How Much Weight Can the Average Man Lift, Including Bench Press, Deadlift and Squat?
“Average” is a tricky word when it comes to weight lifting. Fitness level, body type, and exercise experience make for a lot of variation. But weight-lifting standards can help you get a grasp on roughly how much weight a typical man can lift.
Beyond the bench press, you can also take a look at the current men’s standards for tried-and-true tests of strength, such as the deadlift and squat. These numbers help paint a broader picture of how much weight the average American man is able to lift at different fitness experience levels.
What Are Strength Standards for Men?
Keep in mind that NASM’s national standards for different lifts are averages. Your personal records will depend on several factors, including your body weight and experience level.
Strength standards are organized into experience categories, ranging from “untrained” to “elite.”
Why Is Body Weight a Factor?
In the lifting world, there are two main measurements of strength: relative and absolute.
For example, if a 185-pound (lb) person and a 225-lb person can lift the same amount of weight, they have the same absolute strength, but the 185-lb person has greater relative strength.
Bench Press Standards for Men by Body Weight
According to researchers, those who had higher max loads for the bench press also lifted more weight for at least four other exercises. These included the hammer curl, barbell biceps curl, overhead triceps extension, and dumbbell shoulder press.
Use the chart below to get an idea of how you compare to the national average for the bench press.
National Bench Press Standards by Body Weight
| Body Weight | Untrained | Novice | Intermediate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 148 lb | 110 lb | 140 lb | 170 lb |
| 165 lb | 120 lb | 150 lb | 185 lb |
| 181 lb | 130 lb | 165 lb | 200 lb |
| 198 lb | 135 lb | 175 lb | 215 lb |
| 220 lb | 140 lb | 185 lb | 225 lb |
| 242 lb | 145 lb | 190 lb | 230 lb |
| 275 lb | 150 lb | 195 lb | 240 lb |
| 319 lb | 155 lb | 200 lb | 245 lb |
| 320 lb | 160 lb | 205 lb | 250 lb |
Source(s): ExRx.net: “Bench Press Strength Standards”
Deadlift Standards for Men by Body Weight
Deadlifting has many benefits, like strengthening your glutes, legs, and back.
National Deadlift Standards by Body Weight
| Body Weight | Untrained | Novice | Intermediate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 148 lb | 125 lb | 235 lb | 270 lb |
| 165 lb | 135 lb | 255 lb | 295 lb |
| 181 lb | 150 lb | 275 lb | 315 lb |
| 198 lb | 155 lb | 290 lb | 335 lb |
| 220 lb | 165 lb | 305 lb | 350 lb |
| 242 lb | 170 lb | 320 lb | 365 lb |
| 275 lb | 175 lb | 325 lb | 375 lb |
| 319 lb | 180 lb | 335 lb | 380 lb |
| 320 lb | 185 lb | 340 lb | 390 lb |
Source(s): ExRx.net: “Deadlift Strength Standards”
Squat Standards for Men by Body Weight
National Squat Standards by Body Weight
| Body Weight | Untrained | Novice | Intermediate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 148 lb | 100 lb | 190 lb | 230 lb |
| 165 lb | 110 lb | 205 lb | 250 lb |
| 181 lb | 120 lb | 220 lb | 270 lb |
| 198 lb | 125 lb | 230 lb | 285 lb |
| 220 lb | 130 lb | 245 lb | 300 lb |
| 242 lb | 135 lb | 255 lb | 310 lb |
| 275 lb | 140 lb | 260 lb | 320 lb |
| 319 lb | 145 lb | 270 lb | 325 lb |
| 320 lb | 150 lb | 275 lb | 330 lb |
Source(s): ExRx.net: “Squat Strength Standards”
Overhead Press Standards for Men by Body Weight
Shoulder presses help build upper-body strength and core stability and can even help improve your overall posture.
National Overhead Press Standards by Body Weight
| Body Weight | Untrained | Novice | Intermediate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 148 lb | 70 lb | 95 lb | 120 lb |
| 165 lb | 75 lb | 100 lb | 130 lb |
| 181 lb | 80 lb | 110 lb | 140 lb |
| 198 lb | 85 lb | 115 lb | 145 lb |
| 220 lb | 90 lb | 120 lb | 155 lb |
| 242 lb | 95 lb | 125 lb | 160 lb |
| 275 lb | 95 lb | 130 lb | 165 lb |
| 319 lb | 100 lb | 135 lb | 170 lb |
| 320 lb | 100 lb | 140 lb | 175 lb |
Source(s): ExRx.net: “Press Strength Standards”
Beyond Average: World Records
These are the current world records for the clean and jerk.
- 55-kg (121-lb) weight class: 366 lb, Yun Om (People’s Republic of Korea), 2019
- 61-kg (134-lb) weight class: 388 lb, Hampton Morris (USA), 2024
- 67-kg (148-lb) weight class: 419 lb, Won Ju Ri (People’s Republic of Korea), 2024
- 73-kg (161-lb) weight class: 452 lb, Rahmat Abdullah (Indonesia), 2025
- 81-kg (179-lb) weight class: 461 lb, Rahmat Abdullah (Indonesia), 2023
- 96-kg (212-lb) weight class: 509 lb, Tian Tao (China), 2019
- 109-kg (240-lb) weight class: 533 lb, Ruslan Nurudinov (Uzbekistan), 2024
These are the current world records for the snatch.
- 61-kg (134-lb) weight class: 322 lb, Fabin Li (China), 2024
- 67-kg (148-lb) weight class: 342 lb, Minhao Huang (China), 2019
- 73-kg (161-lb) weight class: 371 lb, Zhiyong Shi (China), 2021
- 81-kg (179-lb) weight class: 386 lb, Dayin Li (China), 2021
- 96-kg (212-lb) weight class: 414 lb, Karlos Nasar (Bulgaria), 2025
- 109-kg (240-lb) weight class: 441 lb, Zhe Yang (China), 2021
The Takeaway
- Strength standards for men are based on the maximum weight lifted for a single repetition, or one-rep max (1RM).
- Your one-rep max will vary depending on factors like your fitness level, body weight, and experience.
- Charts with weight-lifting standards for different exercises can help you estimate how much a typical man can lift.
- One Rep (1RM) Calculator. National Academy of Sports Medicine.
- Technical and Competition Rules and Regulations. International Weightlifting Federation. June 1, 2025.
- Schoenfeld BJ et al. Loading Recommendations for Muscle Strength, Hypertrophy, and Local Endurance: A Re-Examination of the Repetition Continuum. Sports. February 22, 2021.
- Wong DP. Using Bench Press Load to Predict Upper Body Exercise Loads in Physically Active Individuals. Journal of Sports Science & Medicine. March 1, 2013.
- Body Measurements. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. June 26, 2025.
- Bench Press Strength Standards (Ages 18–39, lb). ExRx.net.
- Deadlift Strength Standards (Ages 18–39, lb). ExRx.net.
- Wu D et al. Heavy Load Chain Squats: a Promising Method for Enhancing Lower Extremity Explosive Strength via Post-Activation Performance Enhancement. Frontiers in Physiology. June 17, 2025.
- Squat Strength Standards (Ages 18–39, lb). ExRx.net.
- Press Strength Standards (Ages 18–39, lb). ExRx.net.
Kara Andrew, RDN, LDN
Medical Reviewer
Kara Andrew, RDN, LDN, is the director of health promotion for Memorial Hospital in Carthage, Illinois. She is also licensed as an exercise physiologist and certified in lifestyle medicine by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. Her experience includes corporate wellness, teaching for the American College of Sports Medicine, sports nutrition, weight management, integrative medicine, oncology support, and dialysis.
She earned her master's in exercise and nutrition science at Lipscomb University.
Andrew has served as a president and board member of the Nashville Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She was recently elected a co-chair of the fitness and medicine group in the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.
Dan Ketchum
Author
In addition to fitness experience including USFCA fencing discipline, stage combat, track and equestrian training, Dan has contributed health and fitness-oriented content to AZCentral, SportsRec, JillianMichaels.com, ModernMom, The Nest and more.