What is a good Pistol Squat?
For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate Pistol Squat is about 13 reps. Advanced starts around 25 reps. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.
Competition results, gym submissions, and reader logs stay labeled separately so the ranking source is clear.
A solid (Intermediate) Pistol Squat for a 180 lb male is about 13 reps. Use the calculator below to convert your own Pistol Squat into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 25 reps.
FitnessVolt strength standards, with source populations labeled separately
How strong is your Pistol Squat? Compare your max reps against standards for 21 bodyweight categories, from Beginner to Elite.
How Many Pistol Squat Should You Be Able to Do?
A fit adult man at about 180 lb should be able to do around 13 Pistol Squat in one set, which is an Intermediate result. An advanced lifter does 25+, and an elite lifter reaches 38 or more.
Pistol Squat rep targets for a 180 lb man, by training level:
Men vs women: a 180 lb man should do about 13 Pistol Squat at an Intermediate level, while a 140 lb woman should do about 10.
By age: at an Intermediate level a 30 year old does about 13 Pistol Squat, dropping to about 9 by age 50. See the By Age tab for every band.
What counts as a good number? Anything at or above the Intermediate target puts you past the beginner and novice bands for your bodyweight. Beginners often start with fewer than one and build up; clearing the Advanced number is a strong target for trained gym lifters.
FitnessVolt strength standards, with gym and competition datasets labeled separately
How Strong Is Your Pistol Squat?
That clears the median for this bodyweight and gives you a useful benchmark for the next tier.
Illustrative: a normal-distribution model anchored to the real Beginner to Elite percentile thresholds for your bodyweight. The marker shows where your rep count falls, not a measured frequency count.
Reader Data Is Still Building
We do not have enough reader-submitted Pistol Squat entries yet to publish a stable crowd benchmark. Until then, this panel shows the Intermediate standards baseline only:
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.
How Much Should You Pistol Squat?
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 | < 1 | 13 | 29 | 46 |
| 120 | < 1 | 1 | 13 | 28 | 45 |
| 130 | < 1 | 2 | 13 | 28 | 44 |
| 140 | < 1 | 3 | 13 | 27 | 43 |
| 150 | < 1 | 3 | 13 | 27 | 41 |
| 160 | < 1 | 3 | 13 | 26 | 40 |
| 170 | < 1 | 3 | 13 | 26 | 39 |
| 180 | < 1 | 3 | 13 | 25 | 38 |
| 190 | < 1 | 3 | 12 | 24 | 37 |
| 200 | < 1 | 3 | 12 | 24 | 36 |
| 210 | < 1 | 3 | 12 | 23 | 35 |
| 220 | < 1 | 3 | 12 | 22 | 34 |
| 230 | < 1 | 3 | 11 | 22 | 33 |
| 240 | < 1 | 3 | 11 | 21 | 32 |
| 250 | < 1 | 3 | 10 | 20 | 31 |
| 260 | < 1 | 3 | 10 | 20 | 30 |
| 270 | < 1 | 2 | 10 | 19 | 29 |
| 280 | < 1 | 2 | 10 | 19 | 28 |
| 290 | < 1 | 2 | 9 | 18 | 28 |
| 300 | < 1 | 2 | 9 | 18 | 27 |
| 310 | < 1 | 2 | 9 | 17 | 26 |
| 90 | < 1 | < 1 | 9 | 20 | 33 |
| 100 | < 1 | < 1 | 10 | 20 | 32 |
| 110 | < 1 | 1 | 10 | 20 | 32 |
| 120 | < 1 | 2 | 10 | 20 | 31 |
| 130 | < 1 | 3 | 10 | 20 | 30 |
| 140 | < 1 | 3 | 10 | 19 | 29 |
| 150 | < 1 | 3 | 10 | 19 | 28 |
| 160 | < 1 | 3 | 10 | 18 | 27 |
| 170 | < 1 | 3 | 10 | 18 | 26 |
| 180 | < 1 | 3 | 9 | 17 | 26 |
| 190 | < 1 | 3 | 9 | 17 | 25 |
| 200 | < 1 | 3 | 9 | 16 | 24 |
| 210 | < 1 | 3 | 9 | 15 | 23 |
| 220 | < 1 | 2 | 9 | 15 | 22 |
| 230 | < 1 | 2 | 8 | 14 | 22 |
| 240 | < 1 | 2 | 8 | 14 | 21 |
| 250 | < 1 | 2 | 8 | 13 | 20 |
| 260 | < 1 | 1 | 7 | 13 | 19 |
Is Your Pistol Squat Good?
A quick read on what counts as a good Pistol Squat at each level, for a typical male and female lifter.
Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) Pistol Squat is about 13 reps. Advanced lifters hit 25 reps, and Elite is 38 reps.
Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) Pistol Squat is about 10 reps. Advanced lifters hit 19 reps, and Elite is 29 reps.
Pistol Squat Rep Targets by Bodyweight and Age
Men: a 180 lb male should do about 13 reps at an Intermediate level.
Women: a 140 lb female should do about 10 reps at an Intermediate level.
By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter does about 13 reps, and a 220 lb lifter does about 12 reps at an Intermediate level. Find your exact bodyweight in the table above.
By age (men): at an Intermediate level a 30 year old male does about 13 reps, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 9 reps. See the By Age tab for every age band.
FitnessVolt strength standards, with source populations labeled separately
How Does Age Affect Pistol Squat Strength?
How Pistol Squat 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 | < 1 | < 1 | 8 | 19 | 33 |
| 20 | < 1 | 1 | 12 | 26 | 42 |
| 25 | < 1 | 2 | 13 | 28 | 44 |
| 30 | < 1 | 2 | 13 | 28 | 44 |
| 35 | < 1 | 2 | 13 | 28 | 44 |
| 40 | < 1 | 2 | 13 | 28 | 44 |
| 45 | < 1 | < 1 | 11 | 25 | 40 |
| 50 | < 1 | < 1 | 9 | 21 | 36 |
| 55 | < 1 | < 1 | 7 | 18 | 31 |
| 60 | < 1 | < 1 | 4 | 14 | 25 |
| 65 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | 10 | 20 |
| 70 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | 7 | 15 |
| 75 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | 3 | 10 |
| 80 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | 7 |
| 85 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | 4 |
| 90 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 |
| 15 | < 1 | < 1 | 5 | 14 | 25 |
| 20 | < 1 | < 1 | 9 | 20 | 33 |
| 25 | < 1 | 1 | 10 | 22 | 34 |
| 30 | < 1 | 1 | 10 | 22 | 34 |
| 35 | < 1 | 1 | 10 | 22 | 34 |
| 40 | < 1 | 1 | 10 | 22 | 34 |
| 45 | < 1 | < 1 | 9 | 19 | 31 |
| 50 | < 1 | < 1 | 7 | 16 | 27 |
| 55 | < 1 | < 1 | 4 | 13 | 23 |
| 60 | < 1 | < 1 | 1 | 9 | 18 |
| 65 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | 6 | 14 |
| 70 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | 3 | 10 |
| 75 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | 6 |
| 80 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | 3 |
| 85 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 |
| 90 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 |
What Do Pistol Squat Strength Standards Mean?
Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are learning to hit proper depth on the Pistol Squat, building ankle and hip mobility, and developing the bracing pattern needed to keep your torso upright under load.
Stronger than 20% of lifters. You can execute the Pistol Squat with consistent depth and bracing. You are adding weight session to session using linear progression and building foundational leg strength.
Stronger than 50% of lifters. Your Pistol Squat technique is solid through heavy loads. You use periodized programming, understand RPE-based autoregulation, and can grind through sticking points without form breakdown.
Stronger than 80% of lifters. You have refined your Pistol Squat stance, bar position, and breathing to maximize leverage. You train with block periodization, manage fatigue across training cycles, and likely compete or train at a competitive level.
Stronger than 95% of lifters. Your Pistol Squat is at a regional or national competitive standard. You have years of structured peaking cycles behind you and have optimized every technical detail from walkout to lockout.
How to Progress Your Pistol Squat
Tier-specific training recommendations to move your Pistol Squat to the next level.
- Train the Pistol Squat 2x per week, focusing on hitting consistent depth every rep.
- Use linear progression: add 5 lbs each session as long as form stays solid.
- Record sets at RPE 6-7 to build volume without excessive fatigue.
- Prioritize ankle and hip mobility work before each session.
- Switch from linear to weekly periodization (e.g., light/medium/heavy days).
- Add a Pistol Squat variation (pause squats, tempo squats) for weak-point work.
- Keep most working sets at RPE 7-8, with occasional top singles at RPE 9.
- Start tracking your training volume (sets x reps x load) week to week.
- Run 4-6 week training blocks with planned intensity peaks and deloads.
- Use RPE 8-9 for primary sets, RPE 7 for backoff volume.
- Address specific sticking points with targeted accessory work.
- Manage fatigue: total weekly sets of 12-20 for the Pistol Squat movement pattern.
- Run structured peaking cycles (8-12 weeks) leading to maximal attempts.
- Fine-tune technique details: walkout, descent speed, breath timing.
- Use the RPE chart to hit precise percentages during peaking blocks.
- Consider competing to test your Pistol Squat under meet conditions.
How to Perform Pistol Squat
- Stand with feet hip-width apart and extend one leg forward.
- Hold your arms straight out in front for balance.
- Lower your body into a squat by bending your standing leg, keeping your extended leg off the ground.
- Descend until your thigh is parallel to the ground or lower, maintaining balance.
- Push through your heel to return to the starting position.
- Repeat on the other leg.
Tips for Pistol Squat
- Maintain an upright torso throughout the movement.
- Engage your core to help with balance and stability.
- Start with assisted or partial pistol squats if you are new to the exercise.
- Avoid letting your knee cave inward; keep it aligned over your toe.
- Focus on controlled movements rather than speed to prevent injury.
Where Do These Pistol Squat 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 Pistol Squat Good for Your Weight?
Use this page to compare your Pistol Squat against clearly labeled standards and percentile datasets. Here is the cleanest way to read it:
- Start with Standards to find the tier closest to your bodyweight.
- Use Gym Percentiles when you want self-reported gym comparisons.
- Use Competition for verified meet-result percentiles where the lift supports it.
- 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 Pistol Squat 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
