State of Strength 2026: The FitnessVolt Strength Standards Report

This report is built from the FitnessVolt strength standards, our curated and modeled level tables covering 445 exercises by bodyweight and age. The intermediate-tier bench press standard for a 180 lb male is 221 lbs, the intermediate squat standard is 292 lbs, and the intermediate deadlift standard is 340 lbs. These tiers are modeled benchmarks for trained lifters, not a census of competition results; for raw competition percentiles from verified OpenPowerlifting data, see the Competition tabs on our squat, bench press, and deadlift standards pages.

The intermediate-tier bench press standard for a 180 lb male is 221 lbs (FitnessVolt strength standards). This is a modeled benchmark for a lifter with one to two years of structured training, not the median of competition results.

Keep in mind that self-reported gym numbers tend to run higher than judged lifts. In competition, every rep must pause on the chest and be pressed to full lockout under judge supervision, so compare like with like.

View full Bench Press standards by bodyweight →

The intermediate-tier squat standard for a 180 lb male is 292 lbs (FitnessVolt strength standards). The squat shows some of the largest absolute numbers among the big three lifts, reflecting the involvement of the body's largest muscle groups - quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings.

Competition squats require the hip crease to break below the top of the knee (parallel or below), which is a stricter bar than the partial-depth squats commonly seen in commercial gyms. A gym squat counted at partial depth would often not pass on a platform, so treat depth-honest numbers as the meaningful ones.

View full Squat standards by bodyweight →

The intermediate-tier deadlift standard for a 180 lb male is 340 lbs (FitnessVolt strength standards). The deadlift is typically the highest of the three powerlifts, as it engages the entire posterior chain along with the grip and core.

The deadlift has the smallest gap between self-reported and competition numbers because it is harder to cheat - you either lock it out or you don't. There is no question of depth (like the squat) or pause (like the bench), though hitching and ramping are prohibited in competition.

View full Deadlift standards by bodyweight →

The following table shows the 1RM standards for 7 key exercises at 180 lbs bodyweight (male). All values are in pounds and represent the FitnessVolt strength standards tiers.

Heavier lifters lift more absolute weight but less relative to their bodyweight. This is a consistent, well-documented pattern in strength data. The table below shows intermediate-tier 1RM values and bodyweight ratios for the big three lifts:

This pattern - increasing absolute strength but decreasing relative strength with bodyweight - follows a power-law relationship well-documented in sports science. A 130 lb lifter who benches 154 lbs is lifting 1.18x bodyweight, while a 250 lb lifter who benches 301 lbs is lifting 1.2x bodyweight. This is why bodyweight-relative metrics like Wilks and DOTS scores exist - to allow fair comparison across weight classes.

Compound exercises show a significantly wider spread between beginner and elite levels compared to isolation exercises. This reflects the greater role of neuromuscular coordination, technique refinement, and total-body strength development in compound movements.

For example, at 180 lbs bodyweight (male):

• Bench Press (compound): ranges from 121 lbs (beginner) to 352 lbs (elite) - a 2.9x multiplier from beginner to elite.
• Barbell Curl (isolation): ranges from 44 lbs (beginner) to 199 lbs (elite) - a 4.5x multiplier from beginner to elite.

The wider spread in compound exercises means there is more room for improvement through training - and more to gain from structured programming, periodization, and technique work.

The tier tables on this page come from the FitnessVolt strength standards: curated level tables migrated from our long-running strength standards calculator and extended to accessory exercises with published lift-to-lift ratios. They are a model of typical performance at five training levels (Beginner, Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, Elite), segmented by bodyweight and gender, with age-based breakdowns.

Separately, for the three competition powerlifts (squat, bench press, deadlift), our standards pages also publish FitnessVolt Competition Percentile (FVCP) tables computed from verified OpenPowerlifting competition results - lifts judged by certified officials under federation rules. The two populations are labeled separately and never blended; this report's tables are the modeled standards, not the FVCP competition percentiles.

Read our full methodology →

These research findings are drawn from the same dataset that powers our 445 exercise strength standards pages. You can explore the data in several ways:

• Browse all 445 exercise standards - searchable and filterable by muscle group, equipment, and exercise type.
• Bench Press Standards - complete tables by bodyweight and age, male and female.
• Squat Standards - see where your squat ranks from Beginner to Elite.
• Deadlift Standards - compare your pull against verified competition data.
• Compare exercises side by side - see how your lifts stack up across different movements.