- The median bench press for raw men at 120 kg is 347 lb (157.5 kg). Beat that and you out-lift half the class.
- Top 20%: 408 lb (185 kg). Top 10%: 441 lb (200 kg). Top 1%: 518 lb (235 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 — 120 kg Raw Men
The 120 kg class covers men weighing 105–120 kg (231–265 lb). These percentiles are computed from 128,247 raw (belt, sleeves, and wrist wraps only — no knee wraps, no supportive suits or 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 | 220 lb | 100 kg | Novice |
| 10th percentile | 248 lb | 112.5 kg | Novice |
| 20th percentile | 285 lb | 129.3 kg | Intermediate |
| 30th percentile | 309 lb | 140 kg | Intermediate |
| 40th percentile | 331 lb | 150 kg | Intermediate |
| 50th percentile | 347 lb | 157.5 kg | Advanced |
| 60th percentile | 364 lb | 165 kg | Advanced |
| 70th percentile | 386 lb | 175 kg | Advanced |
| 80th percentile | 408 lb | 185 kg | Elite |
| 85th percentile | 420 lb | 190.5 kg | Elite |
| 90th percentile | 441 lb | 200 kg | Elite |
| 95th percentile | 465 lb | 211 kg | World Class |
| 97.5th percentile | 491 lb | 222.5 kg | World Class |
| 99th percentile | 518 lb | 235 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 120 kg raw class?
The median competition bench press in this class is 347 lb (157.5 kg). Anything above that beats half of all raw men who have competed at 120 kg. 408 lb (185 kg) puts you in the top 20%, and 465 lb (211 kg) in the top 5%.
What bench press do you need to be elite at 120 kg?
Using the top-10% line as the elite threshold, that is 441 lb (200 kg) for raw men at 120 kg. The top 1% of the class has lifted 518 lb (235 kg) or more.
Where does this data come from?
Every number on this page is computed from 128,247 competition results in the OpenPowerlifting database for raw men in the 120 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.