Close-grip bench press strength standards

The close-grip bench press e1RM that reaches each level, for men and women from 50 to 140 kg bodyweight. An 80 kg man is Intermediate at 72 kg; a 60 kg woman at 30 kg.

No recent single? Estimate it on the close-grip bench press one-rep max calculator.

Men

Men: the e1RM in kg that reaches each level at each bodyweight. Ratios 0.45 / 0.9 / 1.35 / 1.7 × bodyweight; below Novice is Beginner.
Bodyweight	Novice	Intermediate	Advanced	Elite
50 kg	22.5	45	67.5	85
55 kg	25	49.5	74.5	93.5
60 kg	27	54	81	102
65 kg	29.5	58.5	88	110.5
70 kg	31.5	63	94.5	119
75 kg	34	67.5	101.5	127.5
80 kg	36	72	108	136
85 kg	38.5	76.5	115	144.5
90 kg	40.5	81	121.5	153
95 kg	43	85.5	128.5	161.5
100 kg	45	90	135	170
105 kg	47.5	94.5	142	178.5
110 kg	49.5	99	148.5	187
115 kg	52	103.5	155.5	195.5
120 kg	54	108	162	204
125 kg	56.5	112.5	169	212.5
130 kg	58.5	117	175.5	221
135 kg	61	121.5	182.5	229.5
140 kg	63	126	189	238

Men: the e1RM in lb that reaches each level at each bodyweight. Ratios 0.45 / 0.9 / 1.35 / 1.7 × bodyweight; below Novice is Beginner.
Bodyweight	Novice	Intermediate	Advanced	Elite
110 lb	50	99	149	187
120 lb	54	108	162	204
130 lb	59	117	176	221
140 lb	63	126	189	238
150 lb	68	135	203	255
160 lb	72	144	216	272
170 lb	77	153	230	289
180 lb	81	162	243	306
190 lb	86	171	257	323
200 lb	90	180	270	340
210 lb	95	189	284	357
220 lb	99	198	297	374
230 lb	104	207	311	391
240 lb	108	216	324	408
250 lb	113	225	338	425
260 lb	117	234	351	442
270 lb	122	243	365	459
280 lb	126	252	378	476
290 lb	131	261	392	493
300 lb	135	270	405	510
310 lb	140	279	419	527

Women

Women: the e1RM in kg that reaches each level at each bodyweight. Ratios 0.25 / 0.5 / 0.75 / 1.05 × bodyweight; below Novice is Beginner.
Bodyweight	Novice	Intermediate	Advanced	Elite
50 kg	12.5	25	37.5	52.5
55 kg	14	27.5	41.5	58
60 kg	15	30	45	63
65 kg	16.5	32.5	49	68.5
70 kg	17.5	35	52.5	73.5
75 kg	19	37.5	56.5	79
80 kg	20	40	60	84
85 kg	21.5	42.5	64	89.5
90 kg	22.5	45	67.5	94.5
95 kg	24	47.5	71.5	100
100 kg	25	50	75	105
105 kg	26.5	52.5	79	110.5
110 kg	27.5	55	82.5	115.5
115 kg	29	57.5	86.5	121
120 kg	30	60	90	126
125 kg	31.5	62.5	94	131.5
130 kg	32.5	65	97.5	136.5
135 kg	34	67.5	101.5	142
140 kg	35	70	105	147

Women: the e1RM in lb that reaches each level at each bodyweight. Ratios 0.25 / 0.5 / 0.75 / 1.05 × bodyweight; below Novice is Beginner.
Bodyweight	Novice	Intermediate	Advanced	Elite
110 lb	28	55	83	116
120 lb	30	60	90	126
130 lb	33	65	98	137
140 lb	35	70	105	147
150 lb	38	75	113	158
160 lb	40	80	120	168
170 lb	43	85	128	179
180 lb	45	90	135	189
190 lb	48	95	143	200
200 lb	50	100	150	210
210 lb	53	105	158	221
220 lb	55	110	165	231
230 lb	58	115	173	242
240 lb	60	120	180	252
250 lb	63	125	188	263
260 lb	65	130	195	273
270 lb	68	135	203	284
280 lb	70	140	210	294
290 lb	73	145	218	305
300 lb	75	150	225	315
310 lb	78	155	233	326

What each level means for the close-grip bench press

Beginner: Under 0.45 × bodyweight for men and 0.25 × for women (less than 36 kg at 80 kg, 15 kg at 60 kg). Where everyone starts.
Novice: From 0.45 × bodyweight for men and 0.25 × for women. A typical first year of consistent training lands here.
Intermediate: From 0.9 × for men and 0.5 × for women (72 kg and 30 kg at the example bodyweights). A couple of years of consistent training.
Advanced: From 1.35 × for men and 0.75 × for women (108 kg and 45 kg). Well past what a couple of years usually brings.
Elite: From 1.7 × for men and 1.05 × for women (136 kg and 63 kg). Competitive-level relative strength.

How to progress it in Beatweek

Close-Grip Bench Press 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 close-grip bench press standard: Close-Grip Bench Press. 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, 62.5 kg × 5 reads “Intermediate, 35.08 kg to Advanced”.

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Questions

What is a good close-grip bench press for an 80 kg man?

On Beatweek’s table an 80 kg man reaches Intermediate at an e1RM of 72 kg (0.9 × bodyweight), Advanced at 108 kg and Elite at 136 kg. Novice starts at 36 kg.

What is a good close-grip bench press for a 60 kg woman?

On Beatweek’s table a 60 kg woman reaches Intermediate at an e1RM of 30 kg (0.5 × bodyweight), Advanced at 45 kg and Elite at 63 kg. Novice starts at 15 kg.

What close-grip bench press should I expect after a year of training?

The table is set so that a typical first year of consistent training lands in Novice: 0.45 × bodyweight for men and 0.25 × for women, which is 36 kg for an 80 kg man and 15 kg for a 60 kg woman. A couple of years usually reaches Intermediate, 0.9 × and 0.5 ×.

What counts as an elite close-grip bench press?

Elite means competitive-level relative strength: an e1RM of 1.7 × bodyweight for men and 1.05 × for women, so 136 kg for an 80 kg man and 63 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.