Why the Row Is Derived From the Bench
The classic adult standards cover the squat, bench press, deadlift, and press, but not the row. Coaches commonly use a strict barbell row of about 70 to 80 percent of your bench as a sign of balanced pushing and pulling strength, so we set each row figure at 0.75 times the bench figure in the same cell.
That makes this page most useful as a balance check. If your row is far below 75 percent of your bench, your upper back is likely lagging. If it is well above, your bench probably has room to catch up.
What the Five Levels Mean
The levels follow the same training-age scale as the other standards. Untrained is what a healthy adult can row with a flat back and no practice. Novice reflects three to nine months of regular training, intermediate one to two years, and advanced several years of focused work. Elite is the range of competitive strength athletes.
How to Test Your Barbell Row 1RM Safely
A true one-rep max row is rarely worth testing. Form breaks down fast near maximum loads, and the lower back takes the strain. If you do test, use a ladder of about 50 percent for 5, 70 percent for 3, 80 percent for 2, and 90 percent for 1, then a single attempt, and stop as soon as the torso starts to rise.
A better route is to estimate. Row a hard set of 5 to 8 strict reps, enter it in the barbell row 1RM calculator, and compare the estimate with the tables. Most row programming is built around sets of 5 to 10 anyway, so the estimate is the more useful number.
How Row Standards Shift With Bodyweight and Age
As with every lift, heavier lifters row more in absolute terms and less per kilogram. For men, the intermediate row goes from 45 kg at 52 kg bodyweight to 82.5 kg at 140 kg, while the ratio falls from about 0.85x to about 0.6x.
The figures assume adults roughly 18 to 40. Masters lifters can read the tables a few percent lower per decade. Because the row loads the lower back in a bent position, older lifters often do better tracking 5 to 8 rep sets than chasing heavy singles.
The Bodyweight Ratio Rule of Thumb
For men in the middle bodyweight classes, the row levels map to these ratios: novice about 0.65x bodyweight, intermediate about 0.8x, advanced about 1.1x, and elite about 1.4x. An 82 kg man rowing 67.5 kg strict is at intermediate.
For women around 60 kg, intermediate is just over 0.5x bodyweight and advanced about 0.7x. A strict row of half your bodyweight is a sensible first target.
Form Faults That Inflate or Deflate Your Number
The row is the easiest lift to cheat. Standing up as you pull, heaving with the hips, and stopping the bar short of the torso can add 20 kg or more to what looks like a row. These standards assume the torso stays between parallel and about 45 degrees and the bar touches the lower chest or upper stomach on every rep.
Pulling strict from a dead stop on the floor, as in a Pendlay row, will read a bit lower than a bent row with a little momentum. Weak grip and a rounding lower back also cut the number. Pick one style, keep it consistent, and compare like with like.
Barbell Row Strength Standards FAQ
Is a 100 kg barbell row good?
Yes, if it is strict. For a man up to about 67 kg bodyweight, a 100 kg row meets the elite figure; from about 75 to 90 kg it is advanced, and above 100 kg it is intermediate. For a woman at any bodyweight in these tables, 100 kg is above elite.
What is a good barbell row for my weight?
For most trained men, a good target is intermediate, about 0.8x bodyweight, so roughly 67.5 kg at 82 kg bodyweight. For women around 60 kg, intermediate is about 32.5 kg. Use the Where do I stand box above for your exact bodyweight.
How long to reach intermediate?
Most lifters who row regularly alongside a structured program reach intermediate in one to two years, usually at about the same time their bench reaches intermediate.
Are these standards for raw lifts?
Yes. They assume a strict bent-over barbell row without straps or body swing. Lifting straps can add weight once grip becomes the limit, so note whether you used them when you compare.
Where do these numbers come from?
They are derived, not measured: each figure is 0.75 times the bench press standard from the widely published Kilgore/Rippetoe adult tables, rounded to 2.5 kg. They are reference estimates, not data collected from 1RM.fit users.