It’s no secret that the bench press is one of the worst exercises.answer “How much can you put on the bench?” An unpleasant number has become a legitimate way to establish your influence among gym buddies.
This question may sound like a casual question, but it’s nothing else. Your answer determines the respect you get from the people in your gym. It decides whether people in your gym will vacate benches and other equipment as soon as you get close to it. Finally, your response determines if you have an audience when you head to the set.
The bench press is one of the three major lifts for powerlifting and is a bread and butter exercise in bodybuilding style training. However, powerlifters and bodybuilders have slightly different approaches to performing exercises.
Powerlifters lift with a back bridge, but bodybuilders usually move with a slight back arch. In particular, the tempo of repetition, the repetition performed, the motion path of the bar, and the placement of the feet differ between the two lifting styles.
In this article Average bench press by ageGender, weight, experience level, how to perform a bench press in the correct form, and how to get better with a lift.
Average bench press by age, weight, experience level, and gender
Before getting into the main points of the average bench press, let’s talk about the elephants in the room, the arm length.
Arm length can affect the bench press. Many people believe that a lifter with short limbs can bench press more weights than a person with long limbs because the bar needs to move a shorter range of motion.
This may be one of the reasons why the bench press totals vary so much between NFL and NBA draft combinations.
Related: The 24 Strongest NFL Players in the World
How Much Can The Average Male Bench Press Do?
The average male bench press depends on several factors, including the lifter’s age, gender, weight, and experience level.
Average Male Bench Press by Weight
Below is the official ExRx.net bench press standard chart approved by the National Strength and Conditioning Association.
| Weight (pounds) | Untrained | beginner | Intermediate | Altitude | elite |
| 114 | 85 | 110 | 130 | 180 | 220 |
| one two three | 90 | 115 | 140 | 195 | 240 |
| 132 | 100 | 125 | 155 | 210 | 260 |
| 148 | 110 | 140 | 170 | 235 | 290 |
| 165 | 120 | 150 | 185 | 255 | 320 |
| 181 | 130 | 165 | 200 | 275 | 345 |
| 198 | 135 | 175 | 215 | 290 | 360 |
| 220 | 140 | 185 | 225 | 305 | 380 |
| 242 | 145 | 190 | 230 | 315 | 395 |
| 275 | 150 | 195 | 240 | 325 | 405 |
| 319 | 155 | 200 | 245 | 335 | 415 |
| 320 years old and over | 160 | 205 | 250 | 340 | 425 |
Data show that on average, senior or elite male athletes can lift more than twice as much weight as individuals who do not lift.
Note: These criteria apply when the bar momentarily pauses and touches the chest above the lower part of the sternum and pushes the elbow until it is fully extended.
How Much Can The Average Female Bench Press Do?
On average, women cannot lift as heavy as men of the same age, weight and experience.
Average Female Bench Press by Weight
According to the same ExRx.net official bench press criteria chart as above, the average bench press for women with different weights and experience levels is:
| Weight (pounds) | Untrained | beginner | Intermediate | Altitude | elite |
| 97 | 50 | 65 | 75 | 95 | 115 |
| 105 | 55 | 70 | 80 | 100 | 125 |
| 114 | 60 | 75 | 85 | 110 | 135 |
| one two three | 65 | 80 | 90 | 115 | 140 |
| 132 | 70 | 85 | 95 | 125 | 150 |
| 148 | 75 | 90 | 105 | 135 | 165 |
| 165 | 80 | 95 | 115 | 145 | 185 |
| 181 | 85 | 110 | 120 | 160 | 195 |
| 198 | 90 | 115 | 130 | 165 | 205 |
| 199+ | 95 | 120 | 140 | 175 | 220 |
Unlike men, women in the advanced lifting stage cannot do twice as much bench press as untrained women. However, elite athletes can lift more than twice as much as their unlifted companions.
Average Male and Female Bench Press by Age
| Year | Gross weight |
| 20-29 | 100% of your weight |
| 30-39 | 90 percent of your weight |
| 40-49 | 80 percent of your weight |
| 50-59 | 75 percent of your weight |
Just because you’re in your twenties, you shouldn’t expect to sneak under the bar and bench press 100% of your weight. Depending on your genetics, you may need at least a couple of years of training to reach the benchmarks listed in the table.
According to the data, lifters (male and female) are usually the strongest in their 20s and 30s. However, they experience strength and atrophy of strength in their 40s and 50s.
on average, Men and women aged 20-29 can bench press 100% of their body weight..The number goes down to 90% in the 30s..
The strength of the bench press is The average individual can only lift 80% of their weight in their 40s and 75% in their 50s...
Decreased natural testosterone levels are one of the biggest reasons for decreased intensity. Testosterone is an androgen and an anabolic steroid hormone. It plays an important role in the development of male reproductive organs, increased muscle and bone mass, and secondary sexual characteristics such as hair growth.
Related: 7 Ways to Increase Testosterone Naturally
Overall average male and female bench press
According to the National Center for Health Statistics (CDC) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The average American man weighs 197.8 poundsmeaning The average bench press for a man in his twenties who doesn’t lift is £ 135 or £ 175 for a rookie lifter. The average bench press jumps to £ 215 for an intermediate lifter, £ 290 for an advanced lifter and £ 360 for an elite athlete. [1]
on the other hand, The average American woman goes to work for £ 170.5. As shown in the table above A 165 lb woman with no lifting experience (closest to 170.5 lbs) can do an 80 lb or 95 lb bench press for beginners.
The average bench press jumps to £ 115 for women with intermediate experience With average weight £ 145 for advanced lifters..
Calculate 1RM (up to 1 person in charge)
Now that we know the average bench press for age, weight, gender, and experience level, the next step is to determine the maximum weight that one person can lift on the bench press.
You can find 1RM by trial and error, but it is risky and can cause injury. Check out the handy bench press calculator and use different methods to find the maximum value at one time..
Bench press method
If your goal is to lift heavy objects and hit PR, you should follow the powerlifting bench press method. This is a way to do a bench press like a powerlifter.
- Lying on a flat bench. Your chest should be directly below the bar.
- Grasp the bar firmly with a grip slightly wider than your shoulders.
- Gently pull towards the bar to form the back bridge.
- Plant your feet firmly on the floor. The lower limbs should be at a 90 degree angle with the upper limbs.
- Remove the bar rack and hold it over your chest. This is the starting position.
- Gently lower the bar toward the bottom of the sternum until it touches the chest.
- Pause at the bottom for a few seconds.
- It will explode and return to the starting position.
- Repeat for the recommended person.
See the Barbell Bench Press (Chest) Guide for information on how to perform exercises to achieve muscle hypertrophy.
How to improve the bench press
Here are some ways to improve your bench press:
1. Progressive overload
If you want to improve your bench press, you should gradually increase the weight, frequency, or number of repetitions of your strength training routine.
However, do not rush the process or chew more than you can. Focus on lifting in the correct shape to minimize the risk of injury.
check out: Muscle Development with Progressive Overload – Concepts You Need to Know to Grow!
2. Incorporate advanced training techniques into your training
Advanced training principles such as supersets, dropsets, in-set stretches, negatives, and forced rep help strengthen your fitness and prevent you from hitting the plateau.
In addition, performing isolation lifts with other compound lifts can build primary and secondary muscles and improve the bench press.
Related: 25 Best Joe Weider Training Principles and Methods
3. Focus on diet
If you do not meet your daily calorie, micronutrient, and macronutrient goals, you will not be able to achieve your best performance. Follow a nutritious diet to ensure that your interests do not stall.
Related: A list of 40 great protein-filled foods
4. Don’t overlook recovery
It doesn’t matter how hard you work in the gym. If you don’t give yourself enough time to rest and recover from training, you won’t see any progress.
Stretching, fascia training and massage should also be included in the routine to speed recovery.
Related: 8 Ways to Speed Up Post-Training Recovery
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a suitable bench press for men?
This is a subjective question and the answer depends on age, weight, gender and level of experience. See the table above to compare the weight of the bench press to the weight. The numbers in the advanced and elite columns can be considered “good”.
Which muscle group is the bench press targeted for?
In the bench press, the chest is the main target muscle and the shoulders and triceps are the secondary muscle groups.
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summary
Whether the bench press is the right exercise to assess your strength is another time debate. However, knowing the average bench press by age, weight, gender, experience level, and how you stack up against it can give you a fair idea of your level of strength.
If you can put more than your weight on the bench, don’t be shy and show off your numbers the next time someone asks, “How much do you want to put on the bench?” for you. Rest assured, they are impressed and leave.
References
- McDowell MA, Fryar CD, Ogden CL, Legal KM Reference data for anthropometry of children and adults: USA, 2003-2006. National Health Statistics Report; No 10. Hyattsville, Maryland: National Center for Health Statistics. 2008.
