How rare is a 225 bench?
When speaking in terms of global population, being capable of performing the bench press with 225 pounds of weight is a rather impressive feat – especially if one considers the fact that the estimated number of people strong enough to do so is less than 1%.
What Percent of the World Population Can Bench 225 Lbs or How Many People Can Bench 225 in the World? Based on the aforementioned data, about 0.075 percent of the world's population can bench 225 pounds and that comes out to about 581 million people worldwide.
Absolutely! The average man can bench 225 if they put in the right amount of time and effort. It's all about consistency and dedication. Start by deciding what your goal is.
The significance is that it represents a milestone for many in bench pressing. It marks the first time that the lifter has put two plates on each side of the bar. Each plate weighs 45 lbs / 20 kilos and the bar weighs 45 lbs, so when you add it up 5x45=225.
Although it's unlikely that your teen would have five years of lifting experience — the amount of time it typically takes to be considered advanced — by the time he or she is 15, it's possible. At this level, your 15-year-old-boy could be expected to bench 225 to 255 if he weighs between 140 and 160 pound.
Though we can safely say that – based on national statistics – less than 1% of the population can bench press 225 pounds, this figure becomes somewhat more dubious when changing the sample size to only individuals that visit the gym.
However, if a man is capable of bench pressing around 1¼ times or 1½ times his body weight, he would fall in the category of an intermediate or advanced lifter respectively. Talking about women, for beginner lifters bench pressing 0.65 times their body weight would be considered pretty decent.
According to training data from 17 296 male users of our app StrengthLog, a 225 lb bench press is just over an intermediate lift. (Click here to see our full, data-driven bench press strength standards in kilos or pounds for both men and women.)
The NFL has an acceptable range of bench presses for footballers based on their size; Linemen (30-39 reps), Tight Ends and Linebackers (25-30 reps), Running Backs (20-25 reps) and Defensive Backs and Receivers (15-20 reps).
Within numerous estimates, approximately 0.6-1% of the entire United States population is capable of performing a 315 pound bench press repetition, of which is only 5% of all resistance-trained individuals within the Western hemisphere. At a global scale, approximately only 0.3-0.5% are able to do so.
How long does it take to bench 225?
How Long Will It Take To Bench 225 Pounds? So based on what we just learned, you can expect to lift an additional 5-8 pounds every month if you stay committed and consistent for about a year or so. Strength building takes a lot of patience because it is a slow process.
Bodyweight | Untrained | Intermediate |
---|---|---|
165 lbs | 120 | 185 |
181 lbs | 130 | 200 |
198 lbs | 135 | 215 |
220 lbs | 140 | 225 |

Justin Ernest, Eastern Kentucky, DT: In 1999, Ernest completed 51 bench press reps of 225 pounds at the NFL Scouting Combine, which remains the most of all time.
Short answer: Yes. Longer answer: For the majority of men, that's pretty good. For women, it's insanely great. As in elite powerlifter great.
If you have a weak bench press, this is a result of numerous factors, which include weak muscle groups such as shoulders, triceps, and chest. It may also be a result of poor or incorrect form and even the result of a muscular imbalance.
What Is The Average Bench Press For A 17 Year Old? The average bench for a male 17-year-old is 1.2 times bodyweight. The average bench for a female 17-year-old is 0.8 times bodyweight.
The worst bench press in the history of the NFL Scout Combine belongs to former Redskins cornerback and Love Boater Fred Smoot. It was reported that Smoot only managed one rep of 225 pounds during the combine's bench-press test, making him the weakest athlete in combine history.
We're talking like beyond one in a million. 1% of 1% of the poplation type rarity. A lot of people dont realize this, but even a 225+ bench is a little abnormal. A ton of people have to train for years to bench just 2 plates.
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Bench press average by age.
Age | Total weight |
---|---|
20–29 | 100 percent of your body weight |
30–39 | 90 percent of your body weight |
40–49 | 80 percent of your body weight |
Fully grown silverbacks are in actually stronger than 20 adult humans combined. A Silverback gorilla can lift 4,000 lb (1,810 kg) on a bench press, while a well-trained man can only lift up to 885 lb (401.5 kg. Research shows that a gorilla can lift up to 27 times their full body weight.
How many guys can bench 135?
As such, collating these two figures gives us a rough estimate of only 44% of all adults between the ages of 13 and 40 being capable of performing a 135 pound bench press.
Statistics show that the average, untrained man should be able to bench press at least 135 pounds. In terms of physical fitness, however, “average” can be a tricky word. Multiple factors, such as body type, weight, and overall fitness level, play into how much a person can bench press.
The term “3 plates” means having up to 315 pounds or 143 kilograms on a standard olympic-size barbell, but what exactly are the specifics of this term?
Offensive lineman Jon Kolb played all 13 of his NFL seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers, including on four Super Bowl-winning teams. Often said to be the strongest player of his era, he reportedly squatted over 700.
Least Reps, Bench Reps: Fred Smoot (2001)
In fact, Fred Smoot tallied only one rep of 225 pounds, which is the lowest number of reps in NFL Combine history. Despite this, Smoot was still able to get drafted in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft.
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D.K. Metcalf Combine results.
Drill | Result | Rank among WRs |
---|---|---|
40-yard dash | 4.33 seconds | No. 4 |
Bench press | 27 reps | No. 1 |
Vertical jump | 40.5 inches | No. 3 |
Broad jump | 134.0 inches | No. 5 |
Odds of being able to perform the lift | Bench Press | Deadlift |
---|---|---|
1:2-1:10 | 135 | 275 |
1:15-1:40 | 225 | 405 |
1:100 | 300 | 550 |
1:10,000 | 400 | 700 |
500 is extremely rare. There might not be more than 2–3 NFL guys who bench that. Most recreational gym goers won't meet or see a dude bench that much in their lives. Anything over 350 is extremely elite.
Jimmy Kolb presses 599 kg (1,320 lb) on February 27 at the 2022 IPA Pennsylvania State Powerlifting Championships.
Do push-ups help the bench press? Yes, push-ups do help the bench press. Push-ups help bench press performance by improving work capacity, building muscle mass in the chest, shoulders, and triceps, and maintaining healthy function of the shoulder joint and shoulder blades for training longevity.
Why won't my bench press go up?
Chances are you're loose in your set up and getting tighter can make all the difference to your bench press taking off again. Getting “tight” for the bench press serves to provide a stable base of support from which we push weight.
To optimize the health of your body, you should be able to squat and deadlift ~1.5x your bodyweight, bench press ~1.25x your bodyweight, and overhead press ~0.75x your bodyweight.
Male | Female | |
---|---|---|
5' 6" | 128 - 156 lbs. | 117 - 143 lbs. |
5' 7" | 133 - 163 lbs. | 122 - 149 lbs. |
5' 8" | 139 - 169 lbs. | 126 - 154 lbs. |
5' 9" | 144 - 176 lbs. | 131 - 160 lbs. |
Larry Wheels Benches 225 Pounds for 70 Reps | Muscle & Fitness.
225 x 6 x 0.0333 + 225 = 270. Again, if you can bench 225 for 6 reps, your "theoretical" 1 rep max for the bench is 270.
Calculators aren't spot on but by a standard calculator or general rule of thumb 12 reps with 225 is = to 315. However there are slightly different muscles maxing out vs repping lighter weight.
Reps for muscle growth
In order to get bigger and stronger, you must ensure your muscles work harder than they are used to. Generally, between 6-12 reps for 3-6 sets will help to build overall muscle size.
To clarify, a "high-rep range" typically means 12 or more reps per set; a "low-rep" range is usually anything between 1-6 reps per set; and a "moderate-rep" range is 7-12 reps per set.
If you're weak off the chest in the bench press it's either because (1) you have weak contributing muscle groups, namely the pecs, or (2) you have inefficient technique, ranging from an inconsistent touch point, bringing the bar down to slow, lacking a bench press arch, or picking the wrong grip.
So what is a dead bench press? A dead bench press is a bench press variation performed from safety pins of a rack or power cage. The bar is initiated from a dead start from the pins with the elbows in a bent position, and then returned to the pins and pausing before the next rep.
Is it normal to be stronger on decline bench?
Generally speaking, athletes can lift more weight on the Decline Bench Press than on either the Flat or the Incline Bench. One study found that participants' one-rep max for the Decline was 1.25 times their body weight, compared to 1.07 for the Incline.
After a year of training, the average man can lift: 330 pounds on the back squat. 215–235 pounds on the bench press. 335–405 pounds on the deadlift.
Sean McCall isn't your average kid. At 13 years old, he's lifting 225 pounds. It's an accomplishment that landed him a record with World Raw Powerlifting Federation.
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Bench press average by age.
Age | Total weight |
---|---|
20–29 | 100 percent of your body weight |
30–39 | 90 percent of your body weight |
40–49 | 80 percent of your body weight |
Among the big three exercises, a bench press of 3 plates or 315 pounds is considered to be elite or beyond for most average-weight male lifters, while a deadlift or squat of 3 plates on each side is in the more advanced area – though not as impressive as a bench of the same amount.
Update: In his July 30, 2021 email newsletter, Arnold claimed his best bench press was 525 lbs., but because he said 500 previously on multiple occasions we'll go with that. Arnold says his best gym powerlifts were: squat 545 lbs. (247 kg.), bench press 500 lbs. (227 kg.), and deadlift 710 (322 kg.).
The advent of bench press shirts, which support the lifter's shoulders and provide upward force, have increased records significantly since 1985. As of 2021, the world record bench press without any equipment ('raw') was set by American Julius Maddox at 355 kg (782 lb) surpassing his previous record of 349 kg (770 lb).
That's the 81cm mark, and is the max allowable grip width for Bench in competition. For gripping the bar, the lifters' hands can have the thumbs wrapped around the bar, without the thumbs wrapped around the bar, or reverse grip. The widest allowable grip is index fingers ON the 81cm mark.
Absolutely. The drug tested record for raw bench press is 563.3 lb./255.5 kg. You could contend that he just beat the drug test, a common occurrence, but it is impressive either way.
If you want to bench 225, 315 or 405, you probably won't get there by missing that weight over and over again week in and week out. You'll get it by spending a lot of time, effort, sets and reps with a lot less weight. If your goal is 300 or 315, you'll likely need to spend a lot of time benching in the 200's.