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smith upright row Strength Standards

Quick Answer smith upright row

A 180 lb male with an Intermediate-level smith upright row of 102 lbs ranks at the 50th percentile (FVCP), stronger than ~50% of lifters. An Advanced lifter at this weight lifts 132 lbs (0.73x bodyweight).

FitnessVolt Competition Percentile (FVCP), based on 2.5M+ verified competition results

smith upright row demonstration
Competition-Derived

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

Primary Muscles delts
Equipment smith-machine
Data Points 71 rows
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Compound

Estimated Standards - Estimated from shoulder-press standards using a 0.7x ratio.. These values are derived from verified competition data for the base exercise. Learn about our methodology

How Strong Is Your smith upright row?

Your FVCP:
FitnessVolt Competition Percentile, based on 2.5M+ verified results
th percentile
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to track your progress over time.

How Much Should You smith upright row?

1RM weight (lbs) you should be able to lift at each standard, based on your bodyweight.

BW (lbs) Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
110 22 38 58 82 109
120 27 43 64 90 118
130 32 49 71 98 127
140 36 54 78 105 136
150 40 60 84 113 144
160 44 64 90 119 151
170 48 69 95 126 159
180 53 74 102 132 167
190 56 79 106 139 174
200 60 83 112 145 180
210 64 88 118 151 187
220 68 92 123 157 193
230 71 97 127 162 200
240 75 101 132 167 205
250 78 105 137 173 211
260 82 109 141 178 217
270 85 113 146 183 223
280 89 117 151 188 228
290 92 121 155 193 233
300 95 125 159 197 239
310 99 128 163 202 244

How Does Age Affect smith upright row Strength?

How smith upright row standards change across different age groups. Values represent a 1RM in lbs.

Age Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
15 39 60 85 115 148
20 45 68 97 131 169
25 46 69 99 134 174
30 46 69 99 134 174
35 46 69 99 134 174
40 46 69 99 134 174
45 43 66 95 127 165
50 41 62 88 120 154
55 38 57 82 111 143
60 34 53 75 102 130
65 32 47 67 92 118
70 28 43 61 82 106
75 25 38 54 74 95
80 22 34 48 66 85
85 20 30 43 59 76
90 18 27 39 53 68

What Do smith upright row Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are building the mind-muscle connection for the smith upright row, learning to initiate the pull with your back rather than your arms, and developing basic grip strength.

Novice

Stronger than 20% of lifters. You can perform the smith upright row with proper scapular retraction and a controlled range of motion. You are progressively overloading and building back thickness and lat width.

Intermediate

Stronger than 50% of lifters. Your smith upright row shows strong back engagement with minimal momentum. You use RPE to regulate pulling intensity and train strategically to balance horizontal and vertical pull volume.

Advanced

Stronger than 80% of lifters. You have built substantial back development through the smith upright row with refined technique and heavy loads. Your grip is no longer a limiting factor, and you manage rowing and pulling fatigue across training blocks.

Elite

Stronger than 95% of lifters. Your smith upright row strength is exceptional. You can handle loads that most lifters cannot move with strict form, and your back development reflects years of high-volume, periodized pulling work.

How to Progress Your smith upright row

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

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the smith upright row 2x per week, focusing on initiating the pull from your back, not your arms.
  • Use linear progression with strict form - no swinging or excessive body English.
  • Pause briefly at peak contraction to build the mind-muscle connection.
  • Develop grip strength in parallel to avoid it becoming a bottleneck.
Track your E1RM progress →
Novice → Intermediate Structured Progression
  • Add a pull variation (different grip width, underhand, or single-arm) for balanced development.
  • Increase pulling volume to 10-15 sets per week across all back movements.
  • Program the smith upright row at RPE 7-8, saving RPE 9 work for top sets only.
  • Balance horizontal pulls (rows) with vertical pulls (pulldowns/pull-ups).
Plan your RPE-based sessions →
Intermediate → Advanced Periodized Training Blocks
  • Run 4-6 week blocks with progressive overload on the smith upright row.
  • Use RPE 8-9 for heavy sets with calculated backoff work at RPE 6-7.
  • Add controlled eccentrics and paused reps to break through plateaus.
  • Total back volume of 15-22 sets per week, distributed across pull patterns.
Program your backoff sets →
Advanced → Elite Mastery
  • Maximize the smith upright row through advanced intensity techniques and precise volume management.
  • Use periodized blocks with planned overreaching and supercompensation phases.
  • Refine execution: squeeze at contraction, controlled stretch, zero momentum.
  • Your back development should reflect years of disciplined, high-volume pulling.
View RPE-to-percentage chart →

How to Perform smith upright row

["Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, facing the smith machine.","Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.","Keep your back straight and your core engaged.","Pull the barbell up towards your chin, leading with your elbows.","Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the barbell back down to the starting position.","Repeat for the desired number of repetitions."]

Read the complete smith upright row guide on FitnessVolt →

Where Do These smith upright row Standards Come From?

These smith upright row standards are based on 2.5M+ verified competition results from powerlifting, weightlifting, and strongman federations worldwide. Every number comes from a sanctioned meet with certified judges - not self-reported gym lifts. Data is sourced from OpenPowerlifting and other verified competition databases, ensuring accuracy you can trust.

Last Updated: March 30, 2026

Reviewed by the Fitness Volt Editorial Team, certified strength training analysts.

Is Your smith upright row Good for Your Weight?

Strength standards help you objectively measure your smith upright row performance relative to other lifters of the same bodyweight and sex. Here is how to interpret them:

  1. Find your bodyweight in the left column of the table above.
  2. Look across the row to find which strength level your 1RM falls into.
  3. Use the age tab to see how your strength compares within your age group.
  4. Switch between Male and Female standards using the toggle - each has its own dataset.

If you do not know your 1RM, use the E1RM Calculator to estimate it from any rep set. For example, if you can smith upright row 185 lbs for 5 reps, the calculator will estimate your max.

These standards are derived from 2.5M+ competition results across powerlifting, weightlifting, and strongman federations worldwide, combined with community training data.

Frequently Asked Questions

A "good" smith upright row depends on your bodyweight, sex, and training experience. As a general benchmark, an Intermediate-level lift (stronger than 50% of lifters) is a solid goal for most recreational athletes. Check the table above for your specific bodyweight.
Most lifters can reach Intermediate level on the smith upright row within 1-2 years of consistent training with progressive overload and proper nutrition. Genetics, training program quality, and recovery all play a role.
Yes. Our standards are calculated from 2.5M+ verified competition results and community-reported data. They are adjusted for bodyweight and age to give you an accurate comparison.
These standards are based on raw (unequipped) lifts. If you use supportive equipment like a bench shirt or squat suit, your equipped numbers will be higher than these standards reflect.

Related Exercise Standards

Related Calculators

E1RM Calculator Estimate your one-rep max from any rep set Benchmarks Compare against competition data RPE Chart Training load percentages by RPE