Barbell Curl Strength Standards
Use these barbell curl standards to compare your weight lifted with other lifters. The tables break performance into beginner, novice, intermediate, advanced, and elite levels, with separate comparisons by bodyweight, age, and sex where available.
Calculate Your Barbell Curl Strength Level
Enter your sex, bodyweight, age, and barbell curl one-rep max to estimate your strength level and approximate percentile.
Percentiles are approximate and are interpolated between the Beginner (5th), Novice (20th), Intermediate (50th), Advanced (80th), and Elite (95th) benchmarks shown on this page.
Male Barbell Curl Standards
Male Barbell Curl Strength Standards
| Strength Level | Weight |
|---|---|
| Beginner | 40 lb |
| Novice | 65 lb |
| Intermediate | 95 lb |
| Advanced | 135 lb |
| Elite | 180 lb |
Male Barbell Curl Standards by Bodyweight Ratio
| Strength Level | Bodyweight Ratio |
|---|---|
| Beginner | 0.25x |
| Novice | 0.40x |
| Intermediate | 0.60x |
| Advanced | 0.80x |
| Elite | 1.05x |
Male Barbell Curl Standards by Bodyweight
| Bodyweight | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 110 lb | 20 lb | 40 lb | 65 lb | 95 lb | 125 lb |
| 120 lb | 25 lb | 45 lb | 70 lb | 100 lb | 135 lb |
| 130 lb | 30 lb | 50 lb | 75 lb | 110 lb | 145 lb |
| 140 lb | 35 lb | 55 lb | 80 lb | 115 lb | 150 lb |
| 150 lb | 35 lb | 60 lb | 85 lb | 120 lb | 160 lb |
| 160 lb | 40 lb | 65 lb | 90 lb | 125 lb | 165 lb |
| 170 lb | 45 lb | 65 lb | 95 lb | 130 lb | 170 lb |
| 180 lb | 45 lb | 70 lb | 100 lb | 140 lb | 180 lb |
| 190 lb | 50 lb | 75 lb | 105 lb | 145 lb | 185 lb |
| 200 lb | 55 lb | 80 lb | 110 lb | 150 lb | 190 lb |
| 210 lb | 55 lb | 85 lb | 115 lb | 155 lb | 195 lb |
| 220 lb | 60 lb | 85 lb | 120 lb | 160 lb | 200 lb |
| 230 lb | 60 lb | 90 lb | 125 lb | 165 lb | 205 lb |
| 240 lb | 65 lb | 95 lb | 130 lb | 170 lb | 210 lb |
| 250 lb | 70 lb | 95 lb | 130 lb | 175 lb | 215 lb |
| 260 lb | 70 lb | 100 lb | 135 lb | 175 lb | 220 lb |
| 270 lb | 75 lb | 105 lb | 140 lb | 180 lb | 225 lb |
| 280 lb | 75 lb | 105 lb | 145 lb | 185 lb | 230 lb |
| 290 lb | 80 lb | 110 lb | 145 lb | 190 lb | 235 lb |
| 300 lb | 80 lb | 115 lb | 150 lb | 195 lb | 240 lb |
| 310 lb | 85 lb | 115 lb | 155 lb | 200 lb | 245 lb |
Male Barbell Curl Standards by Age
| Age | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 35 lb | 55 lb | 80 lb | 115 lb | 150 lb |
| 20 | 40 lb | 65 lb | 95 lb | 130 lb | 175 lb |
| 25 | 40 lb | 65 lb | 95 lb | 135 lb | 180 lb |
| 30 | 40 lb | 65 lb | 95 lb | 135 lb | 180 lb |
| 35 | 40 lb | 65 lb | 95 lb | 135 lb | 180 lb |
| 40 | 40 lb | 65 lb | 95 lb | 135 lb | 180 lb |
| 45 | 40 lb | 60 lb | 90 lb | 130 lb | 170 lb |
| 50 | 35 lb | 55 lb | 85 lb | 120 lb | 160 lb |
| 55 | 30 lb | 55 lb | 80 lb | 110 lb | 145 lb |
| 60 | 30 lb | 50 lb | 70 lb | 100 lb | 135 lb |
| 65 | 25 lb | 45 lb | 65 lb | 90 lb | 120 lb |
| 70 | 25 lb | 40 lb | 60 lb | 80 lb | 110 lb |
| 75 | 20 lb | 35 lb | 50 lb | 75 lb | 95 lb |
| 80 | 20 lb | 30 lb | 45 lb | 65 lb | 85 lb |
| 85 | 15 lb | 25 lb | 40 lb | 60 lb | 75 lb |
| 90 | 15 lb | 25 lb | 35 lb | 50 lb | 70 lb |
Female Barbell Curl Standards
Female Barbell Curl Strength Standards
| Strength Level | Weight |
|---|---|
| Beginner | 15 lb |
| Novice | 30 lb |
| Intermediate | 50 lb |
| Advanced | 80 lb |
| Elite | 110 lb |
Female Barbell Curl Standards by Bodyweight Ratio
| Strength Level | Bodyweight Ratio |
|---|---|
| Beginner | 0.10x |
| Novice | 0.25x |
| Intermediate | 0.40x |
| Advanced | 0.55x |
| Elite | 0.75x |
Female Barbell Curl Standards by Bodyweight
| Bodyweight | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90 lb | 10 lb | 20 lb | 35 lb | 60 lb | 85 lb |
| 100 lb | 10 lb | 20 lb | 40 lb | 60 lb | 90 lb |
| 110 lb | 10 lb | 25 lb | 45 lb | 65 lb | 95 lb |
| 120 lb | 15 lb | 25 lb | 45 lb | 70 lb | 95 lb |
| 130 lb | 15 lb | 30 lb | 50 lb | 75 lb | 100 lb |
| 140 lb | 15 lb | 30 lb | 50 lb | 75 lb | 105 lb |
| 150 lb | 20 lb | 35 lb | 55 lb | 80 lb | 110 lb |
| 160 lb | 20 lb | 35 lb | 55 lb | 80 lb | 110 lb |
| 170 lb | 20 lb | 35 lb | 60 lb | 85 lb | 115 lb |
| 180 lb | 20 lb | 40 lb | 60 lb | 85 lb | 120 lb |
| 190 lb | 25 lb | 40 lb | 65 lb | 90 lb | 120 lb |
| 200 lb | 25 lb | 40 lb | 65 lb | 90 lb | 125 lb |
| 210 lb | 25 lb | 45 lb | 65 lb | 95 lb | 125 lb |
| 220 lb | 25 lb | 45 lb | 70 lb | 95 lb | 130 lb |
| 230 lb | 30 lb | 45 lb | 70 lb | 100 lb | 130 lb |
| 240 lb | 30 lb | 50 lb | 70 lb | 100 lb | 135 lb |
| 250 lb | 30 lb | 50 lb | 75 lb | 105 lb | 135 lb |
| 260 lb | 30 lb | 50 lb | 75 lb | 105 lb | 140 lb |
Female Barbell Curl Standards by Age
| Age | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 15 lb | 25 lb | 45 lb | 65 lb | 90 lb |
| 20 | 15 lb | 30 lb | 50 lb | 75 lb | 105 lb |
| 25 | 15 lb | 30 lb | 50 lb | 80 lb | 110 lb |
| 30 | 15 lb | 30 lb | 50 lb | 80 lb | 110 lb |
| 35 | 15 lb | 30 lb | 50 lb | 80 lb | 110 lb |
| 40 | 15 lb | 30 lb | 50 lb | 80 lb | 110 lb |
| 45 | 15 lb | 30 lb | 50 lb | 75 lb | 100 lb |
| 50 | 15 lb | 25 lb | 45 lb | 70 lb | 95 lb |
| 55 | 10 lb | 25 lb | 40 lb | 65 lb | 90 lb |
| 60 | 10 lb | 20 lb | 40 lb | 60 lb | 80 lb |
| 65 | 10 lb | 20 lb | 35 lb | 50 lb | 70 lb |
| 70 | 10 lb | 20 lb | 30 lb | 45 lb | 65 lb |
| 75 | 10 lb | 15 lb | 25 lb | 40 lb | 60 lb |
| 80 | 5 lb | 15 lb | 25 lb | 35 lb | 50 lb |
| 85 | 5 lb | 10 lb | 20 lb | 35 lb | 45 lb |
| 90 | 5 lb | 10 lb | 20 lb | 30 lb | 40 lb |
What the Strength Levels Mean
Beginner
Stronger than roughly 5% of lifters. This level represents someone who is still relatively new to the exercise but has practiced it consistently enough to develop proper technique. They understand the basic mechanics of the movement and can perform it with proper form and control through a full range of motion.
Novice
Stronger than roughly 20% of lifters. This level represents someone who has moved beyond the beginner stage and has trained the exercise consistently for around six months. They have developed reliable technique, greater control of the movement, and a foundation of strength that comes from regular practice.
Intermediate
Stronger than roughly 50% of lifters. This level represents someone with significant experience training the exercise, typically around two years or more. They have developed solid strength, consistent technique, and a strong understanding of the movement through sustained and progressive training.
Advanced
Stronger than roughly 80% of lifters. This level represents a highly experienced lifter who has spent several years consistently training and improving the exercise. They have developed a high level of strength and technical proficiency that generally requires more than five years of focused training to achieve.
Elite
Stronger than roughly 95% of lifters. This level represents an exceptionally strong and highly experienced lifter who has spent years developing the exercise to a very high standard. They rank among the strongest people performing the movement and have reached a level of strength that may be competitive in strength sports.
Related Strength Standards
These standards are comparative benchmarks, not requirements for safe or effective training. Individual performance can vary with technique, equipment, range of motion, training history, and testing conditions.