pulldown Standards by Bodyweight

Estimates from the FitnessVolt standards model. Updated March 29, 2026. Find the row closest to your bodyweight. Beginner is a first target for a new lifter, Novice a few months in, Intermediate about one to two years of structured training, Advanced several years, Elite the top of the table.

BW (lbs) Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
110 11 27 52 84 123
120 14 32 58 92 132
130 17 36 64 99 141
140 20 40 69 106 149
150 23 44 74 113 157
160 25 48 80 119 164
170 28 52 85 125 171
180 31 56 90 131 178
190 34 60 94 137 185
200 37 63 99 142 191
210 40 67 104 148 198
220 42 71 108 153 204
230 45 74 112 158 209
240 48 77 116 163 215
250 50 81 120 168 221
260 53 84 124 173 226
270 55 87 128 177 231
280 58 90 132 182 236
290 60 94 136 186 241
300 63 97 140 190 246
310 65 100 143 195 251

The One Arm Lat Pulldown standard at each level as bodyweight rises, for the sex selected above. Exact numbers in the table above.

One Arm Lat Pulldown Standards by Age

How the One Arm Lat Pulldown standards change with age, as a 1RM in lb. This table is not tied to one bodyweight, so read it for the trend and use the bodyweight table above for your own number.

Age Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
15 22 44 73 111 154
20 26 50 84 127 176
25 26 51 86 130 180
30 26 51 86 130 180
35 26 51 86 130 180
40 26 51 86 130 180
45 25 49 82 123 171
50 23 46 77 116 161
55 22 42 71 107 149
60 20 39 65 98 136
65 18 35 59 88 123
70 16 31 53 79 110
75 14 28 47 71 98
80 13 25 42 63 88
85 12 22 38 57 79
90 10 20 34 51 71

The One Arm Lat Pulldown standard at each level as age rises, for the sex selected above. Exact numbers in the table above.

Check Your One Arm Lat Pulldown Level

Intermediate
Level score: 50 of 100
Level score on the FitnessVolt standards: Beginner 5, Novice 20, Intermediate 50, Advanced 80, Elite 95
A 180 lb male lifting 90 lbs (0.5x bodyweight) on the One Arm Lat Pulldown is at the Intermediate standard for his bodyweight. Enter your own numbers above to see where you stand.

Over 40? Add your age and the calculator also shows an age-adjusted level and an age-30 equivalent, using the McCulloch age factor to scale your lift to peak age. Every age band is in the standards by age table above.

Level score:
Level score on the FitnessVolt standards: Beginner 5, Novice 20, Intermediate 50, Advanced 80, Elite 95
Age-adjusted score
lb Age-30 equivalent 1RM

of 100
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What the One Arm Lat Pulldown Strength Levels Mean

Beginner

You are building the mind-muscle connection for the One Arm Lat Pulldown, learning to initiate the pull with your back rather than your arms, and developing basic grip strength.

Novice

You can perform the One Arm Lat Pulldown with proper scapular retraction and a controlled range of motion. You are progressively overloading and building back thickness and lat width.

Intermediate

Your One Arm Lat Pulldown 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

You have built substantial back development through the One Arm Lat Pulldown 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

Your One Arm Lat Pulldown 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 One Arm Lat Pulldown

Tier-specific training recommendations to move your One Arm Lat Pulldown to the next level.

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the One Arm Lat Pulldown 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 One Arm Lat Pulldown 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 One Arm Lat Pulldown.
  • 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 One Arm Lat Pulldown 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 One Arm Lat Pulldown

One Arm Lat Pulldown demonstration
Primary Muscles Biceps, Latissimus Dorsi, Trapezius, Posterior Deltoid
Equipment Lat Pulldown Machine, Single Handle Attachment
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Compound
  1. Attach a single handle to the high pulley of a lat pulldown machine.
  2. Sit down on the machine, facing forward with your feet flat on the floor and your thighs secured under the support pads.
  3. Grasp the handle with one hand, using an overhand grip (palm facing away from you).
  4. Extend your arm fully and lean back slightly, keeping your spine neutral and your core engaged.
  5. Pull the handle down towards your shoulder, leading with your elbow, until your hand is level with your chest.
  6. Squeeze your shoulder blade down and back as you complete the pull.
  7. Slowly return the handle to the starting position, fully extending your arm.
  8. Perform the desired number of repetitions before switching to the other arm.

Tips

  • Keep your core engaged to maintain a stable torso throughout the exercise.
  • Avoid leaning too far back or using momentum to pull the handle down.
  • Focus on a slow and controlled movement, especially during the eccentric (return) phase.
  • Ensure even development by performing equal repetitions on both arms.

Read the complete One Arm Lat Pulldown guide on FitnessVolt →

Where Do These One Arm Lat Pulldown Standards Come From?

The levels on this page are estimates from the FitnessVolt strength standards model. The One Arm Lat Pulldown table is an editorial FitnessVolt table, not a measured population. There is no competition or gym dataset for the One Arm Lat Pulldown itself. Reader-submitted benchmarks appear only after enough entries are logged for this lift.

Standards data last refreshed: March 29, 2026

  • Level tables: the FitnessVolt strength standards model, not meet data.
  • Method: Strength standards methodology - how the level tables are built and where each data source on the site comes from.
Cite this Fitness Volt strength standards model, 2026. Beginner to Elite levels are model values, not competition percentiles. https://fitnessvolt.com/strength-standards/methodology/

Frequently Asked Questions

A "good" One Arm Lat Pulldown 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 One Arm Lat Pulldown 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.
They are estimates from the FitnessVolt strength standards model. The One Arm Lat Pulldown table is an editorial FitnessVolt table, not a measured population. Treat the levels as targets.
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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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.