- The median bench press for raw men at 74 kg is 243 lb (110 kg). Beat that and you out-lift half the class.
- Top 20%: 287 lb (130 kg). Top 10%: 314 lb (142.5 kg). Top 1%: 380 lb (172.5 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 Raw Men
The 74 kg class covers men weighing 66–74 kg (146–163 lb). These percentiles are computed from 124,933 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 | 143 lb | 65 kg | Novice |
| 10th percentile | 165 lb | 75 kg | Novice |
| 20th percentile | 193 lb | 87.5 kg | Intermediate |
| 30th percentile | 209 lb | 95 kg | Intermediate |
| 40th percentile | 226 lb | 102.5 kg | Intermediate |
| 50th percentile | 243 lb | 110 kg | Advanced |
| 60th percentile | 254 lb | 115 kg | Advanced |
| 70th percentile | 270 lb | 122.5 kg | Advanced |
| 80th percentile | 287 lb | 130 kg | Elite |
| 85th percentile | 298 lb | 135 kg | Elite |
| 90th percentile | 314 lb | 142.5 kg | Elite |
| 95th percentile | 336 lb | 152.5 kg | World Class |
| 97.5th percentile | 355 lb | 161 kg | World Class |
| 99th percentile | 380 lb | 172.5 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 raw class?
The median competition bench press in this class is 243 lb (110 kg). Anything above that beats half of all raw men who have competed at 74 kg. 287 lb (130 kg) puts you in the top 20%, and 336 lb (152.5 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 314 lb (142.5 kg) for raw men at 74 kg. The top 1% of the class has lifted 380 lb (172.5 kg) or more.
Where does this data come from?
Every number on this page is computed from 124,933 competition results in the OpenPowerlifting database for raw 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.