Average Overhead Press: Real Numbers from 24,617 Lifters
The average overhead press for men who lift is 122 lb (estimated one-rep max): the median of 20,611 men who log the overhead press on Gravitus. For women who lift, the average is 59 lb, measured across 4,006 female lifters. These are medians of real logged sets, not numbers scaled from a formula. People who track their workouts train more than the average person, so treat these as averages for lifters, not the general population.
of the 20,611 men on Gravitus overhead press less than 135 lb. One plate overhead is the classic pressing milestone, and the slowest one to reach.
Updated weekly from Gravitus workout data. Last computed Jul 17, 2026.
How Men's OHP 1RMs Are Distributed
20,611 lifters, estimated one-rep max
Men: 25th percentile 99 lb · median 122 lb · 75th percentile 147 lb · a 135 lb press beats 64% of men
Women: 25th percentile 44 lb · median 59 lb · 75th percentile 71 lb, from 4,006 lifters
Average Overhead Press by Bodyweight
| Bodyweight (lbs) | Average: Men (lbs) | Average: Women (lbs) |
|---|---|---|
| 110 | - | 55 |
| 120 | - | 55 |
| 130 | - | 60 |
| 140 | 100 | 60 |
| 150 | 110 | 60 |
| 160 | 120 | 60 |
| 170 | 125 | 60 |
| 180 | 130 | 65 |
| 190 | 130 | 65 |
| 200 | 135 | 65 |
| 210 | 140 | - |
| 220 | 145 | - |
| 230 | 145 | - |
| 240 | 145 | - |
| 250 | 145 | - |
| 260 | 145 | - |
The average is the median (50th percentile) estimated 1RM of real Gravitus lifters at each bodyweight. Brackets without enough logged lifters are omitted rather than filled with a formula.
Average vs. Strength Standards
The average tells you where the middle is: half of real lifters sit above it, half below. Strength standards answer a different question, what good looks like at your bodyweight, from Beginner to Elite. If you want targets instead of a midpoint, the overhead press strength standards break the same real data into five levels, and the strength calculator places you on them from any recent set.
Average Overhead Press by Age
Strength on the overhead press typically climbs fast through your first training years, peaks somewhere in the late 20s to 30s, and declines only gradually after 40. Training history matters far more than the calendar: a well-trained 50-year-old beats most untrained 25-year-olds, and lifters who keep training into their 60s hold on to most of their strength.
Only 5.6% of Gravitus lifters share a birthday, so we can't measure honest age averages. We won't dress a formula up as data; when enough lifters share their age, we'll publish the real numbers.
Until then, treat the medians and by-bodyweight averages above as your benchmark at any age, and judge progress against your own logged history rather than an age chart someone extrapolated.
Frequently Asked Questions
Beat the Average
Log your press in Gravitus and the app tracks your estimated 1RM on every set, so you can watch yourself pull away from the median.
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