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Reverse Grip Lat Pulldown strength standards

What is a good Reverse Grip Lat Pulldown?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate Reverse Grip Lat Pulldown is about 207 lb (1.15x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 272 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

Good target 207 lb Intermediate at 180 lb
Next tier 272 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 Reverse Grip Lat Pulldown

A solid (Intermediate) Reverse Grip Lat Pulldown for a 180 lb male is about 207 lb (1.15x bodyweight). Use the calculator below to convert your own Reverse Grip Lat Pulldown into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 272 lb (1.51x bodyweight).

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

Estimated Standards

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

Primary Muscles Biceps, Forearms, Latissimus Dorsi, Middle Back
Equipment Lat Pulldown Machine
Standards Coverage 21 bodyweights × 5 levels

How Strong Is Your Reverse Grip Lat Pulldown?

Intermediate (competition scale)
Typical FVCP: 50th percentile
A 180 lb male lifting 207 lbs (1.15x bodyweight) on the Reverse Grip Lat 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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Share your FVCP with friends
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to track your progress over time.

Reader Data Is Still Building

We do not have enough reader-submitted Reverse Grip Lat Pulldown entries yet to publish a stable crowd benchmark. Until then, this panel shows the Intermediate standards baseline only:

207 lb Typical 1RM (Intermediate)
1.15x 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 Reverse Grip Lat 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 53 86 129 181 239
120 61 96 141 196 256
130 68 106 153 210 272
140 76 115 165 223 287
150 84 124 176 236 302
160 91 133 186 248 316
170 98 142 197 260 329
180 105 151 207 272 342
190 112 159 216 283 354
200 119 167 226 293 366
210 126 175 235 304 378
220 132 182 243 314 389
230 138 190 252 323 400
240 145 197 260 333 410
250 151 204 269 342 420
260 157 211 276 351 430
270 162 218 284 360 440
280 168 224 292 368 449
290 174 231 299 376 458
300 179 237 306 384 467
310 185 243 313 392 476

Is Your Reverse Grip Lat Pulldown Good?

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

Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) Reverse Grip Lat Pulldown is about 207 lb (1.15x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 272 lb (1.51x), and Elite is 342 lb (1.9x).

Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) Reverse Grip Lat Pulldown is about 84 lb (0.6x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 135 lb (0.96x), and Elite is 194 lb (1.39x).

How Much Should You Be Able to Reverse Grip Lat Pulldown?

Men: a 180 lb male should lift about 207 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 105 lb).

Women: a 140 lb female should lift about 84 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 19 lb).

By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter lifts about 176 lb, and a 220 lb lifter lifts about 243 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 198 lb, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 176 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 Reverse Grip Lat Pulldown Strength?

How Reverse Grip Lat 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 78 118 168 228 293
20 89 135 193 260 335
25 92 138 198 267 344
30 92 138 198 267 344
35 92 138 198 267 344
40 92 138 198 267 344
45 87 131 187 254 326
50 82 123 176 238 306
55 76 114 163 220 283
60 69 104 149 201 258
65 62 94 134 181 233
70 56 84 120 163 209
75 50 75 108 146 187
80 45 67 96 130 167
85 40 60 86 117 150
90 36 55 78 105 135

What Do Reverse Grip Lat Pulldown Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are building the mind-muscle connection for the Reverse Grip Lat 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 Reverse Grip Lat 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 Reverse Grip Lat 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 Reverse Grip Lat 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 Reverse Grip Lat 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 Reverse Grip Lat Pulldown

Tier-specific training recommendations to move your Reverse Grip Lat Pulldown to the next level.

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the Reverse Grip Lat 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 Reverse Grip Lat 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 Reverse Grip Lat 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 Reverse Grip Lat 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 Reverse Grip Lat Pulldown

  1. Set up the lat pulldown machine with an appropriate weight.
  2. Sit down on the machine and secure your thighs under the pad.
  3. Grasp the bar with an underhand grip (palms facing you), shoulder-width apart.
  4. Lean slightly back and pull the bar down towards your chest while squeezing your shoulder blades together.
  5. Pause briefly at the bottom of the movement.
  6. Slowly return the bar to the starting position with controlled motion.
  7. Breathe out as you pull the bar down and breathe in as you release it back up.

Tips for Reverse Grip Lat Pulldown

  • Maintain a slight arch in your lower back throughout the exercise.
  • Avoid using momentum by keeping your movements controlled.
  • Keep your chest up and shoulders back to engage the correct muscles.
  • Adjust the weight to ensure you can complete the exercise with proper form.

Where Do These Reverse Grip Lat 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 Reverse Grip Lat Pulldown Good for Your Weight?

Use this page to compare your Reverse Grip Lat 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 Reverse Grip Lat 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" Reverse Grip Lat 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 Reverse Grip Lat 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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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.