What population does this comparison represent?

OpenPowerlifting raw meet results, separated by sex and bodyweight class. It describes recorded competition entries rather than population prevalence, and n is a meet-result count rather than a unique-person count.

How rare is a 185 lb bench press?

Among 107,887 raw male OpenPowerlifting meet-result entries, roughly 87% record 185 lb or more after bodyweight-class weighting. Among 56,646 female entries, fewer than 18% do. The denominator is competition entries, not the general population — prevalence among all gym-goers is lower than either figure.

Is benching 185 lb impressive?

It depends on bodyweight. In raw male meet results 185 lb reads around the 87th percentile in the 53 kg class and the 8th in the 140 kg+ class. The tables above give every class in between, for men and women.

What percentage of meet results record 185 lb?

Weighted across 107,887 raw male meet results, roughly 87% record 185 lb or more. Weighted across 56,646 raw female meet results, fewer than 18% record 185 lb or more. The share is computed from per-bodyweight-class percentiles weighted by each class's meet-result count in the OpenPowerlifting raw dataset. n counts entries, not unique people, and the result is not a population survey estimate.

Is a 185 lb bench press good?

Weighted across 107,887 OpenPowerlifting raw male meet results, roughly 87% record 185 lb (84 kg) or more. This is not a population-prevalence estimate: the denominator is competition entries, n is not a unique-person count, and repeat competitors may contribute more than one result. Bodyweight changes the percentile sharply, so the tables below keep each men's and women's class separate, flag loads beyond the cube's highest breakpoint, and show kilograms beside pounds. Use your class as the answer, then open the percentile calculator for age, equipment, and exact-bodyweight controls.

Updated 2026-08-06 · OpenPowerlifting meet-result data

In OpenPowerlifting, roughly 87% of 107,887 raw male meet results record 185 lb or more after bodyweight-class percentiles are weighted by entry count.

185 lb bench press for men percentile by bodyweight

OpenPowerlifting raw meet-result percentile by bodyweight class:

Bodyweight	Percentile	Reads as
53 kg 117 lb	87th	top 13% of raw meet results
59 kg 130 lb	50th	stronger than 50% of raw meet results
66 kg 146 lb	30th	stronger than 30% of raw meet results
74 kg 163 lb	15th	stronger than 15% of raw meet results
83 kg 183 lb	9th	stronger than 9% of raw meet results
93 kg 205 lb	9th	stronger than 9% of raw meet results
105 kg 231 lb	8th	stronger than 8% of raw meet results
120 kg 265 lb	8th	stronger than 8% of raw meet results
140 kg+ 309 lb	8th	stronger than 8% of raw meet results

185 lb bench press for women percentile by bodyweight

OpenPowerlifting raw meet-result percentile by bodyweight class:

Bodyweight	Percentile	Reads as
43 kg 95 lb	99th+	top 1% of raw meet results or stronger
47 kg 104 lb	97th	top 3% of raw meet results
52 kg 115 lb	95th	top 5% of raw meet results
57 kg 126 lb	92nd	top 8% of raw meet results
63 kg 139 lb	89th	top 11% of raw meet results
69 kg 152 lb	83rd	top 17% of raw meet results
76 kg 168 lb	79th	top 21% of raw meet results
84 kg 185 lb	76th	top 24% of raw meet results
120 kg+ 265 lb	73rd	stronger than 73% of raw meet results

Where 185 lb stands in the field crossover read

For men, a 185 lb bench press is top-quartile through 53 kg, at or below the field median from 59 kg up.

For women, a 185 lb bench press is a top-10% lift up to the 57 kg class, top-quartile through 84 kg, bottoming out around the 73rd percentile in the heaviest classes.

Weighted across 107,887 raw male meet results, roughly 87% record 185 lb or more. Weighted across 56,646 raw female meet results, fewer than 18% record 185 lb or more.

Competition bench is paused on the chest; a touch-and-go rep inflates the number by 3–6% from the chest-bounce. The standards below are raw (no bench shirt). Because Strength scales sub-linearly with bodyweight — heavier lifters lift more in absolute terms but less per kilo of bodyweight (Vanderburgh & Batterham 1999 (PMID 10613442)), the most honest read of "is this good" is your percentile at your bodyweight, not the raw kilos.

FAQ

Is a 185 lb bench press good?: It depends on bodyweight. A 185 lb bench press ranks much higher in lighter classes than heavier classes. The tables on this page give the percentile at every qualifying bodyweight class in OpenPowerlifting raw meet results.
185 lb bench press — what bodyweight makes it impressive?: Read down the bodyweight column: the lighter you are, the higher the percentile a fixed 185 lb bench press represents, because Strength scales sub-linearly with bodyweight — heavier lifters lift more in absolute terms but less per kilo of bodyweight (Vanderburgh & Batterham 1999, PMID 10613442). The same bar is a top-tier lift at one bodyweight and a working set at another.
What population does this comparison represent?: OpenPowerlifting raw meet results, separated by sex and bodyweight class. It describes recorded competition entries rather than population prevalence, and n is a meet-result count rather than a unique-person count.
How rare is a 185 lb bench press?: Among 107,887 raw male OpenPowerlifting meet-result entries, roughly 87% record 185 lb or more after bodyweight-class weighting. Among 56,646 female entries, fewer than 18% do. The denominator is competition entries, not the general population — prevalence among all gym-goers is lower than either figure.
Is benching 185 lb impressive?: It depends on bodyweight. In raw male meet results 185 lb reads around the 87th percentile in the 53 kg class and the 8th in the 140 kg+ class. The tables above give every class in between, for men and women.
What percentage of meet results record 185 lb?: Weighted across 107,887 raw male meet results, roughly 87% record 185 lb or more. Weighted across 56,646 raw female meet results, fewer than 18% record 185 lb or more. The share is computed from per-bodyweight-class percentiles weighted by each class's meet-result count in the OpenPowerlifting raw dataset. n counts entries, not unique people, and the result is not a population survey estimate.

Figures: OpenPowerlifting (public competition meet data (CC0), dataset date 2026-05-10). Cell n is a meet-result count, not a unique-person count. Full method at /method. Check your own lift on the percentile calculator.