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One Arm Pulldown strength standards

What is a good One Arm Pulldown?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate One Arm Pulldown is about 85 lb (0.47x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 155 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

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One Arm Pulldown Standards by Bodyweight

Estimates from the FitnessVolt standards model. Updated March 28, 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 1 16 53 111 185
120 2 19 58 118 195
130 3 22 63 125 203
140 4 25 68 131 212
150 5 28 72 137 219
160 6 30 76 143 227
170 7 33 81 149 234
180 8 35 85 155 241
190 9 38 88 160 247
200 11 41 92 165 254
210 12 43 96 170 260
220 13 45 99 174 266
230 15 48 103 179 271
240 16 50 106 184 277
250 17 52 110 188 282
260 18 55 113 192 287
270 20 57 116 196 292
280 21 59 119 200 297
290 22 61 122 204 302
300 24 63 125 208 306
310 25 65 128 211 311

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

One Arm Pulldown Standards by Age

How the One Arm 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 6 29 71 131 207
20 7 33 81 150 237
25 7 34 83 154 243
30 7 34 83 154 243
35 7 34 83 154 243
40 7 34 83 154 243
45 7 32 79 146 230
50 6 30 74 137 216
55 6 28 68 127 200
60 5 25 62 116 182
65 5 23 56 105 165
70 4 20 51 94 148
75 4 18 45 84 132
80 3 16 40 75 118
85 3 15 36 67 106
90 3 13 33 61 96

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

Check Your One Arm 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 85 lbs (0.47x bodyweight) on the One Arm 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 Pulldown Strength Levels Mean

Beginner

You are building the mind-muscle connection for the One Arm 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 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 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 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 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 Pulldown

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

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

Primary Muscles Biceps, Forearms, Latissimus Dorsi
Equipment Cable Pulley Machine
  1. Start by sitting on a bench or seat with a cable pulley machine adjusted to a high position.
  2. Grasp the handle with one hand, using an overhand grip.
  3. Keep your torso upright and your core engaged.
  4. Pull the handle down towards your shoulder, leading with your elbow and squeezing your lat at the bottom of the movement.
  5. Slowly return the handle to the starting position with controlled movement.
  6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch to the other arm.

Tips

  • Maintain a straight back and avoid leaning too far back.
  • Focus on pulling with your back muscles rather than your arms.
  • Control the weight throughout the movement to avoid using momentum.
  • Keep your elbow close to your body during the pull.

Where Do These One Arm Pulldown Standards Come From?

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

Standards data last refreshed: March 28, 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 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 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 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.