Strength Standards: What's a Good Squat, Bench, Deadlift and Press by Bodyweight

Strength standards are benchmarks for how much you lift relative to your bodyweight: an intermediate lifter squats about 1.5x bodyweight, benches about 1x, deadlifts about 2x and strict presses about 0.75x. Find your lift below, see where you land, then click through to the full numbers by bodyweight.

Chasing these numbers? Train in something that holds up to the work. The Barbell Tee is 240 GSM, cut oversized so a loaded bar doesn't bind your shoulders.

Strength Standards at a Glance (Men, Raw, Multiples of Bodyweight)

Where a cell says n/a, the full post doesn't define that tier. These are population-based benchmarks, not hard cutoffs.

Strength Standards for Women

Squat Standards

A good squat for a trained man is about 1.5x bodyweight to full depth. Two times bodyweight is advanced. Depth matters: every number assumes hip crease below the top of the knee. Full squat standards: men, women, and is 225, 315 or 405 good?

Bench Press Standards

A good bench is your own bodyweight for a clean, full-range single. One and a quarter times is advanced. Under half your bodyweight means you just started. Full bench press standards by bodyweight

Deadlift Standards

A good deadlift lands around 1.5x bodyweight for a novice and 2x for an intermediate. Leverage matters more here than on any other lift, so expect wide variation at the same bodyweight. Full deadlift standards: men and women

Overhead Press Standards

A strict overhead press of 0.75x bodyweight is intermediate; pressing your own bodyweight overhead is advanced and takes most lifters years. Full overhead press standards

Where These Standards Come From

Tier labels come from population data on lifters who log their training: sites like Strength Level and Symmetric Strength, and published guides from BarBend and ExRx. Beginner means you just started loading the lift. Novice is a few months of consistent work. Intermediate is roughly one to three years of real training. Advanced is years of focused effort, and elite is competitive-level strength. The data skews toward people who track their lifts, so the true untrained average is lower than any chart shows.

Why Your Numbers Won't Match Exactly

• Leverage. Arm length and torso proportions change the deadlift and bench more than most people expect.
• Depth and range. A quarter squat or a bounced bench isn't on the chart.
• Bodyweight class. Multiples shrink as bodyweight climbs, so a heavy lifter's ratio looks smaller at the same relative effort.
• Training age. A year of consistent work beats five years of showing up and wandering.

More Standards

Bodyweight movements have their own benchmarks: what is a good pull-up, what is a good push-up number and what is a good dip. For your total across the big three, see what is a good powerlifting total. Want a timeline? Read how long it takes to bench 225, squat 315 and deadlift 405.

How to Use These Numbers

1. Divide, don't compare. Your lift divided by your bodyweight is the only number that matters here.
2. Be honest about depth and range. Film a set if you're not sure.
3. Watch the trend. A number that climbs month after month beats any label.
4. Add weight slowly. See how much weight to add to the bar.

These are general benchmarks, not medical advice. Sharp pain isn't toughness. Stop the set and get it checked.

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