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How Strong Are You? Compare Your Lifts to Global Powerlifting Strength Norms


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Ever wondered how your squat, bench press, or deadlift stacks up against others your age, sex, and body weight?Our brand-new Strength Norms Calculator puts the data in your hands, instantly. Built on years of research, including our own published analyses from hundreds of thousands of competition results from the OpenPowerlifting database, this tool provides evidence-based percentile rankings for your lifts. In seconds, you can see exactly where you stand compared to lifters across Australia and the world.

Why Percentiles Matter in Strength Training

Numbers alone don’t tell the full story. A 100 kg bench press might be good for a 60 kg lifter, but below average for a 120 kg lifter. That’s why our calculator uses relative strength — your lift divided by your body weight, and compares it to sex-, age-, and weight class–specific percentiles. This approach mirrors the methodology used in published sports performance research [1–3]. By looking at percentiles rather than raw numbers, you get a true performance benchmark tailored to you.

The Research Behind the Tool

Our percentile tables were generated from over 800,000 individual competition results from, filtered by:

  • Age groups (e.g., 18–35, 36–59, 60–79, 80+)

  • Sex (biological male or female)

  • Weight classes (as used in competitive IPF lifting)

  • Lift type (Squat, Bench Press, Deadlift)

The data was cleaned, validated, and analysed, following established statistical approaches for normative datasets. Outliers (such as disqualified lifts or clearly erroneous entries) were removed, ensuring the numbers reflect realistic performance ranges.

How It Works

  1. Enter your details – biological sex, age, body weight, and your 1RM for each lift.

  2. Click submit – the tool calculates your strength-to-bodyweight ratio.

  3. See your results – percentile rankings for your age group and weight class, plus visual radar plots to show your profile at a glance.

And yes — we log anonymous usage data (age bracket, weight class, and lift values) to improve the tool and further our research.

Why This Matters for Athletes & Coaches

Percentile-based feedback helps:

  • Identify strengths and weaknesses — e.g., a high squat percentile but low bench percentile suggests targeted upper body work.

  • Set realistic goals — knowing the 75th or 90th percentile for your group gives you a concrete target.

  • Track long-term progress — especially when combined with structured training.

  • Support talent identification — coaches can quickly spot lifters with elite potential for their demographic.

Test Yourself Today

The Strength Norms Calculator is free, quick, and based on verified, peer-reviewed research.Whether you’re a competitive powerlifter, a CrossFit athlete, or just someone who loves lifting, it’s the most accurate way to answer that burning question:

"How strong am I compared to everyone else?"

📩 Want to improve your ranking? Contact us today to find out how we can help you reach the next level.

References

  1. Van den Hoek D, et al. Normative strength values in competitive powerlifting (2024, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research – in review).

  2. Keogh JW, Hume PA, Pearson SN, Mellow P. Anthropometric dimensions of male powerlifters, strongman competitors and elite rugby union players. J Strength Cond Res. 2007;21(4):1148–1156.

  3. Storey A, Smith HK. Unique aspects of competitive weightlifting: performance, training and physiology. Sports Med. 2012;42(9):769–790.

 
 
 
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