- The median bench press for equipped men at 59 kg is 165 lb (74.8 kg). Beat that and you out-lift half the class.
- Top 20%: 220 lb (99.8 kg). Top 10%: 254 lb (115 kg). Top 1%: 364 lb (165 kg).
- A bodyweight bench puts you ahead of most gym-goers; 1.5× bodyweight is strong by any standard; 2× bodyweight is elite territory.
Bench Press Percentiles — 59 kg Equipped Men
The 59 kg class covers men weighing up to 59 kg (130 lb). These percentiles are computed from 69,485 equipped (single-ply or multi-ply suits and bench shirts) competition results in the OpenPowerlifting database. Remember that everyone in this dataset trained hard enough to enter a meet, so the 20th percentile here is already well above the average gym-goer.
| Percentile | Lbs | Kg | Band |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5th percentile | 90 lb | 40.8 kg | Novice |
| 10th percentile | 105 lb | 47.6 kg | Novice |
| 20th percentile | 121 lb | 55 kg | Intermediate |
| 30th percentile | 135 lb | 61.2 kg | Intermediate |
| 40th percentile | 150 lb | 68 kg | Intermediate |
| 50th percentile | 165 lb | 74.8 kg | Advanced |
| 60th percentile | 176 lb | 80 kg | Advanced |
| 70th percentile | 195 lb | 88.5 kg | Advanced |
| 80th percentile | 220 lb | 99.8 kg | Elite |
| 85th percentile | 231 lb | 105 kg | Elite |
| 90th percentile | 254 lb | 115 kg | Elite |
| 95th percentile | 287 lb | 130 kg | World Class |
| 97.5th percentile | 320 lb | 145 kg | World Class |
| 99th percentile | 364 lb | 165 kg | World Class |
Novice = below the 20th percentile of competitors. Intermediate = 20th–50th. Advanced = 50th–80th. Elite = 80th–95th. World Class = top 5%. Percentiles are calculated on the best bench press from each meet entry, so a lifter with ten meets appears ten times; this weights the data toward experienced competitors.
How to Improve Your Bench Press
Bench responds well to frequency. Most intermediate lifters should bench two to three times per week — one heavy day and one or two lighter technique or volume days. If you are weak off the chest, add paused reps and dumbbell pressing. If you are weak at lockout, add close-grip bench and direct triceps work. A legal competition pause costs most lifters 5–10 lb until they train it, so pause every top set. See the accessory selection guide for weak-point work and the program generator for a periodized plan.
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Frequently Asked
What is a good bench press for men in the 59 kg equipped class?
The median competition bench press in this class is 165 lb (74.8 kg). Anything above that beats half of all equipped men who have competed at 59 kg. 220 lb (99.8 kg) puts you in the top 20%, and 287 lb (130 kg) in the top 5%.
What bench press do you need to be elite at 59 kg?
Using the top-10% line as the elite threshold, that is 254 lb (115 kg) for equipped men at 59 kg. The top 1% of the class has lifted 364 lb (165 kg) or more.
Where does this data come from?
Every number on this page is computed from 69,485 competition results in the OpenPowerlifting database for equipped men in the 59 kg class, and is regenerated automatically as new meets are added (last update 2026-09-02). These are lifts done in competition under referees, not gym numbers or self-reported maxes.