Barbell curl strength standards

The barbell curl e1RM that reaches each level, for men and women from 50 to 140 kg bodyweight. An 80 kg man is Intermediate at 36 kg; a 60 kg woman at 15 kg.

No recent single? Estimate it on the barbell curl one-rep max calculator.

Men

Men: the e1RM in kg that reaches each level at each bodyweight. Ratios 0.2 / 0.45 / 0.65 / 0.85 × bodyweight; below Novice is Beginner.
Bodyweight	Novice	Intermediate	Advanced	Elite
50 kg	10	22.5	32.5	42.5
55 kg	11	25	36	47
60 kg	12	27	39	51
65 kg	13	29.5	42.5	55.5
70 kg	14	31.5	45.5	59.5
75 kg	15	34	49	64
80 kg	16	36	52	68
85 kg	17	38.5	55.5	72.5
90 kg	18	40.5	58.5	76.5
95 kg	19	43	62	81
100 kg	20	45	65	85
105 kg	21	47.5	68.5	89.5
110 kg	22	49.5	71.5	93.5
115 kg	23	52	75	98
120 kg	24	54	78	102
125 kg	25	56.5	81.5	106.5
130 kg	26	58.5	84.5	110.5
135 kg	27	61	88	115
140 kg	28	63	91	119

Men: the e1RM in lb that reaches each level at each bodyweight. Ratios 0.2 / 0.45 / 0.65 / 0.85 × bodyweight; below Novice is Beginner.
Bodyweight	Novice	Intermediate	Advanced	Elite
110 lb	22	50	72	94
120 lb	24	54	78	102
130 lb	26	59	85	111
140 lb	28	63	91	119
150 lb	30	68	98	128
160 lb	32	72	104	136
170 lb	34	77	111	145
180 lb	36	81	117	153
190 lb	38	86	124	162
200 lb	40	90	130	170
210 lb	42	95	137	179
220 lb	44	99	143	187
230 lb	46	104	150	196
240 lb	48	108	156	204
250 lb	50	113	163	213
260 lb	52	117	169	221
270 lb	54	122	176	230
280 lb	56	126	182	238
290 lb	58	131	189	247
300 lb	60	135	195	255
310 lb	62	140	202	264

Women

Women: the e1RM in kg that reaches each level at each bodyweight. Ratios 0.15 / 0.25 / 0.4 / 0.5 × bodyweight; below Novice is Beginner.
Bodyweight	Novice	Intermediate	Advanced	Elite
50 kg	7.5	12.5	20	25
55 kg	8.5	14	22	27.5
60 kg	9	15	24	30
65 kg	10	16.5	26	32.5
70 kg	10.5	17.5	28	35
75 kg	11.5	19	30	37.5
80 kg	12	20	32	40
85 kg	13	21.5	34	42.5
90 kg	13.5	22.5	36	45
95 kg	14.5	24	38	47.5
100 kg	15	25	40	50
105 kg	16	26.5	42	52.5
110 kg	16.5	27.5	44	55
115 kg	17.5	29	46	57.5
120 kg	18	30	48	60
125 kg	19	31.5	50	62.5
130 kg	19.5	32.5	52	65
135 kg	20.5	34	54	67.5
140 kg	21	35	56	70

Women: the e1RM in lb that reaches each level at each bodyweight. Ratios 0.15 / 0.25 / 0.4 / 0.5 × bodyweight; below Novice is Beginner.
Bodyweight	Novice	Intermediate	Advanced	Elite
110 lb	17	28	44	55
120 lb	18	30	48	60
130 lb	20	33	52	65
140 lb	21	35	56	70
150 lb	23	38	60	75
160 lb	24	40	64	80
170 lb	26	43	68	85
180 lb	27	45	72	90
190 lb	29	48	76	95
200 lb	30	50	80	100
210 lb	32	53	84	105
220 lb	33	55	88	110
230 lb	35	58	92	115
240 lb	36	60	96	120
250 lb	38	63	100	125
260 lb	39	65	104	130
270 lb	41	68	108	135
280 lb	42	70	112	140
290 lb	44	73	116	145
300 lb	45	75	120	150
310 lb	47	78	124	155

What each level means for the barbell curl

Beginner: Under 0.2 × bodyweight for men and 0.15 × for women (less than 16 kg at 80 kg, 9 kg at 60 kg). Where everyone starts.
Novice: From 0.2 × bodyweight for men and 0.15 × for women. A typical first year of consistent training lands here.
Intermediate: From 0.45 × for men and 0.25 × for women (36 kg and 15 kg at the example bodyweights). A couple of years of consistent training.
Advanced: From 0.65 × for men and 0.4 × for women (52 kg and 24 kg). Well past what a couple of years usually brings.
Elite: From 0.85 × for men and 0.5 × for women (68 kg and 30 kg). Competitive-level relative strength.

How to progress it in Beatweek

Barbell Curl runs on double progression: climb the rep range at one weight, then add 2.5 kg and start the range again. The chip on the exercise card says which it is today; "Why?" gives the one-sentence reason.

Counts toward the barbell curl standard: Barbell Curl. Log any of them and the Progress screen shows your level and the kilograms to the next one, updated every workout.

Your level, every workout

Set bodyweight and sex once in the profile. Beatweek reads the best set you log and says it in one line: at 80 kg, 32.5 kg × 5 reads “Intermediate, 14.08 kg to Advanced”.

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Questions

What is a good barbell curl for an 80 kg man?

On Beatweek’s table an 80 kg man reaches Intermediate at an e1RM of 36 kg (0.45 × bodyweight), Advanced at 52 kg and Elite at 68 kg. Novice starts at 16 kg.

What is a good barbell curl for a 60 kg woman?

On Beatweek’s table a 60 kg woman reaches Intermediate at an e1RM of 15 kg (0.25 × bodyweight), Advanced at 24 kg and Elite at 30 kg. Novice starts at 9 kg.

What barbell curl should I expect after a year of training?

The table is set so that a typical first year of consistent training lands in Novice: 0.2 × bodyweight for men and 0.15 × for women, which is 16 kg for an 80 kg man and 9 kg for a 60 kg woman. A couple of years usually reaches Intermediate, 0.45 × and 0.25 ×.

What counts as an elite barbell curl?

Elite means competitive-level relative strength: an e1RM of 0.85 × bodyweight for men and 0.5 × for women, so 68 kg for an 80 kg man and 30 kg for a 60 kg woman. The table ignores age, height and training age.

Methodology

These are Beatweek’s own tables, the ones the app uses: original round numbers, approximate and deliberately conservative. Each level is a ratio of your estimated one-rep max to bodyweight; the estimate is Epley, weight × (1 + reps / 30), from your best set. The tables ignore age, height and training age, so read them as a yardstick, not a validated norm. When sex is not set, the app uses the men’s table and says so. Table values are rounded to 0.5 kg or 1 lb.