How much should a 70-year-old man overhead press?
125 lb (56.5 kg) is a good overhead press for a 70-year-old man: it sits at the 82nd percentile of lifters who track their training (Advanced). The median man overhead presses 95 lb (43 kg); Elite starts around 150 lb (68 kg).
A 70-year-old man of average bodyweight (200 lb) who overhead presses 95 lb (43 kg) is at the 50th percentile among lifters who track their training, Intermediate on the Strength Level scale. No credible general-population one-rep-max norms exist for the overhead press, so this page ranks it against lifters only; the strength age on weyt.ai comes from the bench press and squat.
The ladder
Each weight a 70-year-old man of average bodyweight (200 lb) might overhead press, ranked two ways. Weights are total bar weight, plates plus bar.
| Weight (lb) | kg | Percentile (lifters who track) | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 45 | 20.5 | 4th | BELOW BEGINNER |
| 65 | 29.5 | 15th | BEGINNER |
| 75 | 34 | 25th | NOVICE |
| 95MEDIAN | 43 | 50th | INTERMEDIATE |
| 105 | 47.5 | 62nd | INTERMEDIATE |
| 125 | 56.5 | 82nd | ADVANCED |
| 135 | 61 | 87th | ADVANCED |
| 155 | 70.5 | 96th | ELITE |
| 165 | 75 | 97th | ELITE |
This page assumes average bodyweight (200 lb) and a single lift. The calculator uses your bodyweight and your best bench and squat set, in your browser, and gives you the Weyt Age the app would show.
Quick answers
What is a good overhead press for a 70-year-old man?
Among lifters who track their training, a 70-year-old man at average bodyweight (200 lb) reaches Intermediate (the 50th percentile) at about 95 lb (43 kg), Advanced (the 80th percentile) at about 125 lb (56.5 kg), and Elite (the 95th percentile) at about 150 lb (68 kg).
Is 125 lb a good overhead press for a 70-year-old man?
125 lb (56.5 kg) puts a 70-year-old man of average bodyweight at the 82nd percentile of lifters who track their training, Advanced on the Strength Level scale.
How this is computed
vs general population is not shown: no credible general-population one-rep-max norms exist for this lift, only lifter-population data. vs lifters who track uses Strength Level community standards (one-rep-max thresholds by sex and bodyweight, with their age adjustment), a self-selected crowd of people who log their training, which is why its median sits well above the general population's. Weights are one-rep maxes or estimated one-rep maxes (Epley, from any set of one to ten reps).
Sources: The Cooper Institute, Physical Fitness Assessments and Norms for Adults and Law Enforcement, as reprinted in ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription, 8th ed., Table 4.9; Strength Level strength standards, strengthlevel.com/strength-standards/shoulder-press/lb. This is the same math the weyt.ai app runs on your logged sets. Not medical advice.
Other ages
How much should a 70-year-old woman overhead press?
Other lifts
- Bench press standards for men, age 70
- Squat standards for men, age 70
- Romanian deadlift standards for men, age 70
- Deadlift standards for men, age 70
- Incline bench press standards for men, age 70
- Close-grip bench press standards for men, age 70
- Front squat standards for men, age 70
- Hip thrust standards for men, age 70
- Barbell row standards for men, age 70
- Bulgarian split squat standards for men, age 70
- Goblet squat standards for men, age 70
- Incline dumbbell press standards for men, age 70
- Dumbbell bench press standards for men, age 70
- Dumbbell shoulder press standards for men, age 70
- Dumbbell row standards for men, age 70
- Dumbbell Romanian deadlift standards for men, age 70
- Dumbbell lunge standards for men, age 70
- Hammer curl standards for men, age 70
- Dumbbell curl standards for men, age 70