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Is a 135 lb Bench Press Good?

Q: Is a 135 lb bench press good?

For most people, no — 135 lbs is below average for a trained bench presser. Among competition powerlifters specifically, 135 lbs ranks at the 1th percentile, with most lifters benching far more. For untrained beginners, however, it's a strong starting point.

Q: How long does it take to bench 135 lbs?

For most men, reaching a 135 lb bench typically takes between 1 and 3 years of consistent training, depending on bodyweight, genetics, and program quality.

// Updated May 2026 · Data from 2,805 verified competition lifters

// The Short Answer

A solid starting point.

For someone newer to lifting, 135 lbs is a meaningful step. The general adult male average bench is around 135 lbs untrained. Against competition lifters specifically, 135 lbs ranks at the 1th percentile — almost everyone at meets benches more, since competitors have trained for years.

135 lbs is one of the most commonly searched bench press milestones. But "is it good?" depends entirely on context — your bodyweight, your training age, and most importantly, who you're measuring against.

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135 Bench by the Numbers

1th

Percentile vs Competition Lifters

311

Avg Male Competitor Bench (lbs)

Lifters Bench Less Than 135

2,779

Lifters Bench More Than 135

⚠ Important context: The percentile above is against competition powerlifters, who are an extreme upper slice of the population. Against everyday gym-goers, a 135 lb bench is far stronger than these percentiles suggest. Most men never bench 135 in their lifetime.

Where 135 Sits on the Strength Standards

Strength standards rank lifts relative to your bodyweight, since a 135 lb bench means something very different for a lean lifter versus a heavyweight. Here's how 135 maps across common bodyweights for males:

Bodyweight	BW Ratio	Tier at 135 lbs
150 lbs	0.90× BW	Beginner
165 lbs	0.82× BW	Beginner
180 lbs	0.75× BW	Beginner
200 lbs	0.68× BW	Beginner
220 lbs	0.61× BW	Beginner
250 lbs	0.54× BW	Below Beginner
275 lbs	0.49× BW	Below Beginner

The takeaway: At a 104 lb bodyweight, a 135 lb bench is exactly Intermediate level (1.30× bodyweight). Heavier lifters need to bench more for the same tier; lighter lifters need less.

See the full strength standards by bodyweight →

How 135 Compares to Other Competition Benchers

Here's the distribution of bench press 1RMs across all 2,805 male competition lifters in our database. The highlighted row shows where 135 falls.

Bench Press Distribution — Male Competitors

Under 135

135-164

165-194

195-224

166

225-254

362

255-284

377

285-314

479

315-344

443

345-399

499

400+

339

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a 135 lb bench press good?

How long does it take to bench 135 lbs?

For most men, reaching a 135 lb bench takes between 1 and 3 years of consistent training, depending on bodyweight, genetics, age, and program quality. Larger, shorter-armed lifters tend to get there faster.

What percentile is a 135 lb bench?

Among 2,805 male competition powerlifters in our database, 135 lbs ranks at the 1th percentile. 26 lifters bench less, 2,779 bench more, and 0 bench exactly 135. The percentile is much higher when measured against the general population — competition lifters represent the strong upper tail of the lifting world.

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Other Bench Press Milestones

Curious about other weights? Compare yourself across the most-searched bench numbers: