Strength standards calculator.
See where a squat, bench press, deadlift or overhead press ranks for a given bodyweight and sex - from untrained through novice, intermediate and advanced to elite - and exactly how much is needed for the next level. Based on widely-used community bodyweight multiples. Works in pounds or kilograms.
By Markus Evers Updated July 28, 2026 Method: Bodyweight-multiple strength standards
Sources
- Rippetoe M and Kilgore L (2009), Practical Programming for Strength Training
- ExRx.net, Strength Standards
rank a lift
-
You are lifting - your bodyweight.
| Level | x bodyweight | Weight needed |
|---|---|---|
| Untrained | - | - |
| Novice | - | - |
| Intermediate | - | - |
| Advanced | - | - |
| Elite | - | - |
Thresholds are widely-used community strength-standard multiples, not a scientific consensus. Age, limb length, training history and sport all move the line - treat the level as orientation, not a verdict.
the short answer
Strength standards rank a lift as a multiple of bodyweight (multiple = 1RM / bodyweight) and place it on a scale from untrained to elite - a 120 kg squat at 80 kg bodyweight is 1.5x, a common intermediate marker for a male squat in widely-used community standards. This strength standards calculator works out that multiple for the squat, bench, deadlift or overhead press, names the level, and shows the exact weight needed for the next one.
What strength standards are - and what they are not.
Strength standards answer the question every lifter eventually asks: "is that good for my size?" Because absolute load means little without context, the convention is to express a lift as a multiple of bodyweight - multiple = 1RM / bodyweight - and compare it against benchmark thresholds for that lift and sex. This calculator uses the multiples that have become standard across the lifting community: for example, around 1.5x bodyweight as an intermediate male squat, 1x as an intermediate male bench press, and 2x as an intermediate male deadlift, with proportionally set bands for women and for the overhead press.
Be clear about the source: these are widely-used community reference points, not a scientific consensus. No study handed down these exact cutoffs, and individual context moves them a lot. Age, limb length, training history, injury history and sport all shift where a given lifter "should" be - a tall lifter with long femurs will look worse on the squat chart than their real strength level, and a masters athlete competes on a different curve entirely. The ladder is a map of the territory, not a grade.
You do not need a tested max to use it. Estimate the 1RM from a recent hard set with the one rep max calculator (Epley: 1RM = weight x (1 + reps / 30)) and feed the estimate in - the bands are coarse enough that an estimate places you correctly.
Turn the next-level gap into a 4-week goal
Paste the ranking, the current and next-level weights and the training age and the model sets a week-4 target inside a 2.5 percent weekly ceiling with the working percentages, and a one-line reason for the client; it is told not to change the thresholds. The block itself follows the one rep max calculator percentage table.
Turn the next-level gap into a 4-week goal
When to use it: At a phase review, when a client is close to the next level.
What to paste in: The ranking, the current and next-level weights, the training age, a client ID.
This strength standards calculator ranks a client's [LIFT] at [MULTIPLE]x bodyweight ([1RM] kg at [BODYWEIGHT] kg), level [LEVEL], with the next level at [NEXT MULTIPLE]x, which is [NEXT WEIGHT] kg (client ID [ID], no name, training age [YEARS]). Turn the gap to the next level into a 4-week goal: the target weight for week 4 (do not exceed a 2.5 percent weekly increase on the 1RM), the working percentages for each week from the calculator's table, and a one-line reason for the client. Do not change the ranking or the thresholds; do not add other lifts; ask me if the training age makes the gap unrealistic.
How much weight should I lift for my size?
Multiply your bodyweight by the standard for your level: for an 80 kg man the intermediate markers are a 120 kg squat (1.5x), 80 kg bench (1x) and 160 kg deadlift (2x); for a 60 kg woman, 75 kg, 45 kg and 90 kg. The table gives every lift and level at those two bodyweights using the thresholds this calculator runs; enter your own bodyweight and one rep max above for your exact rank and the number for the next level.
| Lift and bodyweight | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Squat, 80 kg man | 100 kg | 120 kg | 160 kg | 200 kg |
| Bench press, 80 kg man | 60 kg | 80 kg | 120 kg | 160 kg |
| Deadlift, 80 kg man | 120 kg | 160 kg | 200 kg | 240 kg |
| Overhead press, 80 kg man | 44 kg | 64 kg | 80 kg | 100 kg |
| Squat, 60 kg woman | 45 kg | 75 kg | 90 kg | 120 kg |
| Bench press, 60 kg woman | 30 kg | 45 kg | 60 kg | 75 kg |
| Deadlift, 60 kg woman | 60 kg | 90 kg | 120 kg | 150 kg |
| Overhead press, 60 kg woman | 21 kg | 30 kg | 45 kg | 60 kg |
Standards are bodyweight multiples, so a heavier lifter needs a heavier bar to reach the same level; they are community benchmarks, not medical or competition norms, as the section above explains.
Turning a level into the next training block.
For a coach, the level itself is the least interesting output. The useful part is the row below it: the exact weight the client needs for the next band. That number becomes the goal a block is written toward - a client at a 1.3x squat gets a block built to close the gap to 1.5x, loaded as percentages of their current max and nudged up as the estimate moves. The ladder also sets honest expectations in check-ins: novice-to-intermediate is months of work, intermediate-to-advanced is years, and saying so out loud keeps a client from judging a good month against an unrealistic chart.
The bottleneck is doing this per client. Running one lifter through a calculator is fine; re-deriving targets for thirty clients every time someone hits a PR is exactly the kind of admin that eats a coaching evening. In Coachway the coach sets the strength target on the client once, programs off it in the workout builder with per-set logging and PR tracking, and sees every client's progress toward their number from one tab - instead of a spreadsheet per client and six tools around it.
Set strength targets like this for every client at once - and see who is closing the gap.
No charge today - cancel anytime under Billing.Frequently asked questions.
What are strength standards?
Strength standards are benchmark bodyweight multiples for the main barbell lifts, used to place a lifter on a scale from untrained through novice, intermediate and advanced to elite. For example, a common intermediate marker for a male squat is around 1.5x bodyweight. They are widely-used community reference points, not a scientific consensus - useful for orientation, not for judgement.
How is a strength standard calculated?
Divide the one rep max by bodyweight: multiple = 1RM / bodyweight. A 120 kg squat at 80 kg bodyweight is a 1.5x multiple. That multiple is then compared against benchmark thresholds for the lift and sex to assign a level. Because it is a ratio, the math is identical in kilograms and pounds.
What is a good squat, bench or deadlift for my bodyweight?
Common community intermediate markers for men sit around a 1.5x bodyweight squat, 1x bench press and 2x deadlift; for women around 1.25x squat, 0.75x bench and 1.5x deadlift. Advanced and elite thresholds climb well beyond that. These are reference points from the wider lifting community - individual context always shifts them.
Are strength standards accurate for everyone?
No. Age, limb length, training history, injury history and sport all move the line, and the thresholds themselves are community conventions rather than the output of a specific study. A tall lifter with long femurs will squat "worse" than the chart implies at the same real strength level. Treat the levels as a rough map, not a verdict.
Do I need a tested 1RM to use strength standards?
No - an estimated 1RM from a recent hard set works fine, because the standards are coarse bands rather than precise cutoffs. Estimate the max with a one rep max calculator (Epley: 1RM = weight x (1 + reps / 30)) from a 3-to-5-rep set, then feed that number in here.
How do coaches use strength standards with clients?
Coaches use the level to set expectations and pick the next concrete target: the calculator shows the exact weight a client needs for the next band, which becomes the goal a training block is written toward. In coaching software the coach saves that target per client, programs off percentages of the current max, and updates it as the client progresses.
How much weight should I lift for my size?
Take your bodyweight and multiply it by the standard for the level you are aiming at: the intermediate markers this calculator uses are 1.5x bodyweight squat, 1x bench and 2x deadlift for men and 1.25x, 0.75x and 1.5x for women, so an 80 kg man targets 120, 80 and 160 kg and a 60 kg woman 75, 45 and 90 kg. The lookup table above lists every lift and level at those two bodyweights; the calculator gives your own.
Can ChatGPT set a strength goal from these standards?
It can turn the gap between the current level and the next into a four-week target with working percentages, if you paste the ranking and the two weights from this calculator and keep the weekly increase inside a ceiling. It cannot judge whether the client's technique is ready for the load, so the goal is a draft for you to confirm from the logs.
Strength standards are orientation, not a verdict - the thresholds are community conventions and individual context moves them. This tool is general fitness information, not medical advice.
Keep building the plan: estimate a max with the one rep max calculator, gauge set difficulty with the RPE calculator, and handle the nutrition side with the macro calculator. Then read our guide to software for strength and conditioning coaches.
Coaching clients? See the calculators built for coaches ->
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