495 lb squat — what bodyweight makes it impressive?

Read down the bodyweight column: the lighter you are, the higher the percentile a fixed 495 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.

Is a 495 lb squat good?

Short answer: it depends on bodyweight. A 495 lb (225 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.

Updated 2026-06-16 · OpenPowerlifting + StrengthLevel data

495 lb squat for men percentile by bodyweight

Versus recreational gym-goers (StrengthLevel):

Bodyweight	Percentile	Reads as
50 kg 110 lb	95th+	top 5% or stronger
55 kg 121 lb	95th+	top 5% or stronger
60 kg 132 lb	95th+	top 5% or stronger
65 kg 143 lb	95th+	top 5% or stronger
70 kg 154 lb	95th+	top 5% or stronger
75 kg 165 lb	95th+	top 5% or stronger
80 kg 176 lb	95th+	top 5% or stronger
85 kg 187 lb	95th+	top 5% or stronger
90 kg 198 lb	95th	top 10%
95 kg 209 lb	92th	top 10%
100 kg 220 lb	88th	top 25%
105 kg 231 lb	85th	top 25%
110 kg 243 lb	83th	top 25%
115 kg 254 lb	80th	top 25%
120 kg 265 lb	75th	top 25%
125 kg 276 lb	71th	top 50%
130 kg 287 lb	66th	top 50%
135 kg 298 lb	62th	top 50%
140 kg 309 lb	58th	top 50%

Versus raw competitors (OpenPowerlifting):

Bodyweight	Percentile	Reads as
53 kg 117 lb	99th+	top 1% or stronger
59 kg 130 lb	99th+	top 1% or stronger
66 kg 146 lb	96th	top 5%
74 kg 163 lb	91th	top 10%
83 kg 183 lb	78th	top 25%
93 kg 205 lb	68th	top 50%
105 kg 231 lb	54th	top 50%
120 kg 265 lb	46th	top 75%
140 kg+ 309 lb	38th	top 75%

495 lb squat for women percentile by bodyweight

Versus recreational gym-goers (StrengthLevel):

Bodyweight	Percentile	Reads as
40 kg 88 lb	95th+	top 5% or stronger
45 kg 99 lb	95th+	top 5% or stronger
50 kg 110 lb	95th+	top 5% or stronger
55 kg 121 lb	95th+	top 5% or stronger
60 kg 132 lb	95th+	top 5% or stronger
65 kg 143 lb	95th+	top 5% or stronger
70 kg 154 lb	95th+	top 5% or stronger
75 kg 165 lb	95th+	top 5% or stronger
80 kg 176 lb	95th+	top 5% or stronger
85 kg 187 lb	95th+	top 5% or stronger
90 kg 198 lb	95th+	top 5% or stronger
95 kg 209 lb	95th+	top 5% or stronger
100 kg 220 lb	95th+	top 5% or stronger
105 kg 231 lb	95th+	top 5% or stronger
110 kg 243 lb	95th+	top 5% or stronger
115 kg 254 lb	95th+	top 5% or stronger
120 kg 265 lb	95th+	top 5% or stronger

Versus raw competitors (OpenPowerlifting):

Bodyweight	Percentile	Reads as
43 kg 95 lb	99th+	top 1% or stronger
47 kg 104 lb	99th+	top 1% or stronger
52 kg 115 lb	99th+	top 1% or stronger
57 kg 126 lb	99th+	top 1% or stronger
63 kg 139 lb	99th+	top 1% or stronger
69 kg 152 lb	99th+	top 1% or stronger
76 kg 168 lb	99th+	top 1% or stronger
84 kg 185 lb	99th+	top 1% or stronger
120 kg+ 265 lb	98th	top 5%

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 495 lb squat good?: It depends entirely on bodyweight. A 495 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).
495 lb squat — what bodyweight makes it impressive?: Read down the bodyweight column: the lighter you are, the higher the percentile a fixed 495 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.