Skip to content
Smith Upright Row strength standards

What is a good Smith Upright Row?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate Smith Upright Row is about 102 lb (0.57x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 132 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

Check My Level Estimate Your 1RM Methodology

Smith Upright Row Standards by Bodyweight

Estimates from the FitnessVolt standards model, scaled from the Shoulder Press table by a fixed ratio of 0.7. Updated March 29, 2026. Find the row closest to your bodyweight. Beginner is a first target for a new lifter, Novice a few months in, Intermediate about one to two years of structured training, Advanced several years, Elite the top of the table.

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

The Smith Upright Row standard at each level as bodyweight rises, for the sex selected above. Exact numbers in the table above.

Smith Upright Row Standards by Age

How the Smith Upright Row standards change with age, as a 1RM in lb. This table is not tied to one bodyweight, so read it for the trend and use the bodyweight table above for your own number.

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

The Smith Upright Row standard at each level as age rises, for the sex selected above. Exact numbers in the table above.

Check Your Smith Upright Row Level

Intermediate
Level score: 50 of 100
Level score on the FitnessVolt standards: Beginner 5, Novice 20, Intermediate 50, Advanced 80, Elite 95
A 180 lb male lifting 102 lbs (0.57x bodyweight) on the Smith Upright Row is at the Intermediate standard for his bodyweight. Enter your own numbers above to see where you stand.

Over 40? Add your age and the calculator also shows an age-adjusted level and an age-30 equivalent, using the McCulloch age factor to scale your lift to peak age. Every age band is in the standards by age table above.

Level score:
Level score on the FitnessVolt standards: Beginner 5, Novice 20, Intermediate 50, Advanced 80, Elite 95
Age-adjusted score
lb Age-30 equivalent 1RM

of 100
Help improve accuracy for everyone
Share your result
Thanks for contributing! lifters have shared their data for this exercise.
to track your progress over time.

What the Smith Upright Row Strength Levels Mean

Beginner

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

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

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

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

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 progress with the one rep max calculator →
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

Smith Upright Row demonstration
Primary Muscles delts
Equipment smith-machine
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Compound
["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?

The levels on this page are estimates from the FitnessVolt strength standards model. The Smith Upright Row table is the Shoulder Press table scaled by a fixed FitnessVolt ratio of 0.7 (confidence: low). It is a set of targets, not a measured population. There is no competition or gym dataset for the Smith Upright Row itself. Reader-submitted benchmarks appear only after enough entries are logged for this lift.

Standards data last refreshed: March 29, 2026

  • Level tables: the FitnessVolt strength standards model, not meet data.
  • Method: Strength standards methodology - how the level tables are built and where each data source on the site comes from.
Cite this Fitness Volt strength standards model, 2026. Beginner to Elite levels are model values, not competition percentiles. https://fitnessvolt.com/strength-standards/methodology/

Frequently Asked Questions

A "good" Smith Upright Row 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 Upright Row 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.
They are estimates from the FitnessVolt strength standards model. The Smith Upright Row table is the Shoulder Press table scaled by a fixed FitnessVolt ratio of 0.7 (confidence: low). It is a set of targets, not a measured population.
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.