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smith seated shoulder press strength standards

What is a good smith seated shoulder press?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate smith seated shoulder press is about 123 lb (0.68x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 161 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

Good target 123 lb Intermediate at 180 lb
Next tier 161 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 seated shoulder press

A solid (Intermediate) smith seated shoulder press for a 180 lb male is about 123 lb (0.68x bodyweight). Use the calculator below to convert your own smith seated shoulder press into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 161 lb (0.89x bodyweight).

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

smith seated shoulder press demonstration
Estimated Standards

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

Primary Muscles delts
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 seated shoulder press?

Intermediate (competition scale)
Typical FVCP: 50th percentile
A 180 lb male lifting 123 lbs (0.68x bodyweight) on the smith seated shoulder 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 seated shoulder press entries yet to publish a stable crowd benchmark. Until then, this panel shows the Intermediate standards baseline only:

123 lb Typical 1RM (Intermediate)
0.68x 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 seated shoulder 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 27 46 71 99 133
120 33 53 78 110 144
130 38 60 87 119 154
140 43 65 94 128 165
150 48 72 102 137 174
160 54 78 109 145 184
170 59 84 116 153 193
180 64 90 123 161 202
190 68 96 129 168 211
200 73 101 136 176 218
210 77 107 143 183 227
220 82 112 149 190 235
230 87 117 155 197 242
240 91 122 161 203 249
250 95 128 167 210 257
260 99 133 172 216 264
270 104 137 178 223 270
280 108 142 183 229 277
290 112 147 188 235 283
300 116 151 193 240 290
310 120 156 198 246 296

Is Your smith seated shoulder press Good?

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

Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) smith seated shoulder press is about 123 lb (0.68x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 161 lb (0.89x), and Elite is 202 lb (1.12x).

Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) smith seated shoulder press is about 62 lb (0.44x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 88 lb (0.63x), and Elite is 116 lb (0.83x).

How Much Should You Be Able to smith seated shoulder press?

Men: a 180 lb male should lift about 123 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 64 lb).

Women: a 140 lb female should lift about 62 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 25 lb).

By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter lifts about 102 lb, and a 220 lb lifter lifts about 149 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 121 lb, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 107 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 seated shoulder press Strength?

How smith seated shoulder 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 48 72 103 139 179
20 54 82 117 159 205
25 56 84 121 163 211
30 56 84 121 163 211
35 56 84 121 163 211
40 56 84 121 163 211
45 53 80 115 155 200
50 49 75 107 145 187
55 46 70 99 134 173
60 42 64 91 123 158
65 38 57 82 111 143
70 34 52 74 99 128
75 31 46 65 89 115
80 27 41 59 80 103
85 25 37 53 71 92
90 22 33 48 65 82

What Do smith seated shoulder press Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are learning the movement path and resistance curve on the smith seated shoulder 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 seated shoulder 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 seated 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

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

Stronger than 95% of lifters. Your smith seated 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 smith seated shoulder press

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

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

How to Perform smith seated shoulder press

["Adjust the seat height so that the handles are at shoulder level.","Sit on the machine with your back against the pad and your feet flat on the floor.","Grasp the handles with an overhand grip and lift them off the supports, extending your arms fully.","Lower the handles down to shoulder level, keeping your elbows slightly bent.","Press the handles up overhead until your arms are fully extended.","Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the handles back down to shoulder level.","Repeat for the desired number of repetitions."]

Read the complete smith seated shoulder press guide on FitnessVolt →

Where Do These smith seated shoulder 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 seated shoulder press Good for Your Weight?

Use this page to compare your smith seated shoulder 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 seated shoulder 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 seated 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 smith seated 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.
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.