Bench Press 101: Determining Your Ideal Bench Press Weight (2024)

Bench Press 101: Determining Your Ideal Bench Press Weight (1)

Welcome to our comprehensive guide to one of the most quintessential exercises in weightlifting—the bench press. It's an exercise that provokes many questions, especially about how much weight one should be able to lift. We're here to shed some light on this topic.

The Importance of Bench Pressing

Before we delve into the numbers, let's establish why the bench press is a cornerstone in strength training. This compound exercise targets multiple muscle groups, including your pectorals, triceps, and deltoids, promoting upper body strength and muscle mass. Before you begin, using wrist wraps can help to increase your bench press by limiting wrist extension thus maximizing your power.

How Much Should I Be Able to Bench?

Bench pressing isn't a one-size-fits-all exercise. Factors such as age, gender, fitness level, and training history contribute to the amount you should be able to bench.

The average male beginner might aim to bench press 135 lbs. A beginner female, on the other hand, might start with a 65 lbs lift. Remember, these are just averages—individual capabilities vary significantly.

What is the Average Bench Press?

Bench Press 101: Determining Your Ideal Bench Press Weight (2)

The average bench press varies depending on several factors. Men aged 20-29 typically bench press around 160 lbs. For women in the same age group, the average is 70 lbs. Again, these figures are averages and will vary based on individual circ*mstances. Please do not confuse what "you want to be bench pressing" to what the average is.

Understanding Bench Press Weight Ratio

The bench press weight ratio refers to how much you can press to your body weight. Bench pressing one's body weight is a good goal for men. For women, a good goal is a half to three-quarters of body weight.

What is a Good Bench Press?

Bench Press 101: Determining Your Ideal Bench Press Weight (3)

A 'good' bench press depends on your personal goals, fitness level, and body composition. For a male weighing 198 lbs, lifting 160 lbs might be considered good.

This is 80% of their body weight. For a female weighing 165 lbs, lifting 85 lbs could be a good benchmark. This is around 50% of their body weight.

How Much Should I Bench Press for My Weight?

Bench Press 101: Determining Your Ideal Bench Press Weight (4)

Men should aim to bench press their body weight as a starting point. Women should aim for half to three-quarters of their body weight. A man weighing 170 lbs should aim for a 170 lbs bench press. A reasonable goal for a woman weighing 140 lbs is a 70-105 lbs bench press.

How Villain Wrist Wraps Can Improve Your Bench Press

Ensuring proper form and safety while bench pressing is crucial, and that's where ourVillain Wrist Wrapscome in. TuffWraps offers wraps that feature a belt loop tightening system.

Our belt loop tightening system allows you to control wrist support and stability during heavy lifting. It also protects wrists from injury. Wrist wraps are designed to limit wrist extension, thus giving you maximum power through your lift.

Never fuss with thumb loops again with Villain Wrist Wraps! These are available in16-inch,24-inch, and30-inch.The 16" are the most popular andgreat place to start with wrist wraps.

Conclusion

Bench pressing is a versatile and valuable exercise. However, it is not only about the weight you lift. It is also important to lift safely and effectively. Everyone's bench press ability will differ based on various factors, but we hope this guide clarifies the subject.

Remember, no matter your bench press goal, ourVillain Wrist Wrapssupport your journey, promoting safety and performance. Happy lifting!

Bench Press 101: Determining Your Ideal Bench Press Weight (2024)

FAQs

Bench Press 101: Determining Your Ideal Bench Press Weight? ›

Men should aim to bench press their body weight

body weight
Human body weight is a person's mass or weight. Strictly speaking, body weight is the measurement of weight without items located on the person.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Human_body_weight
as a starting point. Women should aim for half to three-quarters of their body weight. A man weighing 170 lbs should aim for a 170 lbs bench press. A reasonable goal for a woman weighing 140 lbs is a 70-105 lbs bench press.

How much should I bench press for my weight? ›

“Generally speaking, if we're looking at a beginner with between zero months of training and a year, being able to bench at least half your body weight is a good goal,” he says.

How much should a 150 pound man bench? ›

Bench Press Standards for Men (lb)
BodyweightBeginnerElite
15097273
160106290
170115306
180123321
17 more rows

How rare is a 315 bench? ›

Only 0.00125% of the male population. can bench press three plates 3:15. That's about 50,000 people in the world.

How rare is a 225 bench? ›

Only 0.075% of the male population can bench press 2:25. That means that if you went out onto the street. and found 1,000 people, less than one of them would be able to bench press 2.

Is 135 pounds a good bench press? ›

Bench pressing isn't a one-size-fits-all exercise. Factors such as age, gender, fitness level, and training history contribute to the amount you should be able to bench. The average male beginner might aim to bench press 135 lbs. A beginner female, on the other hand, might start with a 65 lbs lift.

How rare is a 275 bench? ›

Female Standards
Odds of being able to perform the liftBench PressSquat
1:100,000225365
1:1,000,000275450
1:1,000,000,000315585
One on the planet400700
4 more rows
Oct 28, 2019

How common is a 185 bench? ›

The average bench press weight can vary among different age groups. However, as a general guideline, a beginner lifter in their 20s can bench press around 135-185 pounds. In comparison, an advanced lifter in the same age group may be able to bench press 225 pounds or more.

Is 300 pound bench rare? ›

Generally, about 1 out of every 8-10 males attending the school will be able to bench 300 or more by the time they graduate. Of course, the people attending a personal training school are more fit than the normal population, but it just isn't that rare.

What is a respectable bench press for a man? ›

The average Bench Press weight for a male lifter is 217 lb (1RM). This makes you Intermediate on Strength Level and is a very impressive lift. What is a good Bench Press? Male beginners should aim to lift 103 lb (1RM) which is still impressive compared to the general population.

What is Steph Curry's bench? ›

Steph Curry Bench Press 315 Pounds.

How common is a 405 bench? ›

Only about 8,000 people on the planet. can bench press 4:05. That is 0.0002% of the male population.

Why is benching 225 so important? ›

Test of Upper Body Strength: The bench press is widely regarded as one of the best tests of upper body muscular strength [2]. Being able to lift 225 lbs demonstrates a certain level of strength in the muscles involved, including the triceps brachii, pectoralis muscles, and deltoids.

How many people can bench 100? ›

Less than one percent of people can bench 2. 25 or 100 kg. That means. if you pull 99 out of 100 people from the street, then maybe one person could bench that one hundred.

Is 90 lbs bench press good? ›

The average Dumbbell Bench Press weight for a male lifter is 90 lb (1RM). This makes you Intermediate on Strength Level and is a very impressive lift. What is a good Dumbbell Bench Press? Male beginners should aim to lift 35 lb (1RM) which is still impressive compared to the general population.

Is a 150 lb bench good for a 15 year old? ›

Advanced Standards for Teens

At this level, your 15-year-old-boy could be expected to bench 225 to 255 if he weighs between 140 and 160 pound. An advanced female lifter of the same age who weighs 130 to 150 pounds can bench press 144 to 158 pounds.

How many guys can bench 135? ›

Less than 5% of men in the general population. It's actually only 1% to 3%. Remember the overwhelming majority of men don't even lift weights regularly!

References

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