LiftGauge

Is a 225 lb squat good?

Short answer: it depends on bodyweight. A 225 lb (102 kg) squat is elite for a lighter lifter and ordinary for a heavyweight. Here's the exact percentile at every bodyweight, against gym-goers and against competitors.

· OpenPowerlifting + StrengthLevel data

225 lb squat for men percentile by bodyweight

Versus recreational gym-goers (StrengthLevel):

BodyweightPercentileReads as
50 kg 110 lb78thtop 25%
55 kg 121 lb66thtop 50%
60 kg 132 lb57thtop 50%
65 kg 143 lb48thtop 75%
70 kg 154 lb39thtop 75%
75 kg 165 lb31thtop 75%
80 kg 176 lb24thtop 90%
85 kg 187 lb18thtop 90%
90 kg 198 lb15thtop 90%
95 kg 209 lb12thtop 90%
100 kg 220 lb9thbottom 10%
105 kg 231 lb6thbottom 10%
110 kg 243 lb5thbottom 10%
115 kg 254 lb5thbottom 10%
120 kg 265 lb4thbottom 10%
125 kg 276 lb4thbottom 10%
130 kg 287 lb4thbottom 10%
135 kg 298 lb4thbottom 10%
140 kg 309 lb4thbottom 10%

Versus raw competitors (OpenPowerlifting):

BodyweightPercentileReads as
53 kg 117 lb68thtop 50%
59 kg 130 lb25thtop 90%
66 kg 146 lb13thtop 90%
74 kg 163 lb9thbottom 10%
83 kg 183 lb7thbottom 10%
93 kg 205 lb7thbottom 10%
105 kg 231 lb7thbottom 10%
120 kg 265 lb6thbottom 10%
140 kg+ 309 lb6thbottom 10%

225 lb squat for women percentile by bodyweight

Versus recreational gym-goers (StrengthLevel):

BodyweightPercentileReads as
40 kg 88 lb95th+top 5% or stronger
45 kg 99 lb91thtop 10%
50 kg 110 lb88thtop 25%
55 kg 121 lb85thtop 25%
60 kg 132 lb82thtop 25%
65 kg 143 lb80thtop 25%
70 kg 154 lb76thtop 25%
75 kg 165 lb71thtop 50%
80 kg 176 lb67thtop 50%
85 kg 187 lb64thtop 50%
90 kg 198 lb60thtop 50%
95 kg 209 lb57thtop 50%
100 kg 220 lb54thtop 50%
105 kg 231 lb51thtop 50%
110 kg 243 lb49thtop 75%
115 kg 254 lb46thtop 75%
120 kg 265 lb43thtop 75%

Versus raw competitors (OpenPowerlifting):

BodyweightPercentileReads as
43 kg 95 lb95thtop 10%
47 kg 104 lb74thtop 50%
52 kg 115 lb62thtop 50%
57 kg 126 lb46thtop 75%
63 kg 139 lb40thtop 75%
69 kg 152 lb31thtop 75%
76 kg 168 lb27thtop 75%
84 kg 185 lb25thtop 90%
120 kg+ 265 lb23thtop 90%

These are competition-depth back squats: the IPF Technical Rules require the hip crease to drop below the top of the knee. A high squat will read 5–10% above your meet squat, so judge yourself against the standard at legal depth. Vanderburgh & Batterham 1999 explains why the kilos rise with bodyweight while strength-per-kilo falls (PMID 10613442) — read the percentile, not just the absolute number.

FAQ

Is a 225 lb squat good?
It depends entirely on bodyweight. A 225 lb squat is elite for a lightweight lifter and average-to-good for a heavyweight. The tables on this page give the exact percentile at every bodyweight, against both recreational gym-goers (StrengthLevel) and competitive powerlifters (OpenPowerlifting).
225 lb squat — what bodyweight makes it impressive?
Read down the bodyweight column: the lighter you are, the higher the percentile a fixed 225 lb squat 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.
Is the comparison against gym-goers or competitors?
Both, side by side. The recreational percentile uses StrengthLevel's self-reported logs — the right yardstick if you train at a commercial gym. The competitive percentile uses OpenPowerlifting meet data — the yardstick if you plan to compete. The same lift usually ranks higher against gym-goers than against competitors.

Competitive figures: OpenPowerlifting (public competition meet data (CC0), snapshot 2026-05-16, CC0). Recreational figures: StrengthLevel (153 million+ self-reported gym-log lifts; self-reported). Full method at /method. Check your own lift on the percentile calculator.