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smith bench press strength standards

What is a good smith bench press?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate smith bench press is about 199 lb (1.11x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 256 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

Good target 199 lb Intermediate at 180 lb
Next tier 256 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 smith bench press

A solid (Intermediate) smith bench press for a 180 lb male is about 199 lb (1.11x bodyweight). Use the calculator below to convert your own smith bench press into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 256 lb (1.42x bodyweight).

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

smith bench press demonstration
Estimated Standards

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

Primary Muscles pectorals
Equipment smith-machine
Standards Coverage 21 bodyweights × 5 levels
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Compound

Estimated Standards - The level table for this exercise is modeled from FitnessVolt strength ratios for a related base lift, not from direct measurements of this movement. Learn about our methodology

How Strong Is Your smith bench press?

Intermediate (competition scale)
Typical FVCP: 50th percentile
A 180 lb male lifting 199 lbs (1.11x bodyweight) on the smith bench press 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 smith bench press entries yet to publish a stable crowd benchmark. Until then, this panel shows the Intermediate standards baseline only:

199 lb Typical 1RM (Intermediate)
1.11x 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 smith bench press?

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 48 76 113 156 203
120 57 87 126 172 222
130 66 98 139 187 239
140 75 109 152 202 257
150 84 120 164 216 272
160 92 130 176 230 287
170 101 140 188 243 302
180 109 149 199 256 317
190 117 159 211 268 330
200 125 168 221 281 344
210 133 177 231 293 357
220 140 186 242 304 370
230 149 195 252 315 383
240 156 204 262 326 394
250 163 212 271 337 406
260 171 221 281 347 418
270 177 229 290 357 428
280 185 237 299 367 439
290 192 245 307 377 450
300 198 252 316 386 460
310 205 260 324 395 471

Is Your smith bench press Good?

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

Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) smith bench press is about 199 lb (1.11x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 256 lb (1.42x), and Elite is 317 lb (1.76x).

Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) smith bench press is about 97 lb (0.69x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 140 lb (1x), and Elite is 188 lb (1.34x).

How Much Should You Be Able to smith bench press?

Men: a 180 lb male should lift about 199 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 109 lb).

Women: a 140 lb female should lift about 97 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 36 lb).

By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter lifts about 164 lb, and a 220 lb lifter lifts about 242 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 195 lb, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 174 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 smith bench press Strength?

How smith bench press 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 79 118 167 223 285
20 91 135 190 256 327
25 93 139 195 262 335
30 93 139 195 262 335
35 93 139 195 262 335
40 93 139 195 262 335
45 88 131 185 248 318
50 83 123 174 233 298
55 77 114 161 216 275
60 70 104 147 197 252
65 63 94 132 178 228
70 57 85 119 159 204
75 50 76 106 143 183
80 45 68 95 128 163
85 41 60 86 114 147
90 37 54 77 104 131

What Do smith bench press Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are learning the movement path and resistance curve on the smith bench press, building the shoulder stability and pressing coordination needed to handle heavier loads safely.

Novice

Stronger than 20% of lifters. You can press with a consistent path and controlled tempo on the smith bench press. You are progressing linearly and building the chest, shoulder, and tricep base needed for intermediate strength.

Intermediate

Stronger than 50% of lifters. Your smith bench 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

Stronger than 80% of lifters. You have optimized your smith bench 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

Stronger than 95% of lifters. Your smith bench 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 smith bench press

Tier-specific training recommendations to move your smith bench press to the next level.

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the smith bench 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 smith bench 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 smith bench press under competition-style commands and judging.
View RPE-to-percentage chart →

How to Perform smith bench press

["Adjust the height of the smith machine bar to chest level.","Lie flat on the bench with your feet firmly planted on the ground.","Grip the bar with an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.","Unrack the bar and lower it towards your chest, keeping your elbows tucked in.","Pause for a moment when the bar touches your chest.","Push the bar back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.","Repeat for the desired number of repetitions."]

Read the complete smith bench press guide on FitnessVolt →

Where Do These smith bench press 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 smith bench press Good for Your Weight?

Use this page to compare your smith bench press 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 smith bench press 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" smith bench 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 smith bench 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.
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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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.