The bench press is one of the most common exercises performed in the gym and the one most frequently compared, especially among men. Standards based on normative data have been created to help gauge where one stands in the ability to generate upper-body strength and upper-body muscular endurance.
The 1-RM/Body Weight Strength Test
The most commonly used standards evaluate one maximum repetition, also referred to as a "1-rep max" or 1-RM, as a relative percentage of body weight. This allows bigger and smaller people to compare their strength on a relative, or pound-for-pound, basis rather than on an absolute basis in which the larger person has a distinct advantage. The standards used by the American College of Sports Medicine and the National Strength and Condition Association are derived from research completed at the Cooper Institute during the 1990s and use a 1-RM weight per pounds of body weight ratio as the measure. Even in power-lifting, where the goal is doing the highest possible 1-RM, lifters compete within rather narrow 15- to 24-lb. weight classes.
How Do You Compare in Strength (1-RM)?
Within these standards, a 20- to 29-year-old male who can bench press 1.49 times his body weight falls above the 90th percentile of his peers. The 50th percentile for that age group is bench press of 1.10 times their body weight while the bottom 10 percent has a 1-RM of less than 0.71 times their body weight. For women in their 20s, the 90th percentile can bench press at least 75 percent of their body weight, the top half can bench press at least 56 percent of their body weight and the bottom 10 percent max out at less than 37 percent of their body weight.
The standards decrease gradually with increasing age. For example, men in their 40s must bench press 1.10 times their weight to be included in the top 10 percent of their peers, or bench 84 percent of their body weight to be in the top half. Women in their 40s who can bench press 0.71 times their body weight are at or above the 90th percentile while the 50th percentile of women aged 40 to 49 bench at least 52 percent of their body weight. Bear in mind that these numbers are derived from bench presses performed on a Universal bench. Equivalent free-weight bench numbers may be a bit lower.
How To Safely Find Your 1-RM
Determining your maximum bench press can be dangerous if done improperly. The National Strength and Condition Association outlines a safe and reliable method as follows. Estimate what you think your current 1-RM. As both a warm-up and as accuracy check of your estimate, bench press 50 percent of your estimated 1-RM five times. Use a spotter for the remaining work. Take a 1-minute break, then perform 5 repetitions at 80 percent of your estimated 1-RM. Take a 3-minute break and then attempt one repetition at your estimated 1-RM. If you succeed, add 5 to 10 lbs. to the bar, take another 3-minute break and complete one rep at this new weight. Continue this add/rest/attempt cycle until you fail to complete a repetition. The last successful lift is your 1-RM.
Keep Your Technique Sound
To get a reliable result, proper technique must be used: Your back must be flat on the bench and your feet must be flat on the floor at all times. Touch the bar to your chest and hold the weight there for 1 second before extending your arms; the bar must not bounce off your chest. Arms must reach full extension at the top for a successful lift.
Muscular Endurance Measured Through Repetitions
The American College of Sports Medicine also outlines a bench press test for muscular endurance. This test was originally created for the YMCA by famed exercise scientist Lawrence Golding. It consists of performing a maximum number of repetitions with a set amount of weight: 80 lbs. for men or 35 lbs. for women. The repetitions should be performed at a rate of 30 per minute, or one every 2 seconds. Norms for this test are broken out into both genders and several age groups and categories. At the top of the range, the excellent standard for 18- to 25-year-olds is 64 repetitions for males and 66 for females, whereas that same age group is considered below average at 22 or 18 repetitions, respectively. Considered average for 36- to 45-year-old men is 21 reps, for women it's 20 reps. To register as excellent in that age group males must perform 55 reps, females 57. For those aged 56 to 65, 36 reps for men and 30 reps for women is considered excellent, while 11 and 10, respectively, is considered average.
How to Use Your 1-RM
Being able to compare where you stand with your peers is useful and can be a great motivator. Even better is to compare your own performance at different times over the course of your training. This can shed light on what's working well in your training plan and what's not. Finally, knowing your 1-RM can make it easier to select the proper weight for training sets. For example, 12-rep sets of bench press are normally performed at about 70 percent of 1-RM, while 8-rep sets are performed at 75 to 80 percent of 1-RM.
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