Close Grip Bench Standards by Bodyweight and Age
Hands inside shoulder width, elbows tucked. A close grip bench near 90 percent of your regular bench means the triceps are pulling their weight; a bigger gap points at the lockout.
Where does your close grip bench stand?
Type a bodyweight and a recent set. The level, your percentile among lifters who train, the distance to the next level and your dot on the curve all update as you type.
Try 80 kg bodyweight, 120 kg for 3 reps.
Index fingers roughly at the edge of the knurl. Same touch point as the regular bench. Runs in your browser, nothing is sent anywhere.
1RM (kg) across bodyweight. Hover or tap for the five thresholds at any bodyweight. The sex toggle switches the curve.
Close Grip Bench standards by bodyweight
Five levels, read for your exact bodyweight. Beginner is roughly the 5th percentile of people who train, novice the 20th, intermediate the 50th, advanced the 80th, elite the 95th.
Men
| Bodyweight | beginner | novice | intermediate | advanced | elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 kg | 22 kg (0.44x) | 34 kg (0.68x) | 51 kg (1.02x) | 71 kg (1.42x) | 93 kg (1.86x) |
| 60 kg | 31 kg (0.52x) | 46 kg (0.77x) | 65 kg (1.08x) | 86 kg (1.43x) | 111 kg (1.85x) |
| 70 kg | 40 kg (0.57x) | 56 kg (0.8x) | 77 kg (1.1x) | 101 kg (1.44x) | 127 kg (1.81x) |
| 80 kg | 48 kg (0.6x) | 67 kg (0.84x) | 88 kg (1.1x) | 114 kg (1.43x) | 141 kg (1.76x) |
| 90 kg | 56 kg (0.62x) | 76 kg (0.84x) | 100 kg (1.11x) | 127 kg (1.41x) | 155 kg (1.72x) |
| 100 kg | 64 kg (0.64x) | 85 kg (0.85x) | 110 kg (1.1x) | 138 kg (1.38x) | 168 kg (1.68x) |
| 110 kg | 72 kg (0.65x) | 94 kg (0.85x) | 120 kg (1.09x) | 149 kg (1.35x) | 180 kg (1.64x) |
| 120 kg | 79 kg (0.66x) | 102 kg (0.85x) | 129 kg (1.07x) | 159 kg (1.32x) | 192 kg (1.6x) |
Male lifters, 1RM, multiple = bar weight / bodyweight. Intermediate highlighted: that is the median of people who train.
Women
| Bodyweight | beginner | novice | intermediate | advanced | elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 kg | 11 kg (0.22x) | 22 kg (0.44x) | 36 kg (0.72x) | 53 kg (1.06x) | 74 kg (1.48x) |
| 60 kg | 15 kg (0.25x) | 26 kg (0.43x) | 42 kg (0.7x) | 61 kg (1.02x) | 83 kg (1.38x) |
| 70 kg | 18 kg (0.26x) | 31 kg (0.44x) | 48 kg (0.69x) | 68 kg (0.97x) | 91 kg (1.3x) |
| 80 kg | 22 kg (0.28x) | 35 kg (0.44x) | 53 kg (0.66x) | 74 kg (0.93x) | 98 kg (1.23x) |
| 90 kg | 25 kg (0.28x) | 40 kg (0.44x) | 58 kg (0.64x) | 80 kg (0.89x) | 104 kg (1.16x) |
| 100 kg | 28 kg (0.28x) | 43 kg (0.43x) | 62 kg (0.62x) | 86 kg (0.86x) | 111 kg (1.11x) |
Female lifters, 1RM, multiple = bar weight / bodyweight. Intermediate highlighted: that is the median of people who train.
Close Grip Bench standards by age
From 40 the requirement is divided by the McCulloch coefficient, the same table masters powerlifting uses to compare a 55-year-old with a 25-year-old. Below 40 the coefficient is 1.0, so the row reads the same as the table above.
Requirement by age at 80 kg (men) or 60 kg (women) until you enter your own bodyweight; flat below 40, then the McCulloch coefficients.
Men
| Age | 60 kg | 70 kg | 80 kg | 90 kg | 100 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 40 | 65 kg | 77 kg | 88 kg | 100 kg | 110 kg |
| 40 | 65 kg | 77 kg | 88 kg | 100 kg | 110 kg |
| 45 | 61 kg | 73 kg | 84 kg | 95 kg | 104 kg |
| 50 | 57 kg | 68 kg | 78 kg | 88 kg | 97 kg |
| 55 | 53 kg | 62 kg | 72 kg | 82 kg | 90 kg |
| 60 | 48 kg | 57 kg | 66 kg | 75 kg | 82 kg |
| 65 | 45 kg | 53 kg | 61 kg | 69 kg | 76 kg |
| 70 | 41 kg | 48 kg | 55 kg | 63 kg | 69 kg |
Intermediate standard for male lifters by age and bodyweight (McCulloch masters coefficients from 40 up).
| Age | 60 kg | 70 kg | 80 kg | 90 kg | 100 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 40 | 86 kg | 101 kg | 114 kg | 127 kg | 138 kg |
| 40 | 86 kg | 101 kg | 114 kg | 127 kg | 138 kg |
| 45 | 82 kg | 96 kg | 108 kg | 120 kg | 131 kg |
| 50 | 76 kg | 89 kg | 101 kg | 112 kg | 122 kg |
| 55 | 71 kg | 82 kg | 93 kg | 104 kg | 112 kg |
| 60 | 64 kg | 75 kg | 85 kg | 95 kg | 103 kg |
| 65 | 60 kg | 69 kg | 79 kg | 87 kg | 95 kg |
| 70 | 54 kg | 63 kg | 72 kg | 80 kg | 86 kg |
Advanced standard for male lifters by age and bodyweight (McCulloch masters coefficients from 40 up).
Women
| Age | 50 kg | 60 kg | 70 kg | 80 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 40 | 36 kg | 42 kg | 48 kg | 53 kg |
| 40 | 36 kg | 42 kg | 48 kg | 53 kg |
| 45 | 34 kg | 40 kg | 45 kg | 50 kg |
| 50 | 32 kg | 37 kg | 42 kg | 47 kg |
| 55 | 29 kg | 35 kg | 39 kg | 43 kg |
| 60 | 27 kg | 32 kg | 36 kg | 40 kg |
| 65 | 25 kg | 29 kg | 33 kg | 37 kg |
| 70 | 23 kg | 27 kg | 30 kg | 33 kg |
Intermediate standard for female lifters by age and bodyweight (McCulloch masters coefficients from 40 up).
| Age | 50 kg | 60 kg | 70 kg | 80 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 40 | 53 kg | 61 kg | 68 kg | 74 kg |
| 40 | 53 kg | 61 kg | 68 kg | 74 kg |
| 45 | 50 kg | 58 kg | 64 kg | 70 kg |
| 50 | 47 kg | 54 kg | 60 kg | 65 kg |
| 55 | 43 kg | 50 kg | 55 kg | 60 kg |
| 60 | 40 kg | 46 kg | 50 kg | 55 kg |
| 65 | 37 kg | 42 kg | 46 kg | 51 kg |
| 70 | 33 kg | 38 kg | 42 kg | 46 kg |
Advanced standard for female lifters by age and bodyweight (McCulloch masters coefficients from 40 up).
Close Grip Bench relative to your other lifts
Structural balance ratios (Poliquin). A lift far under its ratio is the weak link that caps the others; the full calculator scores every ratio at once.
Questions
How much should an 80 kg man close grip bench?
An 80 kg male lifter reaches the intermediate standard at about 88 kg for one rep, and advanced at about 114 kg. Intermediate is the median of people who train with a barbell, so half the gym is below it.
What is a good close grip bench for a 60 kg woman?
A 60 kg female lifter hits intermediate at about 42 kg and advanced at about 61 kg. The female tables use their own data, not a percentage of the male numbers.
What is a good close grip bench for a beginner?
The beginner standard is roughly the 5th percentile of people who train: about 40 kg for a 70 kg man and 15 kg for a 60 kg woman. Novice, around the 20th percentile, is 56 kg and 26 kg. Most people pass both inside their first year of consistent training.
Is a 2x bodyweight close grip bench good?
For an 80 kg man, 1.5x bodyweight (120 kg) is advanced and 2x bodyweight (160 kg) is elite on this lift. For a 60 kg woman, 1x bodyweight (60 kg) is intermediate and 1.5x (90 kg) is elite. Multiples shift with bodyweight: lighter lifters carry higher multiples, heavier lifters higher absolute loads.
What is the average close grip bench for a man and a woman?
Among people who train, the median (intermediate) close grip bench is about 88 kg for an 80 kg man and 42 kg for a 60 kg woman. Across the whole population it is far lower, because most adults never train the lift at all.
How much should I close grip bench at 40, 50 or 60?
From 40 the standard is divided by the McCulloch coefficient used in masters powerlifting. For an 80 kg man the intermediate close grip bench goes from 88 kg under 40 to about 78 kg at 50 and 66 kg at 60; advanced goes from 114 kg to 101 and 85 kg. Same level, fair comparison with your own age group.
What is an elite close grip bench for women?
Elite, roughly the top 5 percent of women who train, is about 83 kg at 60 kg bodyweight and 91 kg at 70 kg. Advanced, the 80th percentile, is 61 kg and 68 kg.
What should my close grip bench be compared to my bench press?
About 90 percent of your bench press 1RM. Well under that and this lift is the weak link; well over and the bench press is lagging. The calculator above turns your number into the expected bench press.
How do I estimate my close grip bench 1RM from a set of 5?
Wathan's formula: 1RM = 100 x weight / (48.8 + 53.8 x e^(-0.075 x reps)). A set of 5 at 100 kg estimates about 116 kg; a set of 3 at 100 kg about 109 kg. Sets of 1 to 5 reps predict best; above 10 reps the estimate drifts because endurance starts to matter more than peak strength.
How do I move my close grip bench up a level?
The gap between levels at 80 kg bodyweight is 26 kg from intermediate to advanced. That is a block of progressive overload, not a week: past novice, each level is a dedicated block of months rather than weeks, with the lift trained 2 to 3 times a week and the structural-balance partners brought up alongside it. The coach in the app builds that block from your logged lifts.
How are these close grip bench standards calculated?
Population percentiles from Strength Level's published standards (tens of millions of logged lifts), interpolated for your exact bodyweight, with the estimated one-rep max from Wathan's formula when you enter a set of several reps. Beginner is roughly the 5th percentile of people who train, novice the 20th, intermediate the 50th, advanced the 80th, elite the 95th.
Standards for the other lifts
Turn the number into a program.
Enter all your lifts in the full strength calculator to see every ratio at once, then let the coach write the block that closes the weakest one. Garmin and Apple Health connected, 7-day free trial, no card.
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