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For an 80 kg man, benching 80 kg = Novice, squatting 130 kg = Intermediate, deadlifting 160 kg = Intermediate. For a 65 kg woman, benching 45 kg = Novice, squatting 75 kg = Intermediate, deadlifting 95 kg = Intermediate. Scroll down for full standards tables by bodyweight.
What Are Strength Levels?
Strength levels are a way to compare your lifts fairly against other people of the same bodyweight and gender. Raw numbers alone are misleading — a 100 kg bench press means something very different for a 60 kg person than a 120 kg person.
The five standard strength levels used across the lifting world are:
Beginner
Just started lifting or training inconsistently. Rapid gains available.
Novice
A few months of consistent training. Still on linear progression.
Intermediate
1–2 years of serious training. Solid foundation, top 30–40%.
Advanced
3–5+ years of dedicated training. Top 10% of lifters.
Elite
Competitive-level. Top 1–5% of all lifters worldwide.
These levels are built from data on thousands of real lifters and represent percentiles in the lifting population. Intermediate means you're stronger than roughly 60–70% of people who train regularly.
Find Your Exact Strength Level
Enter your lifts and bodyweight — get your percentile ranking and level for squat, bench, and deadlift in seconds.
Use the Strength Level Calculator →Bench Press Strength Standards
The bench press is the most commonly tested upper body lift. Standards are based on your best single-rep effort (1RM). If you're testing with reps, use our One-Rep Max Calculator to convert first.
Bench Press Standards — Men (kg)
| Bodyweight | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 kg | 37 kg | 55 kg | 80 kg | 107 kg | 135 kg |
| 70 kg | 43 kg | 64 kg | 91 kg | 121 kg | 154 kg |
| 80 kg | 49 kg | 73 kg | 103 kg | 135 kg | 170 kg |
| 90 kg | 54 kg | 81 kg | 113 kg | 148 kg | 185 kg |
| 100 kg | 59 kg | 88 kg | 122 kg | 159 kg | 199 kg |
Bench Press Standards — Women (kg)
| Bodyweight | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 kg | 18 kg | 28 kg | 42 kg | 58 kg | 76 kg |
| 60 kg | 21 kg | 33 kg | 49 kg | 67 kg | 88 kg |
| 70 kg | 24 kg | 38 kg | 55 kg | 75 kg | 98 kg |
| 80 kg | 27 kg | 42 kg | 61 kg | 83 kg | 107 kg |
Key insight: Most men who train regularly for a year can bench their bodyweight. If you're already there, you're at Novice–Intermediate level — better than most gym-goers.
Squat Strength Standards
The squat is typically the heaviest of the three main lifts for most people. Standards below are for a full squat to depth (hip crease below knee). Partial squats don't count.
Squat Standards — Men (kg)
| Bodyweight | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 kg | 50 kg | 80 kg | 110 kg | 145 kg | 183 kg |
| 70 kg | 57 kg | 92 kg | 128 kg | 167 kg | 209 kg |
| 80 kg | 64 kg | 103 kg | 143 kg | 187 kg | 233 kg |
| 90 kg | 71 kg | 113 kg | 157 kg | 205 kg | 255 kg |
| 100 kg | 77 kg | 123 kg | 169 kg | 220 kg | 275 kg |
Squat Standards — Women (kg)
| Bodyweight | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 kg | 28 kg | 46 kg | 67 kg | 91 kg | 118 kg |
| 60 kg | 33 kg | 54 kg | 78 kg | 106 kg | 137 kg |
| 70 kg | 37 kg | 61 kg | 88 kg | 119 kg | 154 kg |
| 80 kg | 42 kg | 68 kg | 97 kg | 131 kg | 170 kg |
Deadlift Strength Standards
The deadlift is almost always the heaviest lift. If your deadlift is significantly lower than your squat, that's unusual and worth addressing. Most people deadlift 20–30% more than they squat.
Deadlift Standards — Men (kg)
| Bodyweight | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 kg | 60 kg | 95 kg | 130 kg | 168 kg | 210 kg |
| 70 kg | 70 kg | 110 kg | 150 kg | 194 kg | 241 kg |
| 80 kg | 80 kg | 123 kg | 168 kg | 218 kg | 270 kg |
| 90 kg | 88 kg | 136 kg | 185 kg | 239 kg | 296 kg |
| 100 kg | 95 kg | 147 kg | 200 kg | 258 kg | 319 kg |
Deadlift Standards — Women (kg)
| Bodyweight | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 kg | 38 kg | 62 kg | 88 kg | 117 kg | 150 kg |
| 60 kg | 44 kg | 72 kg | 103 kg | 137 kg | 175 kg |
| 70 kg | 50 kg | 82 kg | 116 kg | 155 kg | 198 kg |
| 80 kg | 56 kg | 91 kg | 129 kg | 171 kg | 218 kg |
What Affects Your Strength Level?
Before you judge your numbers, understand what shapes them:
- Training age: How long you've trained consistently matters more than anything. The first 1–2 years produce the fastest strength gains of your life.
- Bodyweight: Heavier people can generally lift more total weight, which is why standards adjust for it. But lighter lifters often have better relative strength.
- Gender: Men and women have different hormonal profiles affecting muscle mass. Women's standards are separate — not lower, just different.
- Genetics and limb length: Long femurs make squats harder. Long arms make deadlifts easier. These aren't excuses — they're real biomechanical differences that affect which lifts you'll naturally excel at.
- Sleep and nutrition: You can train perfectly and still stall if you're sleeping 5 hours or under-eating protein. Strength is built outside the gym too.
- Program quality: Random workouts produce random results. A structured program with progressive overload beats any "bro split" every time.
Simple Bodyweight Ratios — A Quick Check
If you don't want to use a table, these bodyweight multipliers give a fast rough estimate of your level:
| Level | Bench (Men) | Squat (Men) | Deadlift (Men) | Bench (Women) | Squat (Women) | Deadlift (Women) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 0.5× BW | 0.75× BW | 1.0× BW | 0.3× BW | 0.5× BW | 0.75× BW |
| Novice | 0.75× BW | 1.25× BW | 1.5× BW | 0.5× BW | 0.75× BW | 1.0× BW |
| Intermediate | 1.25× BW | 1.75× BW | 2.0× BW | 0.75× BW | 1.25× BW | 1.5× BW |
| Advanced | 1.75× BW | 2.25× BW | 2.5× BW | 1.0× BW | 1.75× BW | 2.0× BW |
| Elite | 2.25× BW | 2.75× BW | 3.0× BW | 1.5× BW | 2.25× BW | 2.5× BW |
Example: You weigh 80 kg and deadlift 190 kg. 190 ÷ 80 = 2.375. That's between Advanced and Elite — you're very strong.
How to Move Up a Strength Level
The fastest path from Beginner to Novice: pick a simple 3-day program (Starting Strength, StrongLifts 5×5, GZCLP) and add weight every session. Eat enough protein. Sleep 7–9 hours. The gains come faster than you think.
Novice to Intermediate takes longer — usually 1–2 years. You need to be intentional: structured programs with weekly progression (like 5/3/1 or Texas Method), prioritizing your weakest lift, and being consistent through plateaus.
Intermediate to Advanced is where most lifters stall. Progress slows significantly and requires periodization — distinct training phases for building volume, then intensity, then peaking. Most people benefit from a coach or a well-designed program like GZCL or Sheiko at this stage.
Check Your Exact Level Right Now
Enter your lifts into our free calculator — get your strength level, percentile ranking, and personalized training recommendation.
Calculate My Strength Level →Frequently Asked Questions
Compare your squat, bench press, and deadlift to the strength standards tables above, adjusted for your bodyweight and gender. A quick benchmark for men: benching your bodyweight = Novice, squatting 1.5× bodyweight = Intermediate, deadlifting 2× bodyweight = Intermediate. Use the Strength Level Calculator for an exact percentile ranking.
For an 80 kg man: Bench press 100 kg = Intermediate (top 30-40%). Squat 140 kg = Intermediate. Deadlift 160 kg = Intermediate. Reaching these puts you well ahead of the average gym-goer. Advanced level requires bench 135 kg, squat 187 kg, deadlift 218 kg at 80 kg bodyweight.
For a 65 kg woman: Bench press 50 kg = Intermediate. Squat 82 kg = Intermediate. Deadlift 110 kg = Intermediate. These numbers put you in the top 30–40% of women who lift consistently. Advanced level requires bench 72 kg, squat 113 kg, deadlift 146 kg at 65 kg bodyweight.
Yes — for men, benching your bodyweight for one rep puts you at Novice–Intermediate level. Most people who go to the gym never reach this milestone. For women, the equivalent benchmark is benching 0.75× bodyweight. Either way, it's a worthy goal that requires real, consistent training to achieve.
Beginner to Novice: 3–6 months of consistent training. Novice to Intermediate: 1–2 years. Intermediate to Advanced: 3–5 years. Advanced to Elite: 5–10+ years. The first year produces the fastest gains of your lifting life — progress slows gradually as you become more advanced. Consistency is the single biggest factor.
Peak strength is typically between 25–35 years old. After 40, untrained people lose 1–2% of strength per year. But consistent lifters maintain impressive strength well into their 50s and 60s. If you're over 40 and still hitting Intermediate standards, that's genuinely impressive. Some calculators (including ours) have age-adjusted standards if you want a more precise comparison.