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 405 lb bench press?

Among 107,887 raw male OpenPowerlifting meet-result entries, fewer than 8% record 405 lb or more after bodyweight-class weighting. Among 56,646 female entries, fewer than 2% do. The denominator is competition entries, not the general population — prevalence among all gym-goers is lower than either figure.

Is benching 405 lb impressive?

It depends on bodyweight. In raw male meet results 405 lb reads around the 99th percentile in the 53 kg class and the 70th in the 140 kg+ class. The tables above give every class in between, for men and women.

How many plates is 405 lb?

On a standard 45 lb barbell, 405 lb is four 45 lb plates per side — "four plates" in gym shorthand. The total includes the bar: 4 × 45 lb × 2 + 45 lb = 405 lb.

What percentage of meet results record 405 lb?

Weighted across 107,887 raw male meet results, fewer than 8% record 405 lb or more. Weighted across 56,646 raw female meet results, fewer than 2% record 405 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 405 lb bench press good?

Weighted across 107,887 OpenPowerlifting raw male meet results, fewer than 8% record 405 lb (184 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, fewer than 8% of 107,887 raw male meet results record 405 lb or more after bodyweight-class percentiles are weighted by entry count.

405 lb bench press for men percentile by bodyweight

OpenPowerlifting raw meet-result percentile by bodyweight class:

Bodyweight	Percentile	Reads as
53 kg 117 lb	99th+	top 1% of raw meet results or stronger
59 kg 130 lb	99th+	top 1% of raw meet results or stronger
66 kg 146 lb	99th+	top 1% of raw meet results or stronger
74 kg 163 lb	99th+	top 1% of raw meet results or stronger
83 kg 183 lb	98th	top 2% of raw meet results
93 kg 205 lb	95th	top 5% of raw meet results
105 kg 231 lb	91st	top 9% of raw meet results
120 kg 265 lb	81st	top 19% of raw meet results
140 kg+ 309 lb	70th	stronger than 70% of raw meet results

405 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	99th+	top 1% of raw meet results or stronger
63 kg 139 lb	99th+	top 1% of raw meet results or stronger
69 kg 152 lb	99th+	top 1% of raw meet results or stronger
76 kg 168 lb	99th+	top 1% of raw meet results or stronger
84 kg 185 lb	99th+	top 1% of raw meet results or stronger
120 kg+ 265 lb	99th+	top 1% of raw meet results or stronger

Where 405 lb stands in the field crossover read

For men, a 405 lb bench press is a top-10% lift up to the 105 kg class, top-quartile through 120 kg, bottoming out around the 70th percentile in the heaviest classes.

For women, a 405 lb bench press is past the 99th percentile at every recorded bodyweight — beyond the top 1% of the raw competitive field wherever it is lifted.

Weighted across 107,887 raw male meet results, fewer than 8% record 405 lb or more. Weighted across 56,646 raw female meet results, fewer than 2% record 405 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 405 lb bench press good?: It depends on bodyweight. A 405 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.
405 lb bench press — what bodyweight makes it impressive?: Read down the bodyweight column: the lighter you are, the higher the percentile a fixed 405 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 405 lb bench press?: Among 107,887 raw male OpenPowerlifting meet-result entries, fewer than 8% record 405 lb or more after bodyweight-class weighting. Among 56,646 female entries, fewer than 2% do. The denominator is competition entries, not the general population — prevalence among all gym-goers is lower than either figure.
Is benching 405 lb impressive?: It depends on bodyweight. In raw male meet results 405 lb reads around the 99th percentile in the 53 kg class and the 70th in the 140 kg+ class. The tables above give every class in between, for men and women.
How many plates is 405 lb?: On a standard 45 lb barbell, 405 lb is four 45 lb plates per side — "four plates" in gym shorthand. The total includes the bar: 4 × 45 lb × 2 + 45 lb = 405 lb.
What percentage of meet results record 405 lb?: Weighted across 107,887 raw male meet results, fewer than 8% record 405 lb or more. Weighted across 56,646 raw female meet results, fewer than 2% record 405 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.