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smith squat strength standards

What is a good smith squat?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate smith squat is about 248 lb (1.38x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 317 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

Good target 248 lb Intermediate at 180 lb
Next tier 317 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 squat

A solid (Intermediate) smith squat for a 180 lb male is about 248 lb (1.38x bodyweight). Use the calculator below to convert your own smith squat into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 317 lb (1.76x bodyweight).

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

smith squat demonstration
Estimated Standards

How strong is your smith squat? 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 squat?

Intermediate (competition scale)
Typical FVCP: 50th percentile
A 180 lb male lifting 248 lbs (1.38x bodyweight) on the smith squat 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 squat entries yet to publish a stable crowd benchmark. Until then, this panel shows the Intermediate standards baseline only:

248 lb Typical 1RM (Intermediate)
1.38x 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 squat?

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 63 97 142 195 253
120 74 111 159 214 275
130 85 125 175 233 297
140 96 138 190 251 317
150 106 150 206 269 337
160 117 163 220 286 355
170 128 176 235 302 373
180 138 188 248 317 391
190 148 200 262 332 407
200 158 211 275 347 424
210 167 222 287 361 439
220 178 233 300 376 455
230 187 244 312 388 470
240 196 254 324 402 485
250 205 264 336 415 498
260 213 275 347 428 513
270 223 285 358 439 525
280 231 294 369 451 539
290 240 303 379 463 552
300 247 313 390 475 564
310 256 322 400 486 576

Is Your smith squat Good?

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

Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) smith squat is about 248 lb (1.38x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 317 lb (1.76x), and Elite is 391 lb (2.17x).

Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) smith squat is about 136 lb (0.97x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 189 lb (1.35x), and Elite is 247 lb (1.76x).

How Much Should You Be Able to smith squat?

Men: a 180 lb male should lift about 248 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 138 lb).

Women: a 140 lb female should lift about 136 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 58 lb).

By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter lifts about 206 lb, and a 220 lb lifter lifts about 300 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 244 lb, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 217 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 squat Strength?

How smith squat 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
15 102 149 207 275 349
20 117 171 237 315 400
25 120 175 244 324 411
30 120 175 244 324 411
35 120 175 244 324 411
40 120 175 244 324 411
45 114 166 231 307 389
50 107 156 217 288 366
55 99 145 201 267 338
60 90 132 184 243 309
65 82 119 166 220 279
70 73 107 149 197 250
75 65 95 133 177 224
80 59 85 119 158 200
85 53 77 106 141 179
90 48 69 96 128 162

What Do smith squat Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are learning to hit proper depth on the smith squat, 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 squat 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 squat 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 squat 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 squat 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 squat

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

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the smith squat 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 squat 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 squat 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 squat under meet conditions.
View RPE-to-percentage chart →

How to Perform smith squat

["Set up the smith machine with the barbell at an appropriate height for your squat.","Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly turned out.","Position yourself under the barbell, resting it on your upper traps and shoulders.","Grip the barbell with a wide grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.","Engage your core and unrack the barbell, stepping back to clear the rack.","Keeping your chest up and back straight, initiate the squat by bending at the hips and knees.","Lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the ground or slightly below.","Pause for a moment at the bottom, then drive through your heels to return to the starting position.","Repeat for the desired number of repetitions."]

Read the complete smith squat guide on FitnessVolt →

Where Do These smith squat 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 squat Good for Your Weight?

Use this page to compare your smith squat 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 squat 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 squat 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 squat 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.

Related Exercise Standards

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.