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 225 lb bench press?

Among 107,887 raw male OpenPowerlifting meet-result entries, roughly 77% record 225 lb or more after bodyweight-class weighting. Among 56,646 female entries, fewer than 6% do. The denominator is competition entries, not the general population — prevalence among all gym-goers is lower than either figure.

Is benching 225 lb impressive?

It depends on bodyweight. In raw male meet results 225 lb reads around the 96th percentile in the 53 kg class and the 10th in the 140 kg+ class. The tables above give every class in between, for men and women.

How many plates is 225 lb?

On a standard 45 lb barbell, 225 lb is two 45 lb plates per side — "two plates" in gym shorthand. The total includes the bar: 2 × 45 lb × 2 + 45 lb = 225 lb.

What percentage of meet results record 225 lb?

Weighted across 107,887 raw male meet results, roughly 77% record 225 lb or more. Weighted across 56,646 raw female meet results, fewer than 6% record 225 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 225 lb bench press good?

Weighted across 107,887 OpenPowerlifting raw male meet results, roughly 77% record 225 lb (102 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 77% of 107,887 raw male meet results record 225 lb or more after bodyweight-class percentiles are weighted by entry count.

Exact-load note. 225 lb is 102.1 kg; it is not the same load as the nearby 100 kg milestone (2.1 kg difference). This page answers the exact 225 lb query. If that other load is on your bar, use the 100 kg bench press page.

225 lb bench press for men percentile by bodyweight

OpenPowerlifting raw meet-result percentile by bodyweight class:

Bodyweight	Percentile	Reads as
53 kg 117 lb	96th	top 4% of raw meet results
59 kg 130 lb	74th	stronger than 74% of raw meet results
66 kg 146 lb	53rd	stronger than 53% of raw meet results
74 kg 163 lb	37th	stronger than 37% of raw meet results
83 kg 183 lb	22nd	stronger than 22% of raw meet results
93 kg 205 lb	16th	stronger than 16% of raw meet results
105 kg 231 lb	12th	stronger than 12% of raw meet results
120 kg 265 lb	10th	stronger than 10% of raw meet results
140 kg+ 309 lb	10th	stronger than 10% of raw meet results

225 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	99th+	top 1% of raw meet results or stronger
52 kg 115 lb	99th+	top 1% of raw meet results or stronger
57 kg 126 lb	98th	top 2% of raw meet results
63 kg 139 lb	97th	top 3% of raw meet results
69 kg 152 lb	96th	top 4% of raw meet results
76 kg 168 lb	94th	top 6% of raw meet results
84 kg 185 lb	92nd	top 8% of raw meet results
120 kg+ 265 lb	90th	top 10% of raw meet results

Where 225 lb stands in the field crossover read

For men, a 225 lb bench press is a top-10% lift up to the 53 kg class, at or below the field median from 66 kg up.

For women, a 225 lb bench press is a top-10% lift up to the 84 kg class, top-quartile through 120 kg+.

Weighted across 107,887 raw male meet results, roughly 77% record 225 lb or more. Weighted across 56,646 raw female meet results, fewer than 6% record 225 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 225 lb bench press good?: It depends on bodyweight. A 225 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.
225 lb bench press — what bodyweight makes it impressive?: Read down the bodyweight column: the lighter you are, the higher the percentile a fixed 225 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 225 lb bench press?: Among 107,887 raw male OpenPowerlifting meet-result entries, roughly 77% record 225 lb or more after bodyweight-class weighting. Among 56,646 female entries, fewer than 6% do. The denominator is competition entries, not the general population — prevalence among all gym-goers is lower than either figure.
Is benching 225 lb impressive?: It depends on bodyweight. In raw male meet results 225 lb reads around the 96th percentile in the 53 kg class and the 10th in the 140 kg+ class. The tables above give every class in between, for men and women.
How many plates is 225 lb?: On a standard 45 lb barbell, 225 lb is two 45 lb plates per side — "two plates" in gym shorthand. The total includes the bar: 2 × 45 lb × 2 + 45 lb = 225 lb.
What percentage of meet results record 225 lb?: Weighted across 107,887 raw male meet results, roughly 77% record 225 lb or more. Weighted across 56,646 raw female meet results, fewer than 6% record 225 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.