Walk into any gym and you'll see people lifting everything from empty bars to enormous weights. One of the most common questions people ask is: "What is considered strong?"
The answer depends on several factors, including your bodyweight, age, training experience, technique and the exercise being performed. A 70kg man bench pressing 100kg is a very different achievement from a 120kg man doing the same lift.
Rather than comparing yourself with elite powerlifters or social media influencers, it is far more useful to compare yourself against realistic strength standards for healthy gym-goers.
Bench Press
The bench press remains one of the world's best-known measures of upper body strength.
Men
If you weigh around 60kg:
- Beginner: 40kg
- Respectable: 70kg
- Strong: 90kg
- Exceptional: 110kg or more
If you weigh around 70kg:
- Beginner: 50kg
- Respectable: 80kg
- Strong: 100kg
- Exceptional: 120kg or more
If you weigh around 80kg:
- Beginner: 60kg
- Respectable: 90kg
- Strong: 110kg
- Exceptional: 140kg or more
If you weigh around 90kg:
- Beginner: 70kg
- Respectable: 100kg
- Strong: 125kg
- Exceptional: 150kg or more
If you weigh around 100kg:
- Beginner: 80kg
- Respectable: 110kg
- Strong: 140kg
- Exceptional: 170kg or more
For most men, a 100kg bench press is an excellent milestone. A 140kg bench press is genuinely strong, while 180kg or more is considered elite.
Women
If you weigh around 50kg:
- Beginner: 20kg
- Respectable: 40kg
- Strong: 60kg
If you weigh around 60kg:
- Beginner: 25kg
- Respectable: 45kg
- Strong: 70kg
If you weigh around 70kg:
- Beginner: 30kg
- Respectable: 50kg
- Strong: 75kg
A woman who can bench press her own bodyweight is exceptionally strong.
Squat
Many coaches consider the squat the best indicator of total lower-body strength.
If you weigh around 70kg:
- Respectable: 120kg
- Strong: 160kg
If you weigh around 80kg:
- Respectable: 140kg
- Strong: 180kg
If you weigh around 90kg:
- Respectable: 150kg
- Strong: 200kg
If you weigh around 100kg:
- Respectable: 170kg
- Strong: 220kg
Squatting double your own bodyweight is a benchmark that relatively few gym members ever achieve.
Deadlift
The deadlift allows the heaviest loads and develops total-body strength.
If you weigh around 70kg:
- Respectable: 150kg
- Strong: 200kg
- Exceptional: 250kg or more
If you weigh around 80kg:
- Respectable: 170kg
- Strong: 220kg
- Exceptional: 270kg or more
If you weigh around 90kg:
- Respectable: 180kg
- Strong: 240kg
- Exceptional: 290kg or more
If you weigh around 100kg:
- Respectable: 200kg
- Strong: 260kg
- Exceptional: 320kg or more
A 200kg deadlift remains one of the classic strength milestones.
Overhead Press
Strict overhead pressing requires shoulder, triceps and core strength.
If you weigh around 70kg:
- Respectable: 50kg
- Strong: 70kg
If you weigh around 80kg:
- Respectable: 60kg
- Strong: 80kg
If you weigh around 90kg:
- Respectable: 65kg
- Strong: 90kg
If you weigh around 100kg:
- Respectable: 70kg
- Strong: 100kg
Pressing your own bodyweight overhead without leg drive is an outstanding achievement.
Pull-Ups
Bodyweight strength is just as impressive as lifting barbells.
- 5 strict pull-ups: Good
- 10 strict pull-ups: Very good
- 15 strict pull-ups: Strong
- 20 or more strict pull-ups: Excellent
For weighted pull-ups:
- +20kg: Strong
- +40kg: Very strong
- +60kg: Elite
Dumbbell Shoulder Press
These figures refer to each dumbbell.
If you weigh around 70kg:
- Respectable: 25kg
- Strong: 35kg
If you weigh around 80kg:
- Respectable: 30kg
- Strong: 40kg
If you weigh around 90kg:
- Respectable: 35kg
- Strong: 45kg
If you weigh around 100kg:
- Respectable: 40kg
- Strong: 50kg
Dumbbell Chest Press
Per dumbbell:
- 30kg: Respectable
- 40kg: Strong
- 50kg: Excellent
- 60kg or more: Elite
Dumbbell Curl
A strict curl means no swinging, no leaning backwards, full extension and a controlled lowering phase.
- 10kg: Beginner
- 15kg: Average
- 20kg: Good
- 25kg: Very good
- 30kg: Strong
- 35kg: Excellent
- 40kg or more: Exceptional
A genuine strict 30kg dumbbell curl is something relatively few gym-goers can perform correctly.
Barbell Curl
- 40kg: Good
- 50kg: Strong
- 60kg: Excellent
- 70kg or more: Exceptional
Seated Dumbbell Lateral Raise
Per dumbbell:
- 8kg: Good
- 12kg: Strong
- 16kg: Excellent
- 20kg: Exceptional
Heavy lateral raises should always be performed under control without swinging the body.
Leg Press
Because machines differ greatly, compare your lifts only on the same machine.
General strength standards are:
- 200kg: Good
- 300kg: Strong
- 400kg: Very strong
- 500kg or more: Exceptional
Strength Expectations by Age
Ages 18–29
Most people reach their highest absolute strength during these years.
Excellent goals include:
- Bench press your own bodyweight.
- Squat 1.75 times your bodyweight.
- Deadlift twice your bodyweight.
Ages 30–39
Most people can still achieve lifetime personal bests during this decade. Recovery and consistency become increasingly important.
Ages 40–49
Many experienced lifters remain incredibly strong. A 100kg bench press during your forties is well above average.
Ages 50–59
Muscle can still be built effectively.
Excellent targets include:
- 90kg bench press.
- 140kg squat.
- 180kg deadlift.
Ages 60+
Strength training remains one of the most valuable forms of exercise for maintaining independence, bone density and quality of life.
Even achieving a 70kg bench press, 120kg squat and 150kg deadlift is an outstanding level of strength.
Relative Strength
One of the best ways to judge strength is by comparing your lifts with your own bodyweight rather than simply looking at the weight on the bar.
Excellent relative strength for men includes:
- Bench press: 1.5 times bodyweight.
- Squat: Twice bodyweight.
- Deadlift: 2.5 times bodyweight.
- Overhead press: Bodyweight.
- Weighted pull-up: An additional 50% of bodyweight.
Excellent relative strength for women includes:
- Bench press: Bodyweight.
- Squat: 1.75 times bodyweight.
- Deadlift: Twice bodyweight.
- Overhead press: Three-quarters of bodyweight.
Technique Always Comes First
Lifting heavier is only meaningful if it is done with excellent technique. A controlled 100kg bench press with a full range of motion is far more impressive than a poorly executed 120kg lift using momentum or partial repetitions.
Good form not only improves muscle development but also reduces injury risk and allows consistent progress over many years.
Respectable strength is not about impressing others—it is about continual improvement and measuring yourself against realistic, meaningful standards.
For many recreational lifters, reaching milestones such as a 100kg bench press, a 180kg deadlift, a 140kg squat or a strict 30kg dumbbell curl represents years of disciplined training. These achievements are worthy goals and place you well above the average gym member.
The strongest athletes are rarely those chasing ego lifts. They are the ones who train consistently, recover well, refine their technique and make steady progress over time. With patience, smart programming and good nutrition, respectable strength is within reach for far more people than they realise.
