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smith front squat (clean grip) strength standards

What is a good smith front squat (clean grip)?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate smith front squat (clean grip) is about 219 lb (1.22x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 280 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

Good target 219 lb Intermediate at 180 lb
Next tier 280 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 front squat (clean grip)

A solid (Intermediate) smith front squat (clean grip) for a 180 lb male is about 219 lb (1.22x bodyweight). Use the calculator below to convert your own smith front squat (clean grip) into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 280 lb (1.56x bodyweight).

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

smith front squat (clean grip) demonstration
Estimated Standards

How strong is your smith front squat (clean grip)? Compare your 1RM against standards for 21 bodyweight categories, from Beginner to Elite.

Primary Muscles glutes
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 front squat (clean grip)?

Intermediate (competition scale)
Typical FVCP: 50th percentile
A 180 lb male lifting 219 lbs (1.22x bodyweight) on the smith front squat (clean grip) 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.

Help improve accuracy for everyone
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 smith front squat (clean grip) entries yet to publish a stable crowd benchmark. Until then, this panel shows the Intermediate standards baseline only:

219 lb Typical 1RM (Intermediate)
1.22x 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 front squat (clean grip)?

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 56 86 125 172 224
120 65 98 140 189 243
130 75 110 155 206 262
140 85 122 168 221 280
150 94 133 182 237 297
160 104 144 194 252 314
170 113 155 207 266 329
180 122 166 219 280 345
190 131 176 231 293 359
200 140 186 242 306 374
210 148 196 254 319 388
220 157 206 265 332 401
230 165 215 275 343 415
240 173 224 286 355 428
250 181 233 296 366 440
260 188 242 306 377 452
270 197 251 316 388 464
280 204 260 326 398 476
290 212 268 335 409 487
300 218 276 344 419 498
310 226 284 353 429 509

Is Your smith front squat (clean grip) Good?

A quick read on what counts as a good smith front squat (clean grip) at each level, for a typical male and female lifter.

Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) smith front squat (clean grip) is about 219 lb (1.22x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 280 lb (1.56x), and Elite is 345 lb (1.92x).

Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) smith front squat (clean grip) is about 120 lb (0.86x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 167 lb (1.19x), and Elite is 218 lb (1.56x).

How Much Should You Be Able to smith front squat (clean grip)?

Men: a 180 lb male should lift about 219 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 122 lb).

Women: a 140 lb female should lift about 120 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 51 lb).

By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter lifts about 182 lb, and a 220 lb lifter lifts about 265 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 215 lb, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 191 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 front squat (clean grip) Strength?

How smith front squat (clean grip) 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 90 131 183 243 308
20 104 151 209 278 353
25 106 155 215 286 362
30 106 155 215 286 362
35 106 155 215 286 362
40 106 155 215 286 362
45 101 146 204 271 344
50 95 137 191 254 323
55 87 128 177 236 299
60 80 116 162 215 272
65 72 105 146 194 246
70 65 95 131 174 221
75 58 84 117 156 197
80 52 75 105 140 176
85 47 68 94 125 158
90 42 61 85 113 143

What Do smith front squat (clean grip) Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are learning to hit proper depth on the smith front squat (clean grip), building ankle and hip mobility, and developing the bracing pattern needed to keep your torso upright under load.

Novice

Stronger than 20% of lifters. You can execute the smith front squat (clean grip) with consistent depth and bracing. You are adding weight session to session using linear progression and building foundational leg strength.

Intermediate

Stronger than 50% of lifters. Your smith front squat (clean grip) technique is solid through heavy loads. You use periodized programming, understand RPE-based autoregulation, and can grind through sticking points without form breakdown.

Advanced

Stronger than 80% of lifters. You have refined your smith front squat (clean grip) 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.

Elite

Stronger than 95% of lifters. Your smith front squat (clean grip) 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 smith front squat (clean grip)

Tier-specific training recommendations to move your smith front squat (clean grip) to the next level.

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the smith front squat (clean grip) 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.
Track progress with the one rep max calculator →
Novice → Intermediate Structured Progression
  • Switch from linear to weekly periodization (e.g., light/medium/heavy days).
  • Add a smith front squat (clean grip) 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.
Plan your RPE-based sessions →
Intermediate → Advanced Periodized Training Blocks
  • 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 smith front squat (clean grip) movement pattern.
Program your backoff sets →
Advanced → Elite Competition-Level Peaking
  • 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 smith front squat (clean grip) under meet conditions.
View RPE-to-percentage chart →

How to Perform smith front squat (clean grip)

["Set up the smith machine with the barbell at shoulder height.","Stand facing the barbell with your feet shoulder-width apart.","Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.","Step back and position the barbell on your front shoulders, resting it on your collarbone and deltoids.","Keep your chest up, back straight, and core engaged.","Lower your body by bending at the knees and hips, as if sitting back into a chair.","Continue lowering until your thighs are parallel to the ground or slightly below.","Pause for a moment, then push through your heels to return to the starting position.","Repeat for the desired number of repetitions."]

Read the complete smith front squat (clean grip) guide on FitnessVolt →

Where Do These smith front squat (clean grip) 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 front squat (clean grip) Good for Your Weight?

Use this page to compare your smith front squat (clean grip) 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 front squat (clean grip) 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 front squat (clean grip) 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 front squat (clean grip) 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.