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Shoulder Press strength standards

What is a good Shoulder Press?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate Shoulder Press is about 145 lb (0.81x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 189 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

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Shoulder Press Standards by Bodyweight

Estimates from the FitnessVolt standards model. Gym data has its own section below. Updated March 29, 2026. Find the row closest to your bodyweight. Beginner is a first target for a new lifter, Novice a few months in, Intermediate about one to two years of structured training, Advanced several years, Elite the top of the table.

BW (lbs) Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
110 32 54 83 117 156
120 39 62 92 129 169
130 45 70 102 140 181
140 51 77 111 150 194
150 57 85 120 161 205
160 63 92 128 170 216
170 69 99 136 180 227
180 75 106 145 189 238
190 80 113 152 198 248
200 86 119 160 207 257
210 91 126 168 215 267
220 97 132 175 224 276
230 102 138 182 232 285
240 107 144 189 239 293
250 112 150 196 247 302
260 117 156 202 254 310
270 122 161 209 262 318
280 127 167 215 269 326
290 132 173 221 276 333
300 136 178 227 282 341
310 141 183 233 289 348

The Shoulder Press standard at each level as bodyweight rises, for the sex selected above. Exact numbers in the table above.

Shoulder Press Standards by Age

How the Shoulder Press standards change with age, as a 1RM in lb. This table is not tied to one bodyweight, so read it for the trend and use the bodyweight table above for your own number.

Age Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
15 56 85 121 164 211
20 64 97 138 187 241
25 66 99 142 192 248
30 66 99 142 192 248
35 66 99 142 192 248
40 66 99 142 192 248
45 62 94 135 182 235
50 58 88 126 171 220
55 54 82 117 158 204
60 49 75 107 145 186
65 45 67 96 131 168
70 40 61 87 117 151
75 36 54 77 105 135
80 32 48 69 94 121
85 29 43 62 84 108
90 26 39 56 76 97

The Shoulder Press standard at each level as age rises, for the sex selected above. Exact numbers in the table above.

Shoulder Press in the Gym

Self-reported lifts from the Symmetric Strength gym dataset, n=405,810, updated June 5, 2026. These are real logged lifts as estimated 1RM, and in every bodyweight class the median is below the Intermediate standard for a lifter at that class's weight limit. Bodyweight classes with fewer than 100 entries are not shown.

Bodyweight class Sample size 25th %ile Median 75th %ile 90th %ile Median × BW
59kg 7,068 75 lb (34.2 kg) 90 lb (40.8 kg) 106 lb (48.0 kg) 121 lb (55.0 kg) 0.69x
66kg 27,809 90 lb (40.8 kg) 105 lb (47.6 kg) 122 lb (55.4 kg) 138 lb (62.4 kg) 0.72x
74kg 72,499 102 lb (46.2 kg) 118 lb (53.3 kg) 134 lb (60.9 kg) 150 lb (68.0 kg) 0.72x
83kg 115,964 112 lb (50.7 kg) 130 lb (58.7 kg) 149 lb (67.4 kg) 167 lb (75.5 kg) 0.71x
93kg 96,809 119 lb (54.0 kg) 140 lb (63.5 kg) 162 lb (73.5 kg) 181 lb (82.0 kg) 0.68x
105kg 42,492 126 lb (57.2 kg) 149 lb (67.7 kg) 174 lb (78.7 kg) 196 lb (89.1 kg) 0.64x
120kg 15,819 129 lb (58.3 kg) 158 lb (71.4 kg) 182 lb (82.6 kg) 209 lb (94.7 kg) 0.60x
120+kg 5,792 117 lb (52.9 kg) 153 lb (69.4 kg) 193 lb (87.3 kg) 230 lb (104.5 kg) 0.54x
Bodyweight class Sample size 25th %ile Median 75th %ile 90th %ile Median × BW
47kg 451 35 lb (15.9 kg) 53 lb (24.0 kg) 64 lb (29.2 kg) 74 lb (33.7 kg) 0.51x
52kg 1,832 50 lb (22.5 kg) 60 lb (27.2 kg) 70 lb (31.8 kg) 79 lb (36.0 kg) 0.52x
57kg 3,951 56 lb (25.5 kg) 66 lb (30.0 kg) 75 lb (33.9 kg) 84 lb (38.0 kg) 0.53x
63kg 4,677 58 lb (26.5 kg) 68 lb (30.7 kg) 79 lb (35.8 kg) 88 lb (39.8 kg) 0.49x
69kg 4,538 63 lb (28.5 kg) 74 lb (33.4 kg) 85 lb (38.7 kg) 99 lb (45.0 kg) 0.48x
76kg 2,898 63 lb (28.4 kg) 76 lb (34.4 kg) 88 lb (40.0 kg) 100 lb (45.4 kg) 0.45x
84kg 1,952 68 lb (30.7 kg) 82 lb (37.0 kg) 97 lb (44.0 kg) 111 lb (50.3 kg) 0.44x
84+kg 1,259 67 lb (30.4 kg) 83 lb (37.4 kg) 100 lb (45.2 kg) 119 lb (53.9 kg) 0.39x

Shoulder Press in the Gym by Age

The same Symmetric Strength gym lifts, grouped by age bracket across all bodyweights. Age brackets with fewer than 100 entries are not shown.

Age bracket Sample size 25th %ile Median 75th %ile 90th %ile
<20 54,492 100 lb (45.3 kg) 121 lb (55.0 kg) 142 lb (64.3 kg) 163 lb (74.0 kg)
20-29 199,259 111 lb (50.3 kg) 132 lb (60.0 kg) 154 lb (70.0 kg) 177 lb (80.1 kg)
30-39 80,972 112 lb (50.7 kg) 133 lb (60.5 kg) 155 lb (70.3 kg) 178 lb (80.7 kg)
40-49 23,482 112 lb (51.0 kg) 131 lb (59.5 kg) 154 lb (69.9 kg) 176 lb (79.7 kg)
50-59 6,696 108 lb (48.9 kg) 131 lb (59.5 kg) 150 lb (67.8 kg) 167 lb (75.8 kg)
60+ 2,129 90 lb (40.8 kg) 111 lb (50.3 kg) 124 lb (56.2 kg) 146 lb (66.1 kg)
Age bracket Sample size 25th %ile Median 75th %ile 90th %ile
<20 1,379 51 lb (23.3 kg) 61 lb (27.5 kg) 73 lb (33.3 kg) 82 lb (37.3 kg)
20-29 11,241 59 lb (26.6 kg) 70 lb (31.8 kg) 82 lb (37.3 kg) 94 lb (42.5 kg)
30-39 5,687 62 lb (28.0 kg) 72 lb (32.8 kg) 83 lb (37.4 kg) 99 lb (45.0 kg)
40-49 1,529 62 lb (28.3 kg) 76 lb (34.4 kg) 88 lb (40.0 kg) 102 lb (46.4 kg)
50-59 323 58 lb (26.5 kg) 65 lb (29.5 kg) 90 lb (40.9 kg) 127 lb (57.4 kg)
60+ 253 29 lb (13.1 kg) 34 lb (15.2 kg) 63 lb (28.6 kg) 77 lb (34.9 kg)

Check Your Shoulder Press Level

Intermediate
Level score: 50 of 100
Level score on the FitnessVolt standards: Beginner 5, Novice 20, Intermediate 50, Advanced 80, Elite 95
A 180 lb male lifting 145 lbs (0.81x bodyweight) on the Shoulder Press is at the Intermediate standard for his bodyweight. Enter your own numbers above to see where you stand.

Over 40? Add your age and the calculator also shows an age-adjusted level and an age-30 equivalent, using the McCulloch age factor to scale your lift to peak age. Every age band is in the standards by age table above.

Level score:
Level score on the FitnessVolt standards: Beginner 5, Novice 20, Intermediate 50, Advanced 80, Elite 95

Competition percentile (FVCP): .

Gym percentile: .

Age-adjusted score
lb Age-30 equivalent 1RM

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What the Shoulder Press Strength Levels Mean

Beginner

You are learning the bar path and loading on the Shoulder Press, building the shoulder stability and pressing coordination needed to handle heavier loads safely.

Novice

You can press with a consistent path and controlled tempo on the Shoulder Press. You are progressing linearly and building the chest, shoulder, and tricep base needed for intermediate strength.

Intermediate

Your Shoulder Press technique is efficient under heavy loads. You use programmed variations, understand how to manage pressing fatigue, and can grind through the mid-range sticking point.

Advanced

You have optimized your Shoulder Press setup for maximal force production - arch, leg drive, and grip width are dialed in. You train with periodized intensity blocks and accessory work targeting weak points.

Elite

Your Shoulder Press is at a competitive standard. You have refined every aspect of the lift through years of structured peaking and can produce maximal force with technical precision.

How to Progress Your Shoulder Press

Tier-specific training recommendations to move your Shoulder Press to the next level.

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the Shoulder Press 2-3x per week to build pressing strength and shoulder stability.
  • Use linear progression: add 2.5-5 lbs per session.
  • Practice controlled eccentrics (3-second lowering) to build tendon strength.
  • Keep working sets at RPE 6-7 to accumulate quality volume.
Track progress with the one rep max calculator →
Novice → Intermediate Structured Progression
  • Add a pressing variation (close-grip, incline, or paused) for weak-point development.
  • Increase frequency to 2-3 sessions per week with varied rep ranges.
  • Program most sets at RPE 7-8 with one heavy session including RPE 9 work.
  • Build tricep and shoulder accessory volume to support the Shoulder Press.
Plan your RPE-based sessions →
Intermediate → Advanced Periodized Training Blocks
  • Run 4-6 week blocks with planned volume and intensity progression.
  • Use RPE 8-9 for competition-style sets, RPE 7 for volume backoffs.
  • Target your sticking point with specific accessory work (board press, pin press, bands).
  • Manage total weekly pressing volume (12-20 sets) across all push movements.
Program your backoff sets →
Advanced → Elite Competition-Level Peaking
  • Peak with structured 8-12 week cycles targeting a competition or max attempt.
  • Refine your setup: arch, leg drive, grip width, and bar path for maximal efficiency.
  • Use the RPE chart for precise percentage work during peaking phases.
  • Test your Shoulder Press under competition-style commands and judging.
View RPE-to-percentage chart →

How to Perform Shoulder Press

Shoulder Press demonstration
Primary Muscles Shoulders (Deltoids), Triceps, Upper Chest
Equipment Barbell or Dumbbells
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Compound
  1. Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a barbell or dumbbells at shoulder height with an overhand grip.
  2. Engage your core and keep your back straight.
  3. Press the weights directly overhead, fully extending your arms while keeping your elbows slightly bent to avoid locking them out.
  4. Slowly lower the weights back to shoulder height, maintaining control throughout the movement.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Tips

  • Keep your core engaged to avoid arching your back.
  • Ensure your elbows stay slightly in front of your body during the press.
  • Use a mirror to check your form and avoid swaying or using your legs to push the weight up.
  • Start with a lighter weight to master the technique before progressing to heavier loads.

Read the complete Shoulder Press guide on FitnessVolt →

Where Do These Shoulder Press Standards Come From?

The levels on this page are estimates from the FitnessVolt strength standards model. The Shoulder Press table is an editorial FitnessVolt table, not a measured population. The Shoulder Press in the Gym section uses self-reported Symmetric Strength data and is kept separate. Reader-submitted benchmarks appear only after enough entries are logged for this lift.

Standards data last refreshed: March 29, 2026

  • Level tables: the FitnessVolt strength standards model, not meet data.
  • Method: Strength standards methodology - how the level tables are built and where each data source on the site comes from.
Cite this Fitness Volt strength standards model, 2026. Beginner to Elite levels are model values, not competition percentiles. https://fitnessvolt.com/strength-standards/methodology/

Frequently Asked Questions

A "good" Shoulder Press 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 Shoulder Press 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.
Partly. The levels are estimates from the FitnessVolt strength standards model. The Shoulder Press table is an editorial FitnessVolt table, not a measured population. The Shoulder Press in the Gym section holds real entries: self-reported Shoulder Press results from gym lifters, shown 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

Compare Shoulder Press

See how Shoulder Press standards compare side by side with other exercises.

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.