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Average bench press for men and women

Pick your sex, bodyweight and, if you like, your age group. You get the median bench press of raw powerlifting competitors your size, the range the middle half of them bench, and the median for your age. Across all bodyweights the median is 125 kg (276 lb) for men and 60 kg (132 lb) for women.

Sex
Unit

Example result

Median bench press, men 75–82.5 kg

120kg

The middle half of raw competitors, men 75–82.5 kg bench between 102.5 kg and 135 kg.

Bench press percentiles, men 75–82.5 kg
  • 102.5 kg25th
  • 120 kgMedian
  • 135 kg75th
  • 150 kg90th
  • 159 kg95th
Median bench press by bodyweight, raw competitors (men)
BodyweightMedianMiddle half
up to 60 kg72.5 kg55 kg – 90 kg
60–67.5 kg95 kg80 kg – 112.5 kg
67.5–75 kg110 kg92.5 kg – 125 kg
75–82.5 kg120 kg102.5 kg – 135 kg
82.5–90 kg125 kg110 kg – 142.5 kg
90–100 kg135 kg117.5 kg – 152.5 kg
100–110 kg145 kg125 kg – 162.5 kg
110–125 kg152 kg127.5 kg – 175 kg
over 125 kg160 kg132.5 kg – 185 kg
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Average bench press by weight: men and women

The median best bench press of raw powerlifting competitors in every bodyweight class, in kg, in lb and as a multiple of bodyweight.

Bodyweight classMedian (kg)Median (lb)× bodyweight
Men, up to 60 kg / up to 132 lb72.51601.29×
Men, 60–67.5 kg / 132–149 lb952091.48×
Men, 67.5–75 kg / 149–165 lb1102431.50×
Men, 75–82.5 kg / 165–182 lb1202651.48×
Men, 82.5–90 kg / 182–198 lb1252761.44×
Men, 90–100 kg / 198–220 lb1352981.42×
Men, 100–110 kg / 220–243 lb1453201.37×
Men, 110–125 kg / 243–276 lb1523351.29×
Men, over 125 kg / over 276 lb1603531.13×
Women, up to 48 kg / up to 106 lb40880.89×
Women, 48–52 kg / 106–115 lb501100.96×
Women, 52–57 kg / 115–126 lb52.51160.95×
Women, 57–63 kg / 126–139 lb551210.93×
Women, 63–69 kg / 139–152 lb601320.90×
Women, 69–76 kg / 152–168 lb62.51380.86×
Women, 76–84 kg / 168–185 lb62.51380.79×
Women, over 84 kg / over 185 lb67.51490.67×

Average bench press, four lifters

Different sizes, ages and units. The average gives a target; your own max decides the next session.

  • Example 1

    A 180 lb man

    A lifter at 180 lb who wants to know what an average bench looks like at his size.

    Sex
    Men
    Bodyweight
    180 lb
    Age
    Any age
    • Median bench press, men 165–182 lb265 lb

    The middle half of competitors his size bench between 226 and 298 lb. If his max is under 226 lb, that is his first target; the bench press standards calculator gives his exact percentile.

    Build a bench press session Open with these numbers

  • Example 2

    A woman in her late twenties

    A 135 lb lifter, aged 28, comparing herself by weight and by age.

    Sex
    Women
    Bodyweight
    135 lb
    Age
    24–34
    • Median bench press, women 126–139 lb121 lb
    • Median, women aged 24–34, all bodyweights138 lb

    Her class median is 121 lb; her age group's, pooling every bodyweight, is 138 lb. The bodyweight figure is the fairer comparison for her size.

    Build a bench press session Open with these numbers

  • Example 3

    A heavy lifter in his forties

    A 115 kg lifter, aged 44, curious how he stacks up.

    Sex
    Men
    Bodyweight
    115 kg
    Age
    40–49
    • Median bench press, men 110–125 kg152 kg
    • Median, men aged 40–49, all bodyweights135 kg

    Heavy competitors bench more in absolute terms, so his class median of 152 kg is well above the 135 kg median for his age group. Aim for his class's middle half, 127.5 to 175 kg.

    Build a bench press session Open with these numbers

  • Example 4

    Starting at 60-plus

    A 75 kg woman in her sixties, a year into lifting.

    Sex
    Women
    Bodyweight
    75 kg
    Age
    60+
    • Median bench press, women 69–76 kg62.5 kg
    • Median, women aged 60+, all bodyweights45 kg

    Her class median, 62.5 kg, is set mostly by younger lifters. Women 60 and over have a median of 45 kg, a nearer target. Bench with a spotter or safety pins and add small jumps.

    Build a bench press session Open with these numbers

Average bench press for men

The median raw male competitor benches 125 kg (276 lb), at a median bodyweight of 87.5 kg. By class, the median rises from 95 kg (209 lb) at 60 to 67.5 kg (132 to 149 lb) to 160 kg (353 lb) over 125 kg (276 lb).

As a multiple of bodyweight, the median man in the classes from 60 to 100 kg benches about 1.42 to 1.50 times his weight. These are raw powerlifting competitors, a stronger-than-average group: their median is a target, not a baseline.

Average bench press for women

The median raw female competitor benches 60 kg (132 lb), at a median bodyweight of 67 kg. By class, the median rises from 50 kg (110 lb) at 48 to 52 kg (106 to 115 lb) to 67.5 kg (149 lb) over 84 kg (185 lb).

Women bench a smaller share of bodyweight than men: the median woman from 48 to 69 kg benches 0.90 to 0.96 times her weight. Compare a woman's bench with the women's rows of the chart, never with men's numbers.

Average bench press by age

The median is highest for competitors aged 24 to 39 and declines after 40: for men, 140 kg (309 lb) at 35 to 39, 122.5 kg (270 lb) at 50 to 59 and 97.5 kg (215 lb) at 60 and over. These groups pool every bodyweight.

Median bench press by age, raw powerlifting competitors, all bodyweights (OpenPowerlifting)
AgeMedianMiddle half
Men, 18–23121 kg (267 lb)105 kg (231 lb) to 140 kg (309 lb)
Men, 24–34137.5 kg (303 lb)117.5 kg (259 lb) to 157.5 kg (347 lb)
Men, 35–39140 kg (309 lb)117.5 kg (259 lb) to 164 kg (362 lb)
Men, 40–49135 kg (298 lb)114 kg (251 lb) to 157.5 kg (347 lb)
Men, 50–59122.5 kg (270 lb)102.5 kg (226 lb) to 142.5 kg (314 lb)
Men, 60+97.5 kg (215 lb)80 kg (176 lb) to 117.5 kg (259 lb)
Women, 18–2360 kg (132 lb)50 kg (110 lb) to 70 kg (154 lb)
Women, 24–3462.5 kg (138 lb)52.5 kg (116 lb) to 75 kg (165 lb)
Women, 35–3962.5 kg (138 lb)52.5 kg (116 lb) to 75 kg (165 lb)
Women, 40–4960 kg (132 lb)50 kg (110 lb) to 72.5 kg (160 lb)
Women, 50–5955 kg (121 lb)47 kg (104 lb) to 65 kg (143 lb)
Women, 60+45 kg (99 lb)37.5 kg (83 lb) to 55 kg (121 lb)

Bench press technique

The lift these averages describe

Barbell Bench Press

Chest

Every number on this page is a full competition-style rep. To compare your own bench fairly, test it the same way: bar to the chest, hips on the bench, elbows locked at the top.

How to do it

  1. Lie on the bench with your eyes just under the bar and plant your feet flat, a little wider than your hips.
  2. Pull your shoulder blades together and down into the bench, keeping a small arch in your lower back with your glutes on the pad.
  3. Grip the bar a little wider than shoulder width and lift it out so it sits over your shoulders.
  4. Lower the bar under control to your lower chest, elbows about 45 degrees from your sides.
  5. Touch your chest without bouncing, then press up and slightly back toward the hooks.

Cues

  • Shoulder blades pinned
  • Elbows at 45 degrees
  • Touch, then press

Common mistakes

  • Bouncing the bar off the chest, which adds pounds the muscles didn't earn.
  • Lifting the hips to finish a rep: that rep doesn't count toward a max.

Full bench press guide

Make it fit you

  • Find your own max first

    Estimate it from a hard set of 3 to 8 reps with the bench press calculator, then compare it with the median here.

  • Rank it, don't just compare

    The bench press standards calculator turns your max into a percentile and shows the load for the next milestone.

  • Choose the comparison that fits

    Bodyweight class is the fairer comparison for most lifters. Age groups help most past 50, where the class medians are set mostly by younger lifters.

  • Read the middle half as normal

    Anywhere between the 25th and 75th percentile is typical for a competitor your size. Below it is a starting point, not a verdict.

Questions

What is the average bench press for men?

Among raw powerlifting competitors, the median man benches 125 kg (276 lb). At 75 to 82.5 kg (165 to 182 lb) it is 120 kg (265 lb), and at 90 to 100 kg (198 to 220 lb) 135 kg (298 lb).

What is the average bench press for women?

Among raw powerlifting competitors, the median woman benches 60 kg (132 lb). At 57 to 63 kg (126 to 139 lb) it is 55 kg (121 lb), and at 69 to 76 kg (152 to 168 lb) 62.5 kg (138 lb).

What is the average bench press for a 180 lb man?

A 180 lb man falls in the 75 to 82.5 kg class, where the median competitor benches 120 kg (265 lb) and the middle half benches 102.5 kg (226 lb) to 135 kg (298 lb).

What is the average bench press for a 40-year-old man?

Among raw male competitors aged 40 to 49, all bodyweights pooled, the median bench is 135 kg (298 lb). Pick your age group in the calculator to see it next to your bodyweight class.

Is the average gym-goer this strong?

No. These are raw powerlifting competitors, people who trained for and finished a meet, so the averages here are higher than for everyone who lifts.

How do I know if my bench is good?

Enter your max in the bench press standards calculator. It places you among competitors your size and tells you how far the next milestone is.

Sources

Get past average

Log load, reps and RIR on every bench set and RIRLift keeps your estimated bench max current, then sets the loads for your next session.

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