What Is the Average Bench Press by Age?

The average (median) man aged 19–29 who logs bench press in Liftoff lifts about 185 lb for one rep; the average woman about 85 lb. The chart below shows every age group.

Updated October 9, 2026 · Based on 217,054 Liftoff users

What Is the Average Bench Press by Age?

The chart and table below show the median estimated one rep max for each age group, split by sex, among Liftoff users who log bench press. An estimated one rep max is the most weight a lifter could press once, worked out from the sets they log, so nobody has to test a true max to be counted.

Median means half of lifters in each group lift more and half lift less.

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Typical bench press ranges by age bracket

• Teens (15–19). Most beginners in this age range bench around 65 to 95 lb, while those with experience may lift 140 to 185 lb or more.
• 20s and 30s. The average bench press for untrained lifters is around 135 lb, while trained lifters may press between 185 and 225 lb. Advanced lifters can push well over 300 lb.
• 40s and 50s. The average bench press for men in this age group is typically 10 to 20% lower than in their peak years.
• 60s and beyond. Many older lifters still press 100 to 185 lb, depending on experience and training consistency.

Average bench press for teens (13–18)

Teens get two rows in the table above, 13 to 15 and 16 to 18, because a few years make a big difference while you're still growing. Find your age group there instead of comparing yourself with adults.

If you're a teen, the number on the bar matters less than how you lift it:

• Technique first. Learn a consistent setup and bar path with a light bar before you add weight.
• Always bench with a spotter or safety arms. Set the safeties so they'd catch the bar above your chest.
• Don't test a one rep max without supervision. A coach or an experienced adult should be there.
• Progress by reps before weight. Add a rep or two with the same weight, then go up in the smallest jump your gym has.

What Is Bench Press and Why Does It Matter?

The bench press is an upper-body lift. You lie on a bench, lower a barbell to your chest and press it back up until your arms are straight. It trains the chest, the front of the shoulders and the triceps together.

It matters because it's simple to learn, easy to load in small steps and easy to compare from one session to the next. That makes it a common way to track upper-body pressing strength over months and years. The Bench Press form guide walks through the setup with video.

Factors Affecting Average Bench Press by Age

Age is one input among several. Two people the same age can be far apart on the bar for reasons that have nothing to do with effort.

• Bodyweight and muscle mass. Heavier lifters with more muscle usually press more. That's why Liftoff ranks a lift at your own bodyweight instead of against one average.
• Training age. How long you've trained counts for more than how old you are. Early progress is fast because your body is learning the movement as well as building muscle.
• Sex. Men press more on average, mostly because of differences in upper-body muscle mass. Progress follows the same pattern for everyone.
• Technique. A stable setup, a steady bar path and leg drive let you use the strength you already have.
• Build. With shorter arms the bar travels a shorter distance, which is a real mechanical advantage.
• Equipment. Wrist wraps add support, and bars, benches and racks differ from gym to gym, so a lift can feel different somewhere new.

How to Improve Your Bench Press at Any Age

1. Set up the same way every time. Eyes under the bar, feet flat on the floor, upper back and glutes on the bench.
2. Grip a little wider than shoulder width. Wrap your thumbs around the bar and keep your wrists stacked over your elbows.
3. Brace before you unrack. Squeeze your shoulder blades together, take a breath and drive your feet into the floor.
4. Lower with control. Bring the bar to your chest, pause briefly, then press back up to the start position.
5. Add weight in small steps. When you hit the top of your rep range on every set, go up by the smallest plates available. Our guide to progressive overload covers the details.
6. Train the lift often enough to practise it. Most people do well benching once or twice a week with a rest day between sessions.
7. Log every session. You can't beat last week's numbers if you don't know what they were.

Keep reading: Bench Press form guide, how Liftoff builds its strength standards, average incline dumbbell press by age, average dumbbell shoulder press by age.

How we calculated this

These figures are the median estimated one rep max among Liftoff users who logged bench press from Jul 10 to Oct 8, 2026. Each lifter counts once, at their strongest set of 12 reps or fewer, converted with the Epley formula and rounded to 5 lb.

Read how the Liftoff rank system is built.