- The median bench press for equipped men at 74 kg is 230 lb (104.3 kg). Beat that and you out-lift half the class.
- Top 20%: 298 lb (135 kg). Top 10%: 342 lb (155 kg). Top 1%: 463 lb (210 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 — 74 kg Equipped Men
The 74 kg class covers men weighing 66–74 kg (146–163 lb). These percentiles are computed from 108,011 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 | 140 lb | 63.5 kg | Novice |
| 10th percentile | 155 lb | 70.3 kg | Novice |
| 20th percentile | 175 lb | 79.4 kg | Intermediate |
| 30th percentile | 195 lb | 88.5 kg | Intermediate |
| 40th percentile | 210 lb | 95.2 kg | Intermediate |
| 50th percentile | 230 lb | 104.3 kg | Advanced |
| 60th percentile | 248 lb | 112.5 kg | Advanced |
| 70th percentile | 270 lb | 122.5 kg | Advanced |
| 80th percentile | 298 lb | 135 kg | Elite |
| 85th percentile | 315 lb | 142.9 kg | Elite |
| 90th percentile | 342 lb | 155 kg | Elite |
| 95th percentile | 380 lb | 172.5 kg | World Class |
| 97.5th percentile | 419 lb | 190 kg | World Class |
| 99th percentile | 463 lb | 210 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 74 kg equipped class?
The median competition bench press in this class is 230 lb (104.3 kg). Anything above that beats half of all equipped men who have competed at 74 kg. 298 lb (135 kg) puts you in the top 20%, and 380 lb (172.5 kg) in the top 5%.
What bench press do you need to be elite at 74 kg?
Using the top-10% line as the elite threshold, that is 342 lb (155 kg) for equipped men at 74 kg. The top 1% of the class has lifted 463 lb (210 kg) or more.
Where does this data come from?
Every number on this page is computed from 108,011 competition results in the OpenPowerlifting database for equipped men in the 74 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.