Skip to content
Viking Press strength standards

What is a good Viking Press?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate Viking Press is about 204 lb (1.13x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 302 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

Good target 204 lb Intermediate at 180 lb
Next tier 302 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 Viking Press

A solid (Intermediate) Viking Press for a 180 lb male is about 204 lb (1.13x bodyweight). Use the calculator below to convert your own Viking Press into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 302 lb (1.68x bodyweight).

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

Estimated Standards

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

Primary Muscles Shoulders (Deltoids), Triceps, Core, Upper Chest
Equipment Viking Press Machine or Landmine Attachment
Standards Coverage 21 bodyweights × 5 levels

How Strong Is Your Viking Press?

Intermediate (competition scale)
Typical FVCP: 50th percentile
A 180 lb male lifting 204 lbs (1.13x bodyweight) on the Viking Press 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
Thanks for contributing! lifters have shared their data for this exercise.
to track your progress over time.

Reader Data Is Still Building

We do not have enough reader-submitted Viking Press entries yet to publish a stable crowd benchmark. Until then, this panel shows the Intermediate standards baseline only:

204 lb Typical 1RM (Intermediate)
1.13x 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 Viking Press?

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 15 48 100 172 258
120 22 59 116 192 283
130 29 70 131 212 307
140 36 81 146 231 330
150 44 92 161 250 352
160 52 103 176 268 373
170 60 114 190 285 394
180 68 125 204 302 414
190 76 136 218 319 434
200 84 147 231 335 452
210 92 157 244 351 471
220 100 167 257 366 488
230 107 178 270 381 506
240 115 188 282 396 523
250 123 198 294 410 539
260 131 207 306 424 555
270 138 217 318 438 571
280 146 226 329 451 586
290 153 236 340 464 601
300 161 245 351 477 615
310 168 254 362 490 630

Is Your Viking Press Good?

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

Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) Viking Press is about 204 lb (1.13x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 302 lb (1.68x), and Elite is 414 lb (2.3x).

Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) Viking Press is about 73 lb (0.52x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 105 lb (0.75x), and Elite is 140 lb (1x).

How Much Should You Be Able to Viking Press?

Men: a 180 lb male should lift about 204 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 68 lb).

Women: a 140 lb female should lift about 73 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 28 lb).

By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter lifts about 161 lb, and a 220 lb lifter lifts about 257 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 240 lb, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 214 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 Viking Press Strength?

How Viking Press 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 61 121 204 310 431
20 70 138 234 355 494
25 72 142 240 364 506
30 72 142 240 364 506
35 72 142 240 364 506
40 72 142 240 364 506
45 68 134 228 345 480
50 64 126 214 324 451
55 59 117 198 300 417
60 54 106 180 274 381
65 49 96 163 247 344
70 44 86 146 222 309
75 39 77 131 198 276
80 35 69 117 177 247
85 31 62 105 159 221
90 28 56 94 143 199

What Do Viking Press Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are learning the movement path and resistance curve on the Viking Press, building the controlled movement pattern and mind-muscle connection needed to train the target muscle effectively.

Novice

Stronger than 20% of lifters. You can perform the Viking Press with strict form and a smooth tempo. You are adding resistance progressively without sacrificing range of motion or using body English.

Intermediate

Stronger than 50% of lifters. Your Viking Press is performed with excellent control and targeted tension. You use RPE to manage isolation work intensity and program it strategically within your training split.

Advanced

Stronger than 80% of lifters. You have built significant strength on the Viking Press through disciplined, progressive training. You employ advanced techniques like drop sets, pauses, and tempo work to continue driving adaptation.

Elite

Stronger than 95% of lifters. Your Viking Press strength is at the upper end of what most lifters achieve. You have maximized the target muscle development through years of focused, periodized isolation work.

How to Progress Your Viking Press

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

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the Viking Press 2x per week with slow, controlled reps.
  • Focus on full range of motion and eliminating momentum or swinging.
  • Keep sets at RPE 6-7 to develop proper movement patterns.
  • Build the mind-muscle connection - feel the target muscle working on every rep.
Track progress with the one rep max calculator →
Novice → Intermediate Structured Progression
  • Increase load progressively while keeping strict form on the Viking Press.
  • Program 3-4 sets of 8-15 reps at RPE 7-8.
  • Add a variation (different grip, angle, or equipment) to address development gaps.
  • Place isolation work after your primary compound movements.
Plan your RPE-based sessions →
Intermediate → Advanced Advanced Isolation Techniques
  • Use drop sets, paused reps, and partial reps to break through Viking Press plateaus.
  • Train at RPE 8-9 with advanced intensity techniques on your last 1-2 sets.
  • Manipulate tempo to increase time under tension without compromising form.
  • Manage total volume for the target muscle group across all exercises.
Calculate working set loads →
Advanced → Elite Mastery
  • Maximize Viking Press strength through precise programming and fatigue management.
  • Use periodized blocks to cycle between volume, intensity, and deload phases.
  • Quality of contraction matters more than load at this level.
  • Continuous refinement of technique will yield the remaining gains.
View RPE-to-percentage chart →

How to Perform Viking Press

  1. Start by positioning yourself between the handles of a Viking Press machine or bar.
  2. Grasp the handles with a firm, overhand grip, ensuring your hands are shoulder-width apart.
  3. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, with a slight bend in your knees for stability.
  4. Engage your core and keep your back straight; your chest should be up and shoulders back.
  5. Press the handles upward and slightly forward until your arms are fully extended overhead.
  6. Pause briefly at the top, ensuring your arms are straight but not locked out.
  7. Lower the handles back down to shoulder level in a controlled manner.
  8. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, maintaining proper form throughout.

Tips for Viking Press

  • Focus on maintaining a tight core to stabilize your spine and prevent lower back strain.
  • Keep your elbows slightly in front of your body during the press to reduce shoulder joint stress.
  • Avoid locking out your elbows at the top to keep tension on the muscles.
  • Use a controlled motion when lowering the handles to prevent jerking movements.
  • Start with a lighter weight to master the form before progressing to heavier weights.

Where Do These Viking Press 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 28, 2026

Is Your Viking Press Good for Your Weight?

Use this page to compare your Viking Press 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 Viking Press 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" Viking Press 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 Viking Press 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.