Is a 135 bench good?

Is a 135 bench good? Yes. For most men who are new to lifting, a 135 lb (61 kg) bench press is a solid beginner milestone. It means you can press a 45 lb barbell with a 45 lb plate on each side, and that puts you right where strength standards say a beginner male lifter should be.

But how good 135 actually is depends on a few things. Your body weight, your age, how long you have been training, and whether you are male or female all change what “good” means. Let’s break it down.

How does a 135 bench compare to average strength standards?

A 135 lb bench press falls in the beginner range for most adult men. According to data from ExRx.net, a man who weighs around 198 lbs (90 kg) and has never trained before has a bench press standard of 135 lbs. Data from Strength Level puts the average male bench press at 217 lbs for intermediate lifters, and 103 lbs for total beginners.

So if you just started lifting and you can bench 135, you are already ahead of many beginners. A survey of 580 male lifters found that 60% of them could not bench 135 lbs during their first year of training. Only after two to three years of lifting did 72% of men reach the 135 to 224 lb range.

For women, a 135 lb bench press is well above average and sits in the advanced category. The average female bench press is around 111 lbs for intermediate lifters according to Strength Level data. A woman benching 135 has built serious upper body strength.

Here is a quick look at where 135 sits for men based on training experience:

1. Untrained men (never lifted before) average around 135 lbs at approximately 198 lb body weight
2. Beginner men (a few months of training) average around 175 lbs
3. Intermediate men (1 to 2 years of training) average around 215 lbs
4. Advanced men (3+ years of training) average around 290 lbs
5. Elite athletes can reach 360 lbs and above

Does body weight change how good a 135 bench is?

Yes. Body weight matters a lot. A 135 lb bench press for a man who weighs 140 lbs (63 kg) is very different from a 135 lb bench press for a man who weighs 220 lbs (100 kg).

For the 140 lb man, pressing 135 is nearly his full body weight. That is strong. It puts him in the novice to intermediate range. For the 220 lb man, pressing 135 is only about 61% of his body weight and falls in the untrained range.

A good general target for men is to bench press their own body weight. For women, benching 0.7 times body weight is a strong intermediate goal. So a 180 lb man should aim for 180 lbs, and a 140 lb woman should aim for around 98 lbs.

Here is how 135 stacks up based on your weight:

1. If you weigh 130 to 150 lbs and bench 135, that is a strong lift and puts you at intermediate level
2. If you weigh 150 to 180 lbs and bench 135, that is a solid beginner to novice lift
3. If you weigh 180 to 200 lbs and bench 135, that is an entry level lift with room to grow
4. If you weigh 200+ lbs and bench 135, you are in the untrained to early beginner range

How long does it take to bench 135?

Most beginners reach a 135 lb bench press within 3 to 12 months of consistent training. The timeline depends on your starting strength, body weight, how often you train, and how well you eat.

Data from a survey of male lifters showed that after one year of lifting, 56% could bench more than 135 lbs. Many skinny beginners start with just the bar (45 lbs) or even less, and it takes them closer to 12 months. Heavier guys with more muscle mass often hit 135 within the first few months.

One key finding from training data is that young athletes who bench consistently with around 70 reps per week can add roughly 10 lbs to their bench for every 168 total reps. Starting from 75 lbs, that gets you to 135 in about 14 to 15 weeks, which is around 3.5 months.

The fastest way to get to 135 and beyond:

1. Bench press at least 2 to 3 times per week
2. Use progressive overload and add weight or reps each session
3. Eat enough protein (aim for 0.8 g per pound of body weight or 1.8 g per kg)
4. Get 7 to 9 hours of sleep for recovery
5. Train supporting muscles like triceps and shoulders

What muscles does the bench press work?

The bench press is a compound exercise that works several upper body muscles at once. A 10 week study published in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies found the bench press increased chest muscle size by 20%, front shoulder size by 15%, and triceps size by 12%.

The main muscles worked are:

1. Chest (pectoralis major) which gets the most growth from bench pressing
2. Front shoulders (anterior deltoids) which help push the bar up
3. Triceps (back of the arms) which straighten the elbows at the top
4. Core muscles which stabilize your body during the lift

The bench press builds real world pushing strength that transfers to sports and daily tasks. Research shows regular strength training like bench pressing can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by 22 to 35% and lower cardiovascular disease risk by 17%.

What should you aim for after 135?

Once you hit 135, the next goal for most men is 185 lbs (one plate plus a 25 on each side) and then 225 lbs (two plates on each side). A 225 lb bench press is stronger than the vast majority of gym goers and even stronger than the average SWAT team member, who benches around 220 lbs.

Here are realistic targets based on your training timeline:

1. 3 to 6 months of training and aim for 135 lbs
2. 1 to 2 years of training and aim for 185 to 225 lbs
3. 3 to 5 years of training and aim for 225 to 275 lbs
4. 5+ years of dedicated training and aim for 275 to 315 lbs

These numbers assume consistent training with proper form and good nutrition. Most lifters plateau somewhere between 135 and 224 lbs and never push past it because they stop following a structured program.

The key to breaking through is progressive overload. You need to challenge your muscles with more weight, more reps, or more sets over time. Research shows doing at least 10 sets per muscle group per week nearly doubles your gains compared to doing just 5 sets. But there are diminishing returns past 20 to 30 sets per week.

How do you increase your bench press past 135?

Five proven methods to push past 135 and keep getting stronger:

1. Add weight gradually. Aim to add 2.5 to 5 lbs (1 to 2.5 kg) to the bar every week or two. Beginners can often add 5 to 10 lbs per week in the early months.
2. Increase your reps. If you can bench 135 for 5 reps, work toward 8 reps and then 10 reps before adding more weight. Research from Dr. Brad Schoenfeld shows you can build muscle with rep ranges anywhere from 5 to 30 reps, as long as you push close to failure.
3. Slow down your reps. A 2015 meta analysis found that slowing your reps to about 6 seconds total (3 seconds up, 3 seconds down) increases time under tension and stimulates more growth without adding any extra weight.
4. Build your triceps. Studies show that as the weight gets heavier, triceps strength becomes the bigger factor in your bench press. Add skull crushers and close grip bench press to your training.
5. Add volume over time. Increase your total weekly sets by 10 to 20% each week until you reach 20 to 30 sets for chest, then cycle back down to recover.

Is 135 a good bench for a woman?

A 135 lb bench press for a woman is excellent and sits in the advanced category. The average female bench press is around 111 lbs for intermediate lifters, so pressing 135 puts you well above average.

Most women start bench pressing with 38 to 65 lbs. Reaching 135 takes serious dedication and often several years of consistent training. For a woman weighing 140 lbs, a 135 lb bench is nearly a full body weight press, which is considered elite level strength.

Strength training like the bench press builds bone density and muscle mass, which protects against osteoporosis and falls later in life. Bone density peaks between ages 25 and 30 and then starts to decline. Muscle mass drops about 3 to 8% per decade after age 30. Building strength now pays off for decades.

Does age affect how good a 135 bench is?

Yes. Strength peaks in your 20s and 30s when testosterone and recovery are at their highest. After 40, strength drops about 1% per year without consistent training.

Here is how average bench press numbers change with age for men around 198 lbs body weight:

1. Men in their 20s average around 135 to 175 lbs (untrained to beginner)
2. Men in their 40s average around 206 lbs (with training)
3. Men in their 55s average around 179 lbs (with training)
4. Men in their 70s average around 132 lbs (with training)

So if you are in your 40s or older and benching 135, you are doing well. The decline in testosterone is one of the biggest reasons strength drops with age. But research shows consistent training fights this decline. Many lifters in their 40s and 50s are stronger than they were in their 20s because they train smarter and more consistently.

FAQ

Is 135 lbs a lot to bench press? For a beginner male lifter, 135 is a solid starting milestone. For women, it is an advanced lift. Whether 135 is “a lot” depends on your body weight. If you weigh under 150 lbs, benching 135 is strong. If you weigh over 200 lbs, there is room to grow.

Can the average man bench 135? The average untrained man who weighs around 198 lbs can bench 135 as a one rep max. Men who are lighter or have not trained before may start closer to 65 to 95 lbs. After 6 to 12 months of training, most men can press 135 for multiple reps.

How much should I bench press for my weight? A good goal for men is to bench press their own body weight. For women, 0.7 times body weight is a strong target. So a 180 lb man should aim for 180 lbs, and a 150 lb woman should aim for around 105 lbs.

Is benching 135 for 10 reps good? Yes. Benching 135 for 10 reps puts your estimated one rep max around 180 lbs, which is novice to intermediate level for most men. That means you have built a real foundation of strength and you are stronger than most casual gym goers.

What is a respectable bench press? For men, benching your body weight for reps is respectable. Pressing 225 lbs (two plates) for any number of reps puts you well ahead of the majority of lifters. Most experienced gym goers do their working sets with 135 to 200 lbs on the bar.

How much does a bench press bar weigh? A standard Olympic barbell weighs 45 lbs (20 kg). So when someone says they bench 135, they mean the 45 lb bar plus one 45 lb plate on each side. Some gyms also have lighter training bars that weigh 33 lbs (15 kg) or 22 lbs (10 kg).

How many times a week should I bench press? Research shows training each muscle group 2 to 4 times per week produces the best muscle growth. Benching 2 to 3 times per week with at least one rest day between sessions works well for most lifters.

Will bench pressing give me a bigger chest? Yes. A 10 week study found bench pressing increased chest muscle thickness by 20%. The bench press targets the pectoralis major, which makes up most of the chest. For the best chest growth, research suggests using rep ranges of 9 or more reps per set and training chest 2 to 4 times per week.

Evaluating your strength benchmarks provides valuable feedback on your progress, whether you’re building foundational fitness or combining training with other weight management strategies. Understanding what constitutes good performance also depends on factors like training frequency, which is why determining optimal workout schedules matters for continued progress. To accurately assess your current strength levels and develop a structured program that builds consistent gains, a personal trainer in Armadale can provide expert technique coaching, progressive programming, and personalized benchmarks aligned with your specific goals.