Strength & fitness

Evidence-based strength standards for everyday lifters.

Compare bench, squat, deadlift, push-ups, and more to general-population benchmarks — try the percentile calculator on this page, then save your results with a free account.

By Aziz Mezlini, PhD · Founder & Scientist, Carthalis · Updated 2026-05-25

Find your strength percentile

Pick a lift, enter your 1-rep max and bodyweight. We rank you against StrengthLevel population anchors and, if you want, lift that to the general population using CDC NHIS 2020 training rates.

Your inputs

We don't store these values until you sign up. The default view ranks you within the trained population on StrengthLevel.

Your result

Fill in your inputs to see your personalised result here. The calculator runs entirely on this page — no signup required to try.

Wellness education, not medical or sports-medicine advice. Use safe form and a spotter for heavy 1RM testing.

Create a free account to save your percentile history, track 1RM trends, and unlock your full Fitness workspace.

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Methodology

  • StrengthLevel.com — population anchors per lift, gender, and bodyweight bucket
  • CDC NHIS 2020 muscle-strengthening activity participation (MMWR 2022;71:642) — drives the trained-to-general-population transform
  • Carthalis percentile engine (faithful TS port of the in-app `percentile_engine`)

This is one small piece of Carthalis. The app tracks 140+ insights from your own data — sleep, labs, nutrition, fitness and more — explains what they mean, and helps you act on what matters.

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What this benchmark actually measures

Strength standards are educational fitness benchmarks that rank your one-rep max on common lifts against age-, sex-, and bodyweight-matched peers in the general population, not elite athletes only — useful context for strength standards by age without implying clinical diagnosis.

Unlike elite-athlete-only charts that can feel demotivating, Carthalis benchmarks focus on everyday lifters so you get realistic, achievable strength standards for bench press, squat, deadlift, and bodyweight movements.

  • Realistic benchmarks

    Based on everyday people in the general population, not elite athletes only. Achievable goals that motivate rather than discourage.

  • Fair comparisons

    See how you truly rank against real people of your age and sex, without selection bias from gym-only populations.

  • Progress tracking

    Track improvements over time and see your percentile increase as you get stronger — educational fitness context, not medical scores.

  • Lift coverage

    • Bench press, squat, and deadlift
    • Push-ups and pull-ups
    • Grip strength and other compound lifts

Strength by body weight and age

Bench Press Standards by sex summarize typical bodyweight multiples for the general population. Squat standards and other lifts follow similar age-adjusted patterns — use the calculator above for your exact percentile. These ranges reflect strength standards by age in broad educational terms.

  • Bench press standards (men)

    Body weight ratio (lbs lifted / body weight)

    • Beginner 0.5× – 0.8×
    • Intermediate 0.8× – 1.2×
    • Advanced 1.2× – 1.5×
    • Elite 1.5×+

  • Bench press standards (women)

    Body weight ratio (lbs lifted / body weight)

    • Beginner 0.3× – 0.5×
    • Intermediate 0.5× – 0.8×
    • Advanced 0.8× – 1.0×
    • Elite 1.0×+

  • What each band means

    Strength bands describe how a lift compares to a broad general-population reference — not a training prescription. Use them for context, then aim for steady, sustainable progress against your own baseline.

Beginner

Just starting your strength journey.

Intermediate

Consistent training with good form.

Advanced

Strong relative to the general population.

Elite

Exceptional strength for your demographic.

Example strength percentile scenario

A 30-year-old man who can bench press 185 lbs might be in the 75th percentile, while a woman of the same age benching 95 lbs could be in the 80th percentile. Our calculator accounts for age, sex, and body weight differences.

How it's calculated, sources and more

How the methodology works

The Carthalis strength standards calculator draws on population reference tables to rank everyday lifters against general-population benchmarks — not elite-athlete-only charts. Evidence-based strength standards use population calibration informed by published muscle-strengthening participation data.

  • Reference tables

    Lifts are ranked against people of the same age, sex and body weight in the general population.

  • Same basis in the app

    The calculator here and the strength insights in your Digital Twin use the same tables.

  • Population calibration

    General-population calibration informed by StrengthLevel.com population strength data and CDC NHIS 2020 muscle-strengthening participation (PMID: 35511726).

  • Age, sex, and bodyweight adjustment

    Fair comparisons account for natural strength differences by age, sex, and body weight — apples-to-apples context for strength standards by age.

Strength classification bands

Strength comparisons are general guidance — consult a coach for individualized programming.

Trust & Safety →

Common questions

Strength standards are benchmarks for common lifts — bench press, squat, deadlift, push-ups, pull-ups and grip — that show where you rank against people of your age, sex and body weight in the general population, not just athletes. Try the free calculator on this page, then save your results with a free account to follow your progress. Educational fitness context, not a medical test.

Yes. Try the calculator on this page to estimate your strength percentile for bench press, squat, deadlift, and other lifts. Save your results with a free account to track lifts over time in Carthalis.

Carthalis strength standards combine population reference tables with general-population calibration informed by published muscle-strengthening participation data. Benchmarks target everyday lifters in the general population, not elite athletes only — educational fitness context, not a medical test.

Enter your age, sex, body weight, and lift numbers in the calculator on this page. You receive a percentile ranking and strength classification (beginner, intermediate, advanced, or elite) relative to age- and bodyweight-matched peers.

A good bench press varies by age, sex, and body weight. For many men in general-population terms, about 1.0× body weight is strong; for women, about 0.7× body weight is a similar benchmark. Use the calculator on this page for your exact percentile — general fitness guidance, not sports-medicine prescription.

These standards are designed for the general population — beginners through advanced recreational lifters. Classification bands run from beginner (roughly 0–25th percentile) through elite (90–99th percentile) so you can set realistic goals without comparing yourself only to competitive athletes.

No. Strength standards on Carthalis are wellness education for fitness context — not medical diagnosis, treatment, or sports-medicine prescription. Consult a qualified coach or clinician for individualized programming, especially with injuries or health conditions.

Where to go next — save and track

Create a free account to save your percentile history and track your lifts over time.

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