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Yates Row strength standards

What is a good Yates Row?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate Yates Row is about 232 lb (1.29x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 299 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

Good target 232 lb Intermediate at 180 lb
Next tier 299 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 Yates Row

A solid (Intermediate) Yates Row for a 180 lb male is about 232 lb (1.29x bodyweight). Use the calculator below to convert your own Yates Row into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 299 lb (1.66x bodyweight).

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

Estimated Standards

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

Primary Muscles Biceps, Forearms, Latissimus Dorsi, Upper Back, Posterior Deltoid
Equipment Barbell
Standards Coverage 21 bodyweights × 5 levels

How Strong Is Your Yates Row?

Intermediate (competition scale)
Typical FVCP: 50th percentile
A 180 lb male lifting 232 lbs (1.29x bodyweight) on the Yates Row 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.

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to track your progress over time.

Reader Data Is Still Building

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

232 lb Typical 1RM (Intermediate)
1.29x 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 Yates Row?

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 58 92 136 189 248
120 68 105 151 207 268
130 78 117 166 224 287
140 88 129 180 240 305
150 97 140 193 255 323
160 106 151 207 271 340
170 116 162 219 285 356
180 125 173 232 299 372
190 133 183 244 313 387
200 142 193 255 326 401
210 151 203 267 339 415
220 159 213 278 351 429
230 167 222 288 363 443
240 175 231 299 375 456
250 183 240 309 386 468
260 191 249 319 398 480
270 198 258 329 408 492
280 206 266 338 419 504
290 213 275 348 429 515
300 220 283 357 440 527
310 227 291 366 450 537

Is Your Yates Row Good?

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

Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) Yates Row is about 232 lb (1.29x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 299 lb (1.66x), and Elite is 372 lb (2.07x).

Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) Yates Row is about 100 lb (0.71x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 137 lb (0.98x), and Elite is 177 lb (1.26x).

How Much Should You Be Able to Yates Row?

Men: a 180 lb male should lift about 232 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 125 lb).

Women: a 140 lb female should lift about 100 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 45 lb).

By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter lifts about 193 lb, and a 220 lb lifter lifts about 278 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 225 lb, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 200 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 Yates Row Strength?

How Yates Row 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 94 137 191 254 323
20 108 157 219 291 369
25 111 161 225 299 379
30 111 161 225 299 379
35 111 161 225 299 379
40 111 161 225 299 379
45 105 153 213 283 359
50 99 144 200 266 337
55 91 133 185 246 312
60 83 121 169 224 285
65 75 110 153 203 257
70 67 98 137 182 231
75 60 88 122 163 206
80 54 79 110 145 185
85 48 70 98 130 165
90 44 64 88 118 149

What Do Yates Row Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are building the mind-muscle connection for the Yates 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 Yates 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 Yates 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 Yates 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 Yates 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 Yates Row

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

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the Yates 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 Yates 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 Yates 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 Yates 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 Yates Row

  1. Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a barbell with an underhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width.
  2. Keep your torso at a 30-45 degree angle to the floor, maintaining a slight arch in your lower back.
  3. Pull the barbell towards your lower abdomen, squeezing your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement.
  4. Lower the barbell back to the starting position in a controlled manner.
  5. Exhale as you lift the barbell and inhale as you lower it.

Tips for Yates Row

  • Maintain a slight arch in your lower back to avoid rounding.
  • Keep your elbows close to your body throughout the movement.
  • Focus on squeezing your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement.
  • Avoid using momentum to lift the barbell; use controlled movements.

Where Do These Yates Row 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 Yates Row Good for Your Weight?

Use this page to compare your Yates Row 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 Yates Row 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" Yates 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 Yates 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.
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.