How does my bench press compare?
Strength standards are usually quoted as multiples of body weight. These are the absolute numbers for an 80 kg lifter.
89% of an intermediate
80 kg is heavier than 3 of the 7 references on this page.
Reference figures are measurements and are rounded; the unit conversion behind them is exact.
| Reference | Size | Yours ÷ theirs | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| empty barbell | 20 kg | 4× | An Olympic bar with no plates |
| untrained adult | 45 kg | 1.78× | |
| novice | 60 kg | 1.33× | |
| intermediate | 90 kg | 0.889× | |
| advanced | 125 kg | 0.64× | |
| elite amateur | 160 kg | 0.5× | |
| raw world record | 355 kg | 0.225× | Julius Maddox, 2020 |
Worth knowing
- Benching your own body weight puts you above roughly 70% of gym-going men and is the usual first milestone.
- The Olympic barbell itself is 20 kg, which is already more than a quarter of many beginners’ first working set.
Frequently asked
What is a good bench press?
For a man training seriously, body weight for reps is solid, 1.5× body weight is strong, and 2× is competitive. Standards for women run roughly 60% of these.
Do these numbers include the bar?
Yes. Everything here is total barbell weight, bar included — which is how lifts are always counted.
How to read this
Standards are for men around 80 kg body weight; they scale roughly with body mass to the two-thirds power.