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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.

Good target 85 lb Intermediate at 180 lb
Next tier 155 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 One Arm Pulldown

A solid (Intermediate) One Arm Pulldown for a 180 lb male is about 85 lb (0.47x bodyweight). Use the calculator below to convert your own One Arm Pulldown into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 155 lb (0.86x bodyweight).

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

Estimated Standards

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

Primary Muscles Biceps, Forearms, Latissimus Dorsi
Equipment Cable Pulley Machine
Standards Coverage 21 bodyweights × 5 levels

How Strong Is Your One Arm Pulldown?

Intermediate (competition scale)
Typical FVCP: 50th percentile
A 180 lb male lifting 85 lbs (0.47x bodyweight) on the One Arm Pulldown 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 One Arm Pulldown entries yet to publish a stable crowd benchmark. Until then, this panel shows the Intermediate standards baseline only:

85 lb Typical 1RM (Intermediate)
0.47x 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 One Arm Pulldown?

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 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

Is Your One Arm Pulldown Good?

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

Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) One Arm Pulldown is about 85 lb (0.47x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 155 lb (0.86x), and Elite is 241 lb (1.34x).

Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) One Arm Pulldown is about 30 lb (0.21x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 46 lb (0.33x), and Elite is 66 lb (0.47x).

How Much Should You Be Able to One Arm Pulldown?

Men: a 180 lb male should lift about 85 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 8 lb).

Women: a 140 lb female should lift about 30 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 8 lb).

By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter lifts about 72 lb, and a 220 lb lifter lifts about 99 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 83 lb, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 74 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 One Arm Pulldown Strength?

How One Arm Pulldown 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 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

What Do One Arm Pulldown Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

Stronger than 5% of lifters. 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

Stronger than 20% of lifters. 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

Stronger than 50% of lifters. 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

Stronger than 80% of lifters. 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

Stronger than 95% of lifters. 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

  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 for One Arm Pulldown

  • 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?

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 One Arm Pulldown Good for Your Weight?

Use this page to compare your One Arm Pulldown 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 One Arm Pulldown 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" 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.
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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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.