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smith reverse-grip press strength standards

What is a good smith reverse-grip press?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate smith reverse-grip press is about 172 lb (0.96x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 222 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

Good target 172 lb Intermediate at 180 lb
Next tier 222 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 reverse-grip press

A solid (Intermediate) smith reverse-grip press for a 180 lb male is about 172 lb (0.96x bodyweight). Use the calculator below to convert your own smith reverse-grip press into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 222 lb (1.23x bodyweight).

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

smith reverse-grip press demonstration
Estimated Standards

How strong is your smith reverse-grip 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 reverse-grip press?

Intermediate (competition scale)
Typical FVCP: 50th percentile
A 180 lb male lifting 172 lbs (0.96x bodyweight) on the smith reverse-grip 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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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 reverse-grip press entries yet to publish a stable crowd benchmark. Until then, this panel shows the Intermediate standards baseline only:

172 lb Typical 1RM (Intermediate)
0.96x 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 reverse-grip 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 41 66 98 135 176
120 49 76 109 149 193
130 57 85 120 162 207
140 65 94 132 175 222
150 73 104 142 187 236
160 80 112 153 199 249
170 87 121 163 211 262
180 94 129 172 222 275
190 101 138 183 232 286
200 108 146 192 243 298
210 115 154 200 254 310
220 122 161 210 264 321
230 129 169 218 273 332
240 135 177 227 282 342
250 141 184 235 292 352
260 148 191 243 301 362
270 154 198 251 310 371
280 160 205 259 318 381
290 166 212 266 327 390
300 172 218 274 335 399
310 178 225 281 342 408

Is Your smith reverse-grip press Good?

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

Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) smith reverse-grip press is about 172 lb (0.96x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 222 lb (1.23x), and Elite is 275 lb (1.53x).

Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) smith reverse-grip press is about 84 lb (0.6x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 122 lb (0.87x), and Elite is 163 lb (1.16x).

How Much Should You Be Able to smith reverse-grip press?

Men: a 180 lb male should lift about 172 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 94 lb).

Women: a 140 lb female should lift about 84 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 31 lb).

By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter lifts about 142 lb, and a 220 lb lifter lifts about 210 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 169 lb, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 151 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 reverse-grip press Strength?

How smith reverse-grip 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 69 102 144 193 247
20 79 117 165 222 283
25 80 120 169 227 290
30 80 120 169 227 290
35 80 120 169 227 290
40 80 120 169 227 290
45 76 114 161 215 275
50 72 107 151 202 258
55 66 99 140 187 239
60 61 90 127 171 218
65 55 81 115 154 197
70 49 73 103 138 177
75 44 66 92 124 158
80 39 59 83 111 141
85 35 52 74 99 127
90 32 47 66 90 114

What Do smith reverse-grip press Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are learning the movement path and resistance curve on the smith reverse-grip 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 reverse-grip 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 reverse-grip 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 reverse-grip 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 reverse-grip 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 reverse-grip press

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

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

How to Perform smith reverse-grip press

["Adjust the height of the smith machine bar to chest level.","Stand facing the bar with your feet shoulder-width apart.","Grasp the bar with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.","Step back and position yourself with a slight bend in your knees.","Keep your chest up and core engaged throughout the exercise.","Lower the bar towards your chest, keeping your elbows tucked in.","Pause for a moment at the bottom, then push the bar back up to the starting position.","Repeat for the desired number of repetitions."]

Read the complete smith reverse-grip press guide on FitnessVolt →

Where Do These smith reverse-grip 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 reverse-grip press Good for Your Weight?

Use this page to compare your smith reverse-grip 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 reverse-grip 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 reverse-grip 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 reverse-grip 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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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.