Barbell row (Pendlay) percentile
Your barbell row (pendlay) ranked against all adults of your age and sex — and against NCAA Division I athletes. Bar starts dead on the floor every rep, torso near parallel and still, bar touches the lower chest. Use a set of 3-5 — never test a true max row.
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StrengthLifts, pulling and grip
Bar starts dead on the floor every rep, torso near parallel and still, bar touches the lower chest. Use a set of 3-5 — never test a true max row.
This is one test of the full battery. Get your overall athleticism rank across strength, power, agility and endurance.
Barbell row (Pendlay) standards by age — men
Result needed to beat the given share of all men in each age group, for a bodyweight of 179 lb (the calculator adjusts for yours).
| Age | 10th | 25th | 50th | 75th | 90th | 95th | 99th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18-29 | 100 lb | 115 lb | 140 lb | 175 lb | 210 lb | 235 lb | 290 lb |
| 30-39 | 95 lb | 115 lb | 135 lb | 170 lb | 205 lb | 230 lb | 280 lb |
| 40-49 | 90 lb | 105 lb | 130 lb | 160 lb | 190 lb | 215 lb | 265 lb |
| 50-59 | 80 lb | 95 lb | 115 lb | 140 lb | 170 lb | 195 lb | 240 lb |
| 60-69 | 70 lb | 85 lb | 100 lb | 125 lb | 150 lb | 170 lb | 210 lb |
Modeled — estimated from indirect evidence; treat as an informed estimate. Modeled: no population data exists for strict rows, so it is derived from the bench press model using row-to-bench ratios (0.90 men, 1.00 women). The least certain lift here.
Barbell row (Pendlay) standards by age — women
Result needed to beat the given share of all women in each age group, for a bodyweight of 153 lb (the calculator adjusts for yours).
| Age | 10th | 25th | 50th | 75th | 90th | 95th | 99th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18-29 | 50 lb | 60 lb | 70 lb | 85 lb | 105 lb | 120 lb | 155 lb |
| 30-39 | 50 lb | 60 lb | 70 lb | 85 lb | 100 lb | 115 lb | 150 lb |
| 40-49 | 45 lb | 55 lb | 65 lb | 80 lb | 95 lb | 105 lb | 135 lb |
| 50-59 | 40 lb | 50 lb | 55 lb | 70 lb | 85 lb | 95 lb | 120 lb |
| 60-69 | 35 lb | 40 lb | 50 lb | 60 lb | 70 lb | 80 lb | 105 lb |
Modeled — estimated from indirect evidence; treat as an informed estimate. Modeled: no population data exists for strict rows, so it is derived from the bench press model using row-to-bench ratios (0.90 men, 1.00 women). The least certain lift here.
Barbell row (Pendlay) — NCAA Division I athletes
Pooled across sports with published testing data, weighted by the number of D1 athletes in each sport.
| 10th | 25th | 50th | 75th | 90th | 95th | 99th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men | 145 lb | 175 lb | 215 lb | 260 lb | 310 lb | 340 lb | 390 lb |
| Women | 70 lb | 85 lb | 100 lb | 115 lb | 125 lb | 135 lb | 150 lb |
Men: Modeled — estimated from indirect evidence; treat as an informed estimate. Estimated from the D1 bench-press model using a 0.90 Pendlay-row-to-bench ratio for men, with extra variation for technique and individual push-pull balance. Direct D1 Pendlay-row norms were not found.
Women: Modeled — estimated from indirect evidence; treat as an informed estimate. Estimated from the D1 bench-press model using a 1.00 Pendlay-row-to-bench ratio for women, with extra variation for technique and individual push-pull balance. Direct D1 Pendlay-row norms were not found.
Barbell row (Pendlay) questions
What is a good barbell row (pendlay) for a 30-year-old man?
For a 30-year-old man of median US size (179 lb), 140 lb beats half of them, 170 lb reaches the 75th percentile, and 205 lb reaches the 90th of all men that age. The calculator adjusts these for your own bodyweight.
What is a good barbell row (pendlay) for a 30-year-old woman?
For a 30-year-old woman of median US size (153 lb), 70 lb beats half of them, 85 lb reaches the 75th percentile, and 105 lb reaches the 90th of all women that age. The calculator adjusts these for your own bodyweight.
How does that compare with D1 athletes?
Division I is a different population: our estimated median NCAA Division I man is at 215 lb, which would be the 91st percentile among all men aged 18-29; and our estimated median NCAA Division I woman is at 100 lb, which would be the 86th percentile among all women aged 18-29. The D1 comparison is raw — no age or size adjustment — so it is you against the athletes as they are.
How accurate are these barbell row (pendlay) percentiles?
Modeled — estimated from indirect evidence; treat every number here as an informed estimate, not a measurement. Modeled: no population data exists for strict rows, so it is derived from the bench press model using row-to-bench ratios (0.90 men, 1.00 women). The least certain lift here. Modeled percentiles have no validated error margin. Results past the 99th percentile are shown as 99+ because the data cannot support more precision.
Related
Sources
- Mayhew JL, et al. Accuracy of prediction equations for determining one repetition maximum bench press in women before and after resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2008;22(5):1570-7.
- Kim PS, Mayhew JL, Peterson DF. A modified YMCA bench press test as a predictor of 1RM bench press strength. J Strength Cond Res. 2002;16(3):440-5.
- Cooper Institute. Physical Fitness Assessments and Norms — 1RM bench press ratio table (machine-based; used for the age gradient only).
- Strength Level. Bench press standards.
- Hoffman J. Norms for Fitness, Performance, and Health. Human Kinetics; 2006 — NCAA Division I bench press tables, as reproduced in NSCA Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning.
- Latin RW, Berg K, Baechle T. Physical and performance characteristics of NCAA Division I male basketball players. J Strength Cond Res. 1994;8(4):214-8.
- Sell KM, et al. Comparison of physical fitness parameters for starters vs. nonstarters in an NCAA Division I men's lacrosse team. J Strength Cond Res. 2018;32(11):3160-8.
- Guthrie B, Fields JB, Thompson B, Jones MT. Physical performance assessments of strength and power in women collegiate athletes. Int J Exerc Sci. 2021;14(6):984-93.
- Strength Level. Pendlay row standards.
- Mansfield SK, et al. Estimating repetitions in reserve for resistance exercise. J Strength Cond Res. 2020.
- Sigvaldsen E, et al. Validity and reliability of upper body push and pull tests to determine one-repetition maximum. PLoS One. 2023;18(7):e0288649. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0288649.
- Loturco I, et al. A comparison between elite swimmers and kayakers on upper body push and pull strength and power performance. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(22):8301. doi:10.3390/ijerph17228301.