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Pendlay Row strength standards

What is a good Pendlay Row?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate Pendlay Row is about 202 lb (1.12x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 255 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

Good target 202 lb Intermediate at 180 lb
Next tier 255 lb Advanced standard
Gym median 180 lb (81.7 kg) Self-reported, not blended
Check My Level Estimate Your 1RM Methodology
Evidence ledger No blended rankings
Primary source FitnessVolt standards model
Available views Standards / Gym Percentiles / By Age
Coverage 21 bodyweights × 5 levels

Competition results, gym submissions, and reader logs stay labeled separately so the ranking source is clear.

Quick Answer Pendlay Row

A solid (Intermediate) Pendlay Row for a 180 lb male is about 202 lb (1.12x bodyweight). Use the calculator below to convert your own Pendlay Row into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 255 lb (1.42x bodyweight).

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

Pendlay Row demonstration
Estimated Standards

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

Equipment Barbell, Weight plates
Standards Coverage 21 bodyweights × 5 levels
Difficulty Advanced
Type Compound

How Strong Is Your Pendlay Row?

Intermediate (competition scale)
Typical FVCP: 50th percentile
A 180 lb male lifting 202 lbs (1.12x bodyweight) on the Pendlay Row 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 Pendlay Row entries yet to publish a stable crowd benchmark. Until then, this panel shows the Intermediate standards baseline only:

202 lb Typical 1RM (Intermediate)
1.12x 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 Pendlay Row?

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 54 82 117 158 203
120 63 93 130 174 221
130 73 104 143 189 238
140 82 115 156 203 254
150 90 125 168 217 269
160 99 135 180 230 284
170 108 145 191 243 298
180 116 155 202 255 312
190 124 165 213 268 325
200 132 174 223 279 338
210 140 183 234 291 351
220 148 192 244 302 363
230 155 200 253 312 375
240 163 209 263 323 386
250 170 217 272 333 398
260 177 225 281 343 408
270 184 233 290 353 419
280 191 240 298 362 429
290 198 248 307 372 439
300 204 255 315 381 449
310 211 263 323 390 459

Is Your Pendlay Row Good?

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

Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) Pendlay Row is about 202 lb (1.12x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 255 lb (1.42x), and Elite is 312 lb (1.73x).

Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) Pendlay Row is about 112 lb (0.8x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 147 lb (1.05x), and Elite is 185 lb (1.32x).

How Much Should You Be Able to Pendlay Row?

Men: a 180 lb male should lift about 202 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 116 lb).

Women: a 140 lb female should lift about 112 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 57 lb).

By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter lifts about 168 lb, and a 220 lb lifter lifts about 244 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 200 lb, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 178 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 Pendlay Row Strength?

How Pendlay Row 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 89 125 170 222 278
20 101 143 195 254 318
25 104 147 200 260 326
30 104 147 200 260 326
35 104 147 200 260 326
40 104 147 200 260 326
45 99 139 189 247 309
50 93 131 178 232 290
55 86 121 164 214 268
60 78 110 150 196 245
65 71 100 136 177 221
70 63 90 122 159 199
75 57 80 109 142 178
80 51 72 97 127 159
85 45 64 87 114 142
90 41 58 79 103 128

What Do Pendlay Row Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are building the mind-muscle connection for the Pendlay Row, 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 Pendlay Row 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 Pendlay Row 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 Pendlay Row 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 Pendlay Row 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 Pendlay Row

Tier-specific training recommendations to move your Pendlay Row to the next level.

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the Pendlay Row 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 Pendlay Row 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 Pendlay Row.
  • 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 Pendlay Row 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 Pendlay Row

  1. Start with a loaded barbell on the floor.
  2. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and bend at the hips to grip the barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width.
  3. Lower your torso until it's almost parallel to the floor, keeping your back flat and knees slightly bent.
  4. Engage your core and pull the barbell towards your lower chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement.
  5. Lower the barbell back to the floor, ensuring each rep starts from a dead stop.
  6. Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Read the complete Pendlay Row guide on FitnessVolt →

Tips for Pendlay Row

  • Maintain a flat back throughout the exercise to avoid injury.
  • Ensure each rep starts from a dead stop on the floor.
  • Engage your core to stabilize your body and prevent swinging.
  • Keep your elbows close to your body during the pull.
  • Use a weight that allows you to maintain strict form for all reps.

Where Do These Pendlay Row 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 Pendlay Row Good for Your Weight?

Use this page to compare your Pendlay Row 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 Pendlay Row 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" Pendlay Row 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 Pendlay Row 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.