Squat Strength Standards

Enter one set: we'll estimate your 1RM and rank it against real squat lifts logged on Gravitus, by bodyweight and gender.

What Is a Good Squat?

A good squat for a 180 lb man is about 270 lb, the intermediate standard; for a 140 lb woman it is about 150 lb. Good is relative to bodyweight and sex, and the calculator below ranks your lift against real squat sets logged by lifters in the Gravitus app. The benchmark tables use allometric bodyweight scaling so you can compare fairly at any size.

What's the average squat? See the real numbers →

Learn proper squat form, muscles worked, and programming →

Use the max squat calculator to estimate your one-rep max →

Calculate Your Squat Strength Level

1RM estimated from your weight and reps with the Brzycki formula

How Men's Squat 1RMs Are Distributed

Estimated one-rep max

Men: 25th percentile 197 lb · median 251 lb · 75th percentile 309 lb

Women: 25th percentile 99 lb · median 137 lb · 75th percentile 176 lb

The back squat is the king of lower body exercises and a cornerstone of strength training. It tests total body strength with emphasis on the quadriceps, glutes, and core. These standards show how your squat compares to other lifters of your bodyweight and gender, from beginner to elite levels.

Track Your Strength Progress

Visualize your strength gains over time with Gravitus. The app automatically calculates your estimated 1RM on every set, tracks progress trends, and suggests optimal weight jumps for maximum strength gains.

star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon
8,000+ App Store Ratings
Download on the App Store Get it on Google Play

Squat Standards for Men (lbs)

Bodyweight (lbs) Beginner Novice Intermediate median Advanced Elite
120* 95 140 185 245 290
130* 105 150 195 260 310
140 110 160 210 275 325
150 120 175 235 295 365
160 120 180 245 310 380
170 130 190 260 325 390
180 135 205 270 335 410
190 140 210 280 350 430
200 140 210 280 360 445
210 140 210 285 365 450
220 140 215 295 375 455
230 140 215 300 385 470
240 140 215 300 405 485
250 140 215 300 410 485
260* 145 220 310 420 500
270* 150 225 315 435 515
280* 155 235 325 445 530
290* 160 240 335 460 540
300* 165 245 345 470 555

Unmarked rows are computed from real Gravitus lifter data. * Estimated with allometric scaling, outside the bodyweight range with enough logged lifters.

Squat Standards for Women (lbs)

Bodyweight (lbs) Beginner Novice Intermediate median Advanced Elite
100* 40 80 120 160 200
110 45 90 130 175 215
120 50 100 140 185 230
130 50 105 145 190 235
140 55 105 150 195 245
150 60 105 155 205 255
160 60 105 155 220 260
170 60 105 155 220 265
180 60 105 155 220 265
190 60 105 155 220 265
200 60 105 170 235 295

Unmarked rows are computed from real Gravitus lifter data. * Estimated with allometric scaling, outside the bodyweight range with enough logged lifters.

How These Standards Are Calculated

These standards are computed directly from workouts logged in the Gravitus app: the all-time best squat efforts of real lifters, converted to estimated one-rep max (1RM). Each level corresponds to a percentile among lifters in your bodyweight bracket: Beginner (5th), Novice (20th), Intermediate (50th), Advanced (80th), and Elite (95th). Brackets with fewer than 50 lifters are estimated with allometric scaling and marked as interpolated. Figures reflect lifters who share workouts publicly; extreme outliers are excluded.

The full method, covering qualifying sets, the 1RM estimator, outlier trimming, bodyweight brackets, the percentile levels and the refresh cadence, is written up in how the standards are computed.

Tips for Improving Your Squat

To improve your squat: work on ankle and hip mobility, strengthen your core and upper back to maintain position, practice box squats and pause squats to build strength out of the hole, use belt squats or leg press as accessory movements, and follow a structured program with planned deloads.

Strength Levels Explained

  • Beginner

    The strength level of someone who has recently started training. Achievable within the first few months of proper training.

  • Novice

    Represents early progress with consistent training. Most dedicated lifters reach this level within their first year.

  • Intermediate

    Above-average strength that represents consistent, dedicated training over multiple years.

  • Advanced

    Exceptional strength that far exceeds the average lifter. Requires years of dedicated programming and nutrition.

  • Elite

    Competitive-level strength representing the top 1% of lifters. May require favorable genetics to achieve.

Frequently Asked Questions

A good goal for most men is to squat 1.5x their bodyweight, which represents an intermediate level. For women, squatting 1.0-1.25x bodyweight is a solid intermediate target. These benchmarks assume proper depth (at least parallel) with good form.

Yes, squatting 2x bodyweight is an advanced level achievement for most bodyweight classes. This typically requires several years of dedicated training and represents top-tier recreational lifter strength.

For these standards, a proper squat means the hip crease drops below the top of the knee (at or below parallel). Partial squats with heavier weights don't count toward these benchmarks. Full depth squats build more strength and muscle.

It's normal to deadlift more than you squat. Most lifters deadlift 10-30% more than their squat. The deadlift uses more posterior chain muscles and has a shorter range of motion. If your deadlift is more than 40% above your squat, you may have squat-specific weaknesses to address.

More Strength Standards

Compare your strength across exercises

Bench Press Deadlift Overhead Press Barbell Row Incline Bench Press Front Squat

Your Next PR Starts Here

Join 300,000+ lifters tracking their gains with Gravitus.

300k+ Lifters
10M+ Workouts
100k+ Exercises
Download on the App Store Get it on Google Play
Log your next session Track every set, hit new PRs, watch your numbers climb
Get Gravitus