How Much Should I Be Able to Squat?

Squats are one of the best benchmark exercises to test how your strength is progressing.

Whether you're an experienced powerlifter or new to the gym, knowing how much you should be able to squat can be useful so you have a target in mind that you can reach.

Determining how much you should be able to squat depends on various factors, including age, gender, body weight, and fitness level.

Generally, a good benchmark is being able to squat your body weight for one repetition if you're a beginner but can reach 2.5x to 3x your body weight and world-class powerlifters can go even further.

Consistency, proper form, and gradual progression are key to safely increasing your squat strength.

 

Factors That Influence How Much You Can Squat

What you need to realize is that how much you can squat is going to differ from one person to another, with age, fitness, and body weight being the three biggest determinants.

Other factors affect this as well, such as physiological differences, hormonal differences, and gender.

 

Gender

The simple fact is that men can generally squat more simply due to biological factors.

Men are usually bigger, have more muscle mass, and can push more weight. This simple physiological difference leads to big differences in squatting power.

 

Experience Level

Beginners usually have a lot of trouble squatting heavyweight, whereas seasoned squatters can lift a lot more.

This has to do with simple muscle memory, adaptation, and years of building strength. In other words, the more you practice the stronger you get.

 

Age

Of course, our strength starts to decline as we age, so age is something that needs to be taken into account as well.

After the age of 40, you can expect your strength to gradually decline. However, this doesn't have to be the rule of thumb for you, because with a good strength training routine, you can still continue to build strength well into your old age.

 

Bodyweight

Your overall body weight also affects your ability to squat because the heavier you are in relation to your muscle mass, the less you'll be able to squat.

The leaner you are and the more muscle mass you have compared to your own weight, the more weight you can lift and squat.

It’s simple mechanics, because body fat doesn't have any strength, but muscle does. Body facts just hold you back.

Being able to understand these factors is important when it comes to determining how much you should be able to squat.

So, let's get to it and figure out how much you should be able to squat.

 

Standard Squatting Weight Explained

If you hear the word squat standards, this is simply a set of benchmarks or guidelines that should help you categorize how much you should be able to squat based on different factors.

As we mentioned above, these factors include things such as experience level, age, weight, and gender.

There is generally a pool of statistical and observational data that these standards are taken from, based on a variety of populations that engage in strength training.

These standard squatting weights provide us with a structured way to determine our own squatting performance against these established criteria.

This therefore helps you understand where your current physical fitness level in terms of squatting is and where it should be.

These squatting standards are great tools to help us track our progress and self-assess our skills.

Just for example, if you're a beginner, you might look at the charts that we're going to include further below to determine how much you should be able to squat based on your age, bodyweight, and fitness level, as well as gender.

As you continuously train harder, squat more, and develop your strength, these standards provide you with motivation to keep going for more.

If you're an advanced squatter, someone who's been doing this for some time, using these standards can help you identify points of weakness where you need to improve.

 

How Much Should a Woman Be Able to Squat?

Something that we really need to stress is that whether we're talking about men or women, what your average squatting strength as a woman should be will depend on a variety of factors.

This includes your training level and fitness, your background, body weight, age, and your own physiology.

A woman who has not trained a single day in her life should be able to squat about 65% of her body weight for one repetition.

On the other hand, a woman who's been training regularly for several months might be able to squat her own body weight for several reps.

Furthermore, those who train regularly and engage in strength training may be able to lift over 1.5 times their own body weight.

What you need to realize is that the average squat weight for women is influenced by the differences in hormones, a lower average body strength when compared to males, and less muscle mass.

Although, women have a lot more muscle mass and strength in their lower bodies, which is an advantage for squatting. Therefore, in this sense alone, a woman who is always equal to a male counterpart may actually be able to squat more.

What's also important to note is that hormones such as progesterone and estrogen may also influence recovery and muscle strength.

Women often experience variations in these hormone levels throughout their menstrual cycles, and this can make a difference.

What's also important to note is that women have wider hips than men, which can affect the way that women squat. Although it might require a different stance when compared to men, the wider hips also allow for greater stability.

 

How Much Should a Man Be Able to Squat

In general, you can expect men to be able to squat more than females on average. This has to do mainly with hormonal profiles and differences in muscle mass. On average, you can expect a man who has never trained a single day in his life to squat his own body weight without a problem.

A man who trains two to three times per week for several months might be able to squat up to twice their body weight.

Advanced lifters who engage in hardcore strength training for powerlifting competitions may be able to lift up to three or even four times their body weight.

The difference in squatting strength between men and women generally comes from both hormonal and physiological differences.

The simple fact is that men usually have more lean muscle mass than women, particularly in the upper body.

This is generally associated with increased testosterone levels, which helps to contribute to power and strength.

The hormonal environment that men live in is ideal for hypertrophy, building muscle mass, and gaining strength.

Men tend to have more muscles in their upper body compared to their lower body, and this influences squat mechanics.

Although having a strong upper body isn't the most important thing for a squat, it does help you maintain stability and a solid core during the squat. If you're squatting with a heavier weight, then this stability is essential.

Also worth noting is that the hips of men are usually narrower than women. This leads to a different squat movement and slightly different biomechanics. Because the angle of the femur is changed thanks to those narrower hips, it can affect the ability to generate force and leverage.

Now, keep in mind that the figures we are going to provide you with differ greatly depending on individual capabilities. Your diet, recovery strategies, physiological readiness, training history, and more, all contribute to how much you can squat.

The only way to increase the amount of weight you can squat is through regular strength training with progressive gains.

 

How to do Squats Properly – Tips for Beginners

When we talk about beginner squat weight, this is about how much a beginner should lift when you first perform a squat. You mustn't start with way too much weight, or else you might cause an injury.

Squatting improperly not only comes with the risk of injury, but it also won't develop the kind of strength and size you're looking for, especially not at a good pace.

If you're a total beginner who has never engaged in any kind of strength training before, you might want to start with the barbell alone.

Starting with just the barbell lets you focus on your form and technique, as well as your range of motion.

Remember, getting your form down is important, as this will help prevent injuries from occurring. You should do this before you start adding weight to the equation.

If you do have a bit of experience with strength training, and you have a decent fitness level, you can add a bit of weight.

A rule of thumb here is that you should use as much weight that allows you to perform between 12 and 15 reps with decent form, while also feeling fatigued after about the 10th rep.

This is a standard for all beginners, but of course, this will depend on your own body weight and fitness level.

Generally speaking, you can expect the beginner weight to be anywhere between 10% and 25% of your body weight, in addition to the weight of the bar itself.

Once again, one of the most important factors here is safety. That's why you always need to start by learning the right squatting form.

Your feet should be shoulder-width apart, you should have a straight back, and when you go down, it should be as though you are sitting down on a chair.

Your thighs should end up parallel to the floor or even lower, and your knees should stay in line with your toes. If you're a total beginner, we recommend using a personal trainer to your advantage so you don't start squatting the wrong way.

If this is your first time squatting, it's also advised to use either a power cage or a squat rack. Both squat racks and power cages generally come with safety stops.

This means that if you can't complete the lift and you need to drop the weight, you can do so safely.

On that note, we really can't stress enough just how important it is to start with a low weight and to work on your form before you start adding a whole lot of weight to the equation.

Related Post: Front Squat Vs Back Squat - Which is Better?

 

How to Squat Properly

To do a squat properly, you first start by standing with your feet at shoulder width apart with your toes turned slightly outwards.

You then place your hands on the bar with your knuckles facing towards you and your palms facing forward.

The bar should start at the upper back level, and it should be resting on your shoulders. Make sure that it is resting on the shelf of your shoulders, not your neck. Once you've unwrapped the bar, take a step back, keep your chest up, and brace your core.

Once you start the squat, you should move your hips backwards just like you're sitting down in a chair, while bending at the knees. Make sure that your toes stay in line with your knees and that your spine maintains a neutral position. In terms of the depth of the squat, your thigh should end up parallel to the ground or even lower.

Related Post: How To Do Smith Machine Squats

Squatting and Bodyweight Ratio

How much you can squat compared to your body weight, otherwise known as the squat-to-bodyweight ratio, is a metric that evaluates how much strength you have in terms of your squatting in comparison to your overall body weight.

It's a great metric because it provides you with an even playing field so you can compare how strong you are no matter how large you are or what your body type looks like. For most of us, being able to squat more than our own body weight is a big deal.

A great benchmark in terms of the body weight ratio for squatting for men is around 1.5 to 2 times their own body weight. For females, the target range is anywhere between one and 1.5 times the body weight.

Again, fitness goals, age, experience level, and more can all influence this. It's all about setting the right goal.

For instance, if you're a beginner, being able to squat your body weight might be your main goal. If you're an advanced lifter, you might want to try lifting a little more.

 

Squat to Bodyweight Ratio for Men

Bodyweight	Beginner	Novice	Intermediate	Advanced	Elite
110	74	114	167	229	298
120	87	131	187	252	324
130	100	147	206	274	349
140	113	162	224	295	373
150	125	177	242	316	396
160	138	192	259	336	418
170	150	207	276	355	439
180	162	221	292	373	460
190	174	235	308	391	479
200	186	248	323	408	499
210	197	261	338	425	517
220	209	274	353	442	535
230	220	287	367	457	553
240	230	299	381	473	570
250	241	311	395	488	586
260	251	323	408	503	603
270	262	335	421	517	618
280	272	346	434	531	634
290	282	357	446	545	649
300	291	368	459	559	664
310	301	379	470	572	678

 

Squat to Bodyweight Ratio for Women

Bodyweight	Beginner	Novice	Intermediate	Advanced	Elite
90	39	71	114	167	226
100	46	79	124	179	241
110	51	87	134	191	254
120	57	94	143	201	267
130	63	101	152	212	279
140	68	108	160	222	290
150	73	115	168	231	301
160	78	121	175	240	311
170	83	127	183	248	320
180	88	133	190	256	329
190	93	138	196	264	338
200	97	144	203	272	347
210	101	149	209	279	355
220	106	154	215	286	363
230	110	159	221	293	371
240	114	164	227	299	378
250	118	169	232	306	385
260	122	173	238	312	392

 

Average Squat Based on Age

The fact of the matter is that our strength starts to decline as we age. After the age of 40, our strength might start to decrease. Therefore, you need to recognize that your age plays a role in this equation.

So, what is the standard squat for males and females by age?

 

Standard Squat Weight for Males by Age

Age	Beginner	Novice	Intermediate	Advanced	Elite
15	120	175	244	324	411
20	138	201	279	371	471
25	141	206	287	381	483
30	141	206	287	381	483
35	141	206	287	381	483
40	141	206	287	381	483
45	134	195	272	361	458
50	126	183	255	339	430
55	116	170	236	314	398
60	106	155	216	286	363
65	96	140	195	259	328
70	86	126	175	232	294
75	77	112	156	208	263
80	69	100	140	186	235
85	62	90	125	166	211
90	56	81	113	150	190

Standard Squat Weight for Females by Age

Age	Beginner	Novice	Intermediate	Advanced	Elite
15	55	91	137	193	255
20	63	104	157	221	292
25	65	107	161	227	300
30	65	107	161	227	300
35	65	107	161	227	300
40	65	107	161	227	300
45	62	101	153	215	284
50	58	95	143	202	267
55	54	88	133	187	247
60	49	80	121	170	225
65	44	72	109	154	203
70	40	65	98	138	183
75	35	58	88	123	163
80	32	52	78	110	146
85	28	47	70	99	131
90	26	42	63	89	118

 

Progressing with Squats – Increasing the Weight

Of course, what we all want to do is progress in terms of the amount of weight we can squat. Squat weight progression is all about slowly and steadily increasing the amount of weight you can lift during the squat.

It's all about gradually challenging your muscles so they grow stronger safely and effectively.

What you want to engage in here is progressive overload, which involves slowly increasing the frequency of exercise, the weight you lift, and the number of repetitions that you do.

However, make sure that you never increase the weight by more than 10% from your previous best, or else you might injure yourself. It's all about proper form and a good range of motion.

 

Final Thoughts

The bottom line here is that as a beginner, a female should be able to squat around 65% of her body weight, whereas a man should start off by being able to squat his full body weight.

Remember that your age, body weight, physical fitness, gender, and more all play a role here.

So, never feel bad if somebody twice your size and half your age can lift more than you, because that's normal!