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Snatch strength standards

What is a good Snatch?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate Snatch is about 169 lb (0.94x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 226 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

Good target 169 lb Intermediate at 180 lb
Next tier 226 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 Snatch

A solid (Intermediate) Snatch for a 180 lb male is about 169 lb (0.94x bodyweight). Use the calculator below to convert your own Snatch into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 226 lb (1.26x bodyweight).

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

Snatch demonstration
Estimated Standards

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

Primary Muscles Shoulders (Deltoids), Core, Legs, Back, Arms
Equipment Barbell
Standards Coverage 21 bodyweights × 5 levels
Difficulty Advanced
Type Compound

How Strong Is Your Snatch?

Intermediate (competition scale)
Typical FVCP: 50th percentile
A 180 lb male lifting 169 lbs (0.94x bodyweight) on the Snatch 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 Snatch entries yet to publish a stable crowd benchmark. Until then, this panel shows the Intermediate standards baseline only:

169 lb Typical 1RM (Intermediate)
0.94x 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 Snatch?

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 43 72 110 156 208
120 49 80 120 168 221
130 55 87 129 178 233
140 61 95 138 189 245
150 67 102 146 199 256
160 72 108 154 208 267
170 78 115 162 217 277
180 83 121 169 226 287
190 88 127 177 234 296
200 93 133 184 242 305
210 98 139 191 250 314
220 102 145 197 258 323
230 107 150 204 265 331
240 112 156 210 272 339
250 116 161 216 279 347
260 120 166 222 286 354
270 125 171 228 292 361
280 129 176 233 299 369
290 133 181 239 305 375
300 137 186 244 311 382
310 141 190 250 317 389

Is Your Snatch Good?

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

Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) Snatch is about 169 lb (0.94x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 226 lb (1.26x), and Elite is 287 lb (1.59x).

Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) Snatch is about 94 lb (0.67x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 126 lb (0.9x), and Elite is 161 lb (1.15x).

How Much Should You Be Able to Snatch?

Men: a 180 lb male should lift about 169 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 83 lb).

Women: a 140 lb female should lift about 94 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 45 lb).

By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter lifts about 146 lb, and a 220 lb lifter lifts about 197 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 168 lb, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 149 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 Snatch Strength?

How Snatch 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 65 99 143 194 250
20 75 114 163 222 286
25 77 117 168 227 293
30 77 117 168 227 293
35 77 117 168 227 293
40 77 117 168 227 293
45 73 111 159 216 278
50 68 104 149 203 261
55 63 96 138 187 241
60 58 88 126 171 220
65 52 79 114 154 199
70 47 71 102 139 179
75 42 64 91 124 160
80 37 57 82 111 143
85 34 51 73 99 128
90 30 46 66 90 115

What Do Snatch Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are learning the bar path and loading on the Snatch, 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 Snatch. You are progressing linearly and building the chest, shoulder, and tricep base needed for intermediate strength.

Intermediate

Stronger than 50% of lifters. Your Snatch 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 Snatch 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 Snatch 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 Snatch

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

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

How to Perform Snatch

  1. Stand with feet hip-width apart, barbell on the ground over the middle of your feet.
  2. Grip the barbell with a wide, overhand grip, arms just outside of knees.
  3. Lower hips with chest up and back straight, looking forward.
  4. Begin the lift by driving through your heels, extending your knees and hips.
  5. As the bar passes your knees, explosively extend your hips and pull the bar upwards with your arms.
  6. Shrug your shoulders and drop under the bar, extending arms overhead.
  7. Catch the bar in a full squat position, stabilize, then stand up to finish the lift.

Read the complete Snatch guide on FitnessVolt →

Tips for Snatch

  • Maintain a straight back throughout the lift to avoid injury.
  • Focus on an explosive hip extension to generate power.
  • Keep the barbell close to your body during the pull.
  • Practice the movement with lighter weights to perfect form before increasing load.
  • Engage your core to stabilize the lift, especially during the overhead catch.

Where Do These Snatch 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 Snatch Good for Your Weight?

Use this page to compare your Snatch 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 Snatch 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" Snatch 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 Snatch 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.