The Average Weight for Barbell Shoulder Presses. A woman who weighs 132 pounds, for example, should be able to lift significantly more weight during the bench press than a lighter woman. Toronto-based journalist William McCoy has been writing since 1997, specializing in topics such as sports, nutrition and health.
He serves as the Studio's sports and recreation section expert. Go Beyond Average If you miss or just hit the average mark, Durkin has your power pointers. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: How Much Physical Activity Do Adults Need? You might have wandered over to the bench at your gym and pressed a perfectly respectable 80 pounds on your first try. But youre not sure how that compares with what you should be capable of. Dont settle for average. If you weigh 165 pounds, for example, and are an intermediate lifter with around two years of experience, you can expect to hit the bench standard of 100 pounds if you are older than 40, 90 pounds if you are older than 50, and 65 pounds if you are in your 60s. An elite lifter -- one who competes in strength competitions -- can lift right around her body weight, or a bit more. In Strength Training for Women, trainer Lori Incledon explains the importance of measuring strength relative to your body weight. Still, its worth continuing to perform upper-body strength moves such as the bench press, especially as you get older. With that info in hand or your own stats in mind you can pop on over to the National Strength and Conditioning Association-approved ExRx.net official Bench Press Standards chart. ", Read more: 10 Upper-Body Exercise Swaps to Amp Up Your Results. Read more: 9 Essential Strength Benchmarks for Men. Lower the bar until it lightly touches your chest. All rights reserved. But don't get too bent out of shape over numbers. ", Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: "National Center for Health Statistics: Body Measurements", Journal of Applied Physiology: "Neither Load nor Systemic Hormones Determine Resistance Training-Mediated Hypertrophy or Strength Gains in Resistance-trained Young Men". Greater strength equates to longevity, Kilgore notes, based on studies reported in medical journals. The weight that the average female can bench press depends not only on her body weight, but also her experience with strength training. For example, an elite 97-pound woman can bench 115 pounds, and an elite 198-pound woman can bench 205. Thus normative values of how much the average female can bench press help quantify whether you really qualify as strong or not. Warm up with presses. As you get older, estimates for your bench press maximum tend to drift downward. Then compare how you did to the average guy in the 3RM bench chart above. Women who have relatively low body weight often can't bench press as much weight as those who are bigger and stronger. At a novice or intermediate level, she should be able to press 65 or 75 pounds, respectively. And if you fall flat, try Durkins bench-press-boosting advice to push past your plateau. Being able to press at least your body weightor a good portion of itabove your chest proves to all fellow men that youre hitting the mark in the gym. Instead of performing the move from start to finish, take 5 to 7 seconds to lower the bar to your chest. One question that will always be heard around the gym: How much do you bench? How Much Should You Weigh for Pro Bodybuilding? A 181-pound woman without any weight-training experience should be able to bench press 85 pounds, on average. Read more: 4 Signs You're Ready to Lift Heavier Weights. For a 198-pound man a very close match for the national average who has no experience benching whatsoever, ExRx.net places the standard at 135 pounds.
Going back to Phillips, his findings published as a study in the Journal of Applied Physiology in July 2016 reveal that lifting three sets of weight at 30 percent of your one-rep maximum (the amount of weight you can lift, at most, for a single repetition) actually makes for more muscle gains than lifting at 80 percent of your maximum. American Council on Exercise: Barbell Bench Press, MayoClinic.com: Weight Training: Improve Your Muscular Fitness, American Council on Exercise: Strength Training 101. For most guys, they fail in one of two places: when attempting to move the weight off of their chests at the bottom of the move or when trying to straighten their arms like the couple inches at the top of the move, he says. For a woman who weighs 181 pounds, the average weight of her bench press is expected to be substantially heavier than that of a lighter woman. Even if you weigh less than 100 pounds, you can work your way up to benching north of 260 -- emulating Justina Kozdryk of Poland. At the advanced level, the number is 290 pounds. On your fourth set, choose a heavy weight that you can bench for only 3 reps in a row. Perform 3 sets, increasing the load 10 to 15 percent each set, and resting for 1 to 2 minutes between each set. According to ExRx.net, a woman who weighs 97 pounds and is untrained in the exercise should be able to press 50 pounds. The bench press is important for bragging rights, but its also one of the greatest measures of overall upper-body strength, says Todd Durkin, C.S.C.S., author of The IMPACT! If you are completely untrained, you should be able to press 80 pounds on a first try, according to metrics for women under age 40 developed by powerlifter Len Kilgore. While Swanson holds the overall poundage record, Laura Phelps-Sweatt has lifted the highest multiple of her body weight, benching 530 pounds when she weighed 163 pounds, or 3.25 times her body weight. Youll measure your strength and pushing power without running the risk of injury that comes along with a 1-rep max test, he says. The amount you can bench press increases in proportion to your body weight. Body Plan, and owner of FitnessQuest10 in San Diego.
At the advanced or elite level, the average weight she should be able to press is about 95 or 115 pounds. That jumps up to 175 for a novice and 215 for an intermediate lifter. Lie on your back on the weight bench with the barbell roughly at eye level. Then have your spotter assist you in pressing the bar back up to the top. How Much Should a Person at 40 Years Old Bench Press? Plant your feet firmly on the floor and tighten your abs. We may earn a commission through links on our site. For an intermediately experienced woman of average weight, the standard is 115 pounds, or 145 pounds for an advanced lifter. You may never come close to the 600 pounds that womens world record holder Becca Swanson benched -- 2.5 times her body weight. That means you can use a higher amount of weight to build strength and power throughout the movement, eliminating your sticking points over time, explains Durkin. As kinesiology professor Stuart Phillips told the Chicago Tribune in a July 2012 interview, "Consistent practice combined with good nutrition and practicing good form and working to fatigue no matter what the load is what makes up the majority of results.". With a novice, intermediate, advanced or elite level of weight training, her average bench press weight should be about 85, 95, 125 and 150 pounds respectively. A Trainer Shared His Top Tip for Bicep Workouts, Noah Schnapp Confirms Will Byers' Sexuality, 34 Gifts Your Groomsmen Will Actually Keep, This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. Many people use the bench press exercise as an overall measure of upper-body strength, but even if you have no aspirations of becoming a bodybuilder, this exercise is useful. In addition to building stronger muscles, the bench press and other strength-training exercises contribute to greater connective tissue strength, which can limit risk of injury during many activities. An award-winning writer and editor, Rogue Parrish has worked at the Washington Post, the Baltimore Sun and at newspapers from England to Alaska. If you're looking to lift heavier, make sure you have a spotter with you. A woman's experience with lifting weights also influences how much average weight she can lift. This world adventurer and travel book author, who graduates summa cum laude in journalism from the University of Maryland, specializes in travel and food -- as well as sports and fitness. What Is a Good Max for Bench Pressing for a Cornerback? McCoy is a journalism graduate of Ryerson University. Knowing the bench-pressing standards is just the start of the discussion. You need to strengthen the weakest parts of your lifts with eccentric training.. THE AVERAGE GUYS 3RM BENCHAge Total (weight)20-29 100% of your bodyweight30-39 90% of your bodyweight40-49 80% of your bodyweight50-59 75% of your bodyweight. What Are Good Dumbbell Weights to Start Bench Pressing With? In other words, check your ego at the door. As a woman's body weight increases, so too should her strength. When it comes to figuring out exactly how much you should be able to bench for your age, Durkin suggests testing your 3-rep maximum (3RM) over your 1-rep maximum (1RM). With additional experience, generally a year or two at each level, you can bench 95 pounds as a novice, 105 pounds as an intermediate, 145 pounds as an advanced lifter and 185 pounds as an elite lifter. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io, This Simple Drill Builds Forearm Strength, This Outdoor Lunge Series Builds Your Legs, A Physical Therapist's Tips for a Better Deadlift, Trainer Shares How to Deadlift for Hamstring Gains, Apply for Our Strength In Diversity Program Here, Men's Health Knows There Is Strength in Diversity, Marcus Filly Ends Arm Day With This KB Finisher, The EZ Bar Incline Row Lets You Lift Heavy, A Strength Coach Ranked All the Glutes Exercises. Do this: With a spotter, load up a barbell with weight that is 10 to 20 percent heavier than your 3RM. Its versatility allows you to perform it with a variety of means of resistance, and beyond strengthening your pecs, it also builds muscle in your shoulders and arms. Do this for 4 to 6 weeks before testing your 3RM again. 2019 www.azcentral.com. In his Chicago Tribune interview, the professor lays his well-researched findings out flat: "I think a lot of the variables in a resistance training program rest, sets, loads and other variables are largely redundant in their capacity to bring about strength and (bigger muscles). On average, a 132-pound woman new to weight training should be able to press 70 pounds. Center's for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics, ExRx.net official Bench Press Standards chart, 4 Signs You're Ready to Lift Heavier Weights, 10 Upper-Body Exercise Swaps to Amp Up Your Results, Chicago Tribune: "Light Lifting, Big Muscles? Unrack the bar and straighten your elbows. Does the Decline Close-Grip Bench Press Work the Triceps Better Than the Wide Grip? Ready to work on your bench press and possibly set a personal record? It's important to use proper form when bench pressing, not only for more accurate measures of your average bench press, but also to help prevent injury. By performing strength-training exercises such as the bench press -- regardless of overall strength -- a woman can augment her health in a variety of ways. If you stand around 5 feet, 4 inches tall and weigh 166 pounds, you meet the U.S. average for women over the age of 20 years old. Still, realistic norms for the womens bench press can help you tailor your goals to your experience level and other factors. Women of the same weight with novice, intermediate, advanced or elite levels of weight training should have average bench press weights of 110, 120, 160 and 195 pounds respectively.
The Ideal Weight and Body Fat Percentage for a 5' 4" Female. Few exercises stir up as much weight room bravado as the bench press sometimes, it feels like "How much do you bench?" Our product picks are editor-tested, expert-approved. Do 5 to 10 reps of a weight thats equal to half your body weight. Test YourselfMake sure you always have a spotter. And be sure to increase your weight incrementally so you don't hurt yourself. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Body Measurements, Lon Kilgore: Bench Press Strength Standards, Strength Training for Women; Lori Incledon, ExRx.net: Weightlifting Performance Standards, Privacy Notice/Your California Privacy Rights. Strength training can also heighten metabolism and improve self-image. Untrained lifters, for example, can generally bench about half their body weight -- 50 pounds for women weighing around 97 pounds, and 90 pounds for those weighing 198 pounds. Meanwhile, the average bench press standard for an untrained woman who weighs 165 pounds is a bench of 80 pounds, or 95 for a novice. Simply put, a 100-pound woman who can bench 150 pounds is twice as strong as a 200-pound woman who can do the same. Perform 3 sets of 3 to 5 reps, resting 2 to 3 minutes between sets. Though ExRx.net's chart serves as a handy rough guideline for fitness enthusiasts, newbies and trainers alike, knowing the average isn't the be-all and end-all. So while average figures can help you find a starting point or a barometer (and satisfy your natural curiosity about who's lifting what), it's essential to focus on the "your" when talking about your workout. Your muscles can handle more weight during the lowering portion of a move. Men's Pushup, Pullup, Squat, Deadlift and Bench Press Standards. is the gym equivalent to "Hi, what's your name?" And when you see that the world record for the bench press a whopping 739.6 pounds was set by Julius Maddox in September 2019, it's hard not to wonder how you compare. Get to the weight room, consistently practice, work to fatigue this is 80 percent of the job. As of 2017, the most recent data from the Center's for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics puts the average American woman's weight at 170.5 pounds, while the average male clocks in at 197.8 pounds. Boost your bench with this training technique.
She's also a property manager and writes on DIY projects. Men's Health participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.
He serves as the Studio's sports and recreation section expert. Go Beyond Average If you miss or just hit the average mark, Durkin has your power pointers. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: How Much Physical Activity Do Adults Need? You might have wandered over to the bench at your gym and pressed a perfectly respectable 80 pounds on your first try. But youre not sure how that compares with what you should be capable of. Dont settle for average. If you weigh 165 pounds, for example, and are an intermediate lifter with around two years of experience, you can expect to hit the bench standard of 100 pounds if you are older than 40, 90 pounds if you are older than 50, and 65 pounds if you are in your 60s. An elite lifter -- one who competes in strength competitions -- can lift right around her body weight, or a bit more. In Strength Training for Women, trainer Lori Incledon explains the importance of measuring strength relative to your body weight. Still, its worth continuing to perform upper-body strength moves such as the bench press, especially as you get older. With that info in hand or your own stats in mind you can pop on over to the National Strength and Conditioning Association-approved ExRx.net official Bench Press Standards chart. ", Read more: 10 Upper-Body Exercise Swaps to Amp Up Your Results. Read more: 9 Essential Strength Benchmarks for Men. Lower the bar until it lightly touches your chest. All rights reserved. But don't get too bent out of shape over numbers. ", Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: "National Center for Health Statistics: Body Measurements", Journal of Applied Physiology: "Neither Load nor Systemic Hormones Determine Resistance Training-Mediated Hypertrophy or Strength Gains in Resistance-trained Young Men". Greater strength equates to longevity, Kilgore notes, based on studies reported in medical journals. The weight that the average female can bench press depends not only on her body weight, but also her experience with strength training. For example, an elite 97-pound woman can bench 115 pounds, and an elite 198-pound woman can bench 205. Thus normative values of how much the average female can bench press help quantify whether you really qualify as strong or not. Warm up with presses. As you get older, estimates for your bench press maximum tend to drift downward. Then compare how you did to the average guy in the 3RM bench chart above. Women who have relatively low body weight often can't bench press as much weight as those who are bigger and stronger. At a novice or intermediate level, she should be able to press 65 or 75 pounds, respectively. And if you fall flat, try Durkins bench-press-boosting advice to push past your plateau. Being able to press at least your body weightor a good portion of itabove your chest proves to all fellow men that youre hitting the mark in the gym. Instead of performing the move from start to finish, take 5 to 7 seconds to lower the bar to your chest. One question that will always be heard around the gym: How much do you bench? How Much Should You Weigh for Pro Bodybuilding? A 181-pound woman without any weight-training experience should be able to bench press 85 pounds, on average. Read more: 4 Signs You're Ready to Lift Heavier Weights. For a 198-pound man a very close match for the national average who has no experience benching whatsoever, ExRx.net places the standard at 135 pounds.
Going back to Phillips, his findings published as a study in the Journal of Applied Physiology in July 2016 reveal that lifting three sets of weight at 30 percent of your one-rep maximum (the amount of weight you can lift, at most, for a single repetition) actually makes for more muscle gains than lifting at 80 percent of your maximum. American Council on Exercise: Barbell Bench Press, MayoClinic.com: Weight Training: Improve Your Muscular Fitness, American Council on Exercise: Strength Training 101. For most guys, they fail in one of two places: when attempting to move the weight off of their chests at the bottom of the move or when trying to straighten their arms like the couple inches at the top of the move, he says. For a woman who weighs 181 pounds, the average weight of her bench press is expected to be substantially heavier than that of a lighter woman. Even if you weigh less than 100 pounds, you can work your way up to benching north of 260 -- emulating Justina Kozdryk of Poland. At the advanced level, the number is 290 pounds. On your fourth set, choose a heavy weight that you can bench for only 3 reps in a row. Perform 3 sets, increasing the load 10 to 15 percent each set, and resting for 1 to 2 minutes between each set. According to ExRx.net, a woman who weighs 97 pounds and is untrained in the exercise should be able to press 50 pounds. The bench press is important for bragging rights, but its also one of the greatest measures of overall upper-body strength, says Todd Durkin, C.S.C.S., author of The IMPACT! If you are completely untrained, you should be able to press 80 pounds on a first try, according to metrics for women under age 40 developed by powerlifter Len Kilgore. While Swanson holds the overall poundage record, Laura Phelps-Sweatt has lifted the highest multiple of her body weight, benching 530 pounds when she weighed 163 pounds, or 3.25 times her body weight. Youll measure your strength and pushing power without running the risk of injury that comes along with a 1-rep max test, he says. The amount you can bench press increases in proportion to your body weight. Body Plan, and owner of FitnessQuest10 in San Diego.
At the advanced or elite level, the average weight she should be able to press is about 95 or 115 pounds. That jumps up to 175 for a novice and 215 for an intermediate lifter. Lie on your back on the weight bench with the barbell roughly at eye level. Then have your spotter assist you in pressing the bar back up to the top. How Much Should a Person at 40 Years Old Bench Press? Plant your feet firmly on the floor and tighten your abs. We may earn a commission through links on our site. For an intermediately experienced woman of average weight, the standard is 115 pounds, or 145 pounds for an advanced lifter. You may never come close to the 600 pounds that womens world record holder Becca Swanson benched -- 2.5 times her body weight. That means you can use a higher amount of weight to build strength and power throughout the movement, eliminating your sticking points over time, explains Durkin. As kinesiology professor Stuart Phillips told the Chicago Tribune in a July 2012 interview, "Consistent practice combined with good nutrition and practicing good form and working to fatigue no matter what the load is what makes up the majority of results.". With a novice, intermediate, advanced or elite level of weight training, her average bench press weight should be about 85, 95, 125 and 150 pounds respectively. A Trainer Shared His Top Tip for Bicep Workouts, Noah Schnapp Confirms Will Byers' Sexuality, 34 Gifts Your Groomsmen Will Actually Keep, This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. Many people use the bench press exercise as an overall measure of upper-body strength, but even if you have no aspirations of becoming a bodybuilder, this exercise is useful. In addition to building stronger muscles, the bench press and other strength-training exercises contribute to greater connective tissue strength, which can limit risk of injury during many activities. An award-winning writer and editor, Rogue Parrish has worked at the Washington Post, the Baltimore Sun and at newspapers from England to Alaska. If you're looking to lift heavier, make sure you have a spotter with you. A woman's experience with lifting weights also influences how much average weight she can lift. This world adventurer and travel book author, who graduates summa cum laude in journalism from the University of Maryland, specializes in travel and food -- as well as sports and fitness. What Is a Good Max for Bench Pressing for a Cornerback? McCoy is a journalism graduate of Ryerson University. Knowing the bench-pressing standards is just the start of the discussion. You need to strengthen the weakest parts of your lifts with eccentric training.. THE AVERAGE GUYS 3RM BENCHAge Total (weight)20-29 100% of your bodyweight30-39 90% of your bodyweight40-49 80% of your bodyweight50-59 75% of your bodyweight. What Are Good Dumbbell Weights to Start Bench Pressing With? In other words, check your ego at the door. As a woman's body weight increases, so too should her strength. When it comes to figuring out exactly how much you should be able to bench for your age, Durkin suggests testing your 3-rep maximum (3RM) over your 1-rep maximum (1RM). With additional experience, generally a year or two at each level, you can bench 95 pounds as a novice, 105 pounds as an intermediate, 145 pounds as an advanced lifter and 185 pounds as an elite lifter. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io, This Simple Drill Builds Forearm Strength, This Outdoor Lunge Series Builds Your Legs, A Physical Therapist's Tips for a Better Deadlift, Trainer Shares How to Deadlift for Hamstring Gains, Apply for Our Strength In Diversity Program Here, Men's Health Knows There Is Strength in Diversity, Marcus Filly Ends Arm Day With This KB Finisher, The EZ Bar Incline Row Lets You Lift Heavy, A Strength Coach Ranked All the Glutes Exercises. Do this: With a spotter, load up a barbell with weight that is 10 to 20 percent heavier than your 3RM. Its versatility allows you to perform it with a variety of means of resistance, and beyond strengthening your pecs, it also builds muscle in your shoulders and arms. Do this for 4 to 6 weeks before testing your 3RM again. 2019 www.azcentral.com. In his Chicago Tribune interview, the professor lays his well-researched findings out flat: "I think a lot of the variables in a resistance training program rest, sets, loads and other variables are largely redundant in their capacity to bring about strength and (bigger muscles). On average, a 132-pound woman new to weight training should be able to press 70 pounds. Center's for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics, ExRx.net official Bench Press Standards chart, 4 Signs You're Ready to Lift Heavier Weights, 10 Upper-Body Exercise Swaps to Amp Up Your Results, Chicago Tribune: "Light Lifting, Big Muscles? Unrack the bar and straighten your elbows. Does the Decline Close-Grip Bench Press Work the Triceps Better Than the Wide Grip? Ready to work on your bench press and possibly set a personal record? It's important to use proper form when bench pressing, not only for more accurate measures of your average bench press, but also to help prevent injury. By performing strength-training exercises such as the bench press -- regardless of overall strength -- a woman can augment her health in a variety of ways. If you stand around 5 feet, 4 inches tall and weigh 166 pounds, you meet the U.S. average for women over the age of 20 years old. Still, realistic norms for the womens bench press can help you tailor your goals to your experience level and other factors. Women of the same weight with novice, intermediate, advanced or elite levels of weight training should have average bench press weights of 110, 120, 160 and 195 pounds respectively.
The Ideal Weight and Body Fat Percentage for a 5' 4" Female. Few exercises stir up as much weight room bravado as the bench press sometimes, it feels like "How much do you bench?" Our product picks are editor-tested, expert-approved. Do 5 to 10 reps of a weight thats equal to half your body weight. Test YourselfMake sure you always have a spotter. And be sure to increase your weight incrementally so you don't hurt yourself. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Body Measurements, Lon Kilgore: Bench Press Strength Standards, Strength Training for Women; Lori Incledon, ExRx.net: Weightlifting Performance Standards, Privacy Notice/Your California Privacy Rights. Strength training can also heighten metabolism and improve self-image. Untrained lifters, for example, can generally bench about half their body weight -- 50 pounds for women weighing around 97 pounds, and 90 pounds for those weighing 198 pounds. Meanwhile, the average bench press standard for an untrained woman who weighs 165 pounds is a bench of 80 pounds, or 95 for a novice. Simply put, a 100-pound woman who can bench 150 pounds is twice as strong as a 200-pound woman who can do the same. Perform 3 sets of 3 to 5 reps, resting 2 to 3 minutes between sets. Though ExRx.net's chart serves as a handy rough guideline for fitness enthusiasts, newbies and trainers alike, knowing the average isn't the be-all and end-all. So while average figures can help you find a starting point or a barometer (and satisfy your natural curiosity about who's lifting what), it's essential to focus on the "your" when talking about your workout. Your muscles can handle more weight during the lowering portion of a move. Men's Pushup, Pullup, Squat, Deadlift and Bench Press Standards. is the gym equivalent to "Hi, what's your name?" And when you see that the world record for the bench press a whopping 739.6 pounds was set by Julius Maddox in September 2019, it's hard not to wonder how you compare. Get to the weight room, consistently practice, work to fatigue this is 80 percent of the job. As of 2017, the most recent data from the Center's for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics puts the average American woman's weight at 170.5 pounds, while the average male clocks in at 197.8 pounds. Boost your bench with this training technique.
She's also a property manager and writes on DIY projects. Men's Health participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.