How Much Can the Average Man Lift? Compare Your Lifts
How much can the average man lift? Clinic-tested men bench 159 lb, men who log lifts bench 212 and deadlift 340. Compare your own lifts with the average man.
Behind the average after a year of lifting? Find the cause.
Fill in any lifts you do; skip the rest.
Enter your bodyweight and at least one lift to see where you stand.
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How much can the average man lift? Clinic-tested men in their early 40s bench about 159 lb and leg press about 303 lb. Men who train and log their lifts average about a 212 lb bench, 289 lb squat and 340 lb deadlift. Physically active students who do not train the lifts manage much less. Enter your lifts above to compare yourself with men your size.
How much can the average man lift?
The answer depends on who counts as average, so here are the four groups with real data:
| Group | Bench | Squat or leg press | Deadlift |
|---|---|---|---|
| 259 active male sports students, about 21 years and 145 lb | 131 lb (Smith machine) | 149 lb full squat (Smith machine) | not tested |
| 8,762 Cooper Clinic men, average age 42 | 159 lb (machine) | 303 lb leg press | not tested |
| Men who log lifts on Strength Level | 212 lb | 289 lb | 340 lb |
| Drug-tested male powerlifters, 2024 median | 281 lb | 441 lb | — |
Sources: Fernández Ortega et al., 2022; Ruiz et al., 2008; Strength Level; van den Hoek et al., 2026.
How strong is the average man for his weight?
The clinic men benched about 0.9 times their bodyweight and leg pressed about 1.7 times. A man who has trained for about two years typically benches 1.2, squats 1.65 and deadlifts 1.9 times bodyweight on Strength Level's intermediate standards.
So "average" covers a wide range: the clinic men's 0.9 times bodyweight bench sits below the novice standard for lifters, while drug-tested men aged 18–35 at the 90th percentile bench 1.95 times (van den Hoek et al., 2024).
How many men lift weights at all?
About a third. In 2020, 35.2% of US men did muscle-strengthening activity at least twice a week, push-ups and sit-ups included, falling from 44.5% at 18–44 to 22.0% at 65 and older (CDC). The averages for men who train describe a minority.
What if you are below average after a year of training?
Then something specific is in the way, not your genetics. The usual suspects are sets that stop far from failure, no rule for adding weight, too little weekly volume and short sleep. Each extra weekly set adds about 0.37% to muscle growth on average (Schoenfeld et al., 2017). Find out what is holding you back.
FAQ
How much can the average man bench?
About 159 lb in a clinic-tested sample of 8,762 men, and about 212 lb among men who train and log their lifts.
How strong is the average man?
In clinic tests he benches less than his bodyweight, about 0.9 times. After two years of consistent training, men typically bench about 1.2 times and deadlift about 1.9 times their bodyweight.
How many pull-ups can the average man do?
Men who log pull-ups on Strength Level average 13 strict reps. Population data and standards are in how many pull-ups you should be able to do.
Written and maintained by LiftDecode. Training and nutrition education for healthy adults, not medical advice — if you have a health condition or an injury, talk to a professional who can examine you.