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Upright Row strength standards

What is a good Upright Row?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate Upright Row is about 143 lb (0.79x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 206 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

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Upright Row Standards by Bodyweight

Estimates from the FitnessVolt standards model. 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 20 46 85 135 194
120 25 53 94 146 208
130 29 60 103 157 221
140 34 66 111 168 233
150 39 72 119 178 245
160 43 79 127 188 256
170 48 85 135 197 267
180 52 91 143 206 278
190 57 97 150 215 288
200 61 102 157 223 298
210 65 108 164 232 307
220 70 113 171 240 316
230 74 119 177 247 325
240 78 124 183 255 334
250 82 129 190 262 342
260 86 134 196 269 350
270 90 139 202 276 358
280 94 144 207 283 366
290 98 148 213 289 373
300 101 153 219 296 381
310 105 158 224 302 388

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

Upright Row Standards by Age

How the 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 73 119 177 242
20 45 84 136 202 277
25 46 86 140 207 284
30 46 86 140 207 284
35 46 86 140 207 284
40 46 86 140 207 284
45 44 81 133 197 269
50 41 76 125 185 253
55 38 71 115 171 234
60 35 64 105 156 214
65 31 58 95 141 193
70 28 52 85 126 173
75 25 47 76 113 155
80 23 42 68 101 138
85 20 37 61 91 124
90 18 34 55 82 112

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

Check Your 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 143 lbs (0.79x bodyweight) on the 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
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What the Upright Row Strength Levels Mean

Beginner

You are building the mind-muscle connection for the Upright Row, learning to initiate the pull with your back rather than your arms, and developing basic grip strength.

Novice

You can perform the 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 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 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 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 Upright Row

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

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the 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 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 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 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 Upright Row

Upright Row demonstration
Equipment Barbell, Dumbbells
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Compound
  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a barbell or dumbbells with an overhand grip.
  2. Start with the weights resting on your thighs, arms extended down.
  3. Keep your back straight, chest up, and core engaged throughout the movement.
  4. Pull the weights vertically towards your chin, leading with your elbows.
  5. Keep the weights close to your body and your elbows higher than your wrists.
  6. Once the weights reach chest height, pause briefly.
  7. Slowly lower the weights back to the starting position.
  8. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
  9. Breathing: Exhale as you lift the weights, inhale as you lower them.

Tips

  • Avoid using excessive weight to prevent shoulder strain.
  • Maintain a controlled, smooth motion to maximize muscle engagement.
  • Keep your core engaged to support your lower back.
  • Avoid lifting the weights too high to prevent shoulder impingement.

Read the complete Upright Row guide on FitnessVolt →

Where Do These Upright Row Standards Come From?

The levels on this page are estimates from the FitnessVolt strength standards model. The Upright Row table is an editorial FitnessVolt table, not a measured population. There is no competition or gym dataset for the 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" 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 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 Upright Row table is an editorial FitnessVolt table, not a measured population. Treat the levels as targets.
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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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.