Are You an Average Man?
Does watching television make you feel like the Danny Devito of the male world? Here are the real stats of the average American man. This is either going to make you feel better or confirm you're going to have to overachieve:
- The average man is 34.4 years old.
- The average man is married with two children.
- The average man earns $36,100 per year and has $3,100 in the bank.
- The average man sleeps about 7 hours on a work night.
- Age when the average guy is in the best shape of his life: 23 years
- The average man is is about 5' 9" tall.
- He weighs 175 pounds.
Age (yrs) 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69 Weight (lbs) 168 179 182 185 184 Weight (kg) 76 81.1 82.6 84 83.5 - Percentage of men who consider themselves "physically fit": 69%
- Percentage who actually are: 13%
- Time it takes the average guy to run a mile: 8 minutes, 34 seconds
- Time it takes the average American man to run 1.5 miles: 12 minutes, 45 seconds
Age (yrs) 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69 Time (m:s) 12:18 12:51 13:53 14:55 16:07 - Pounds the average man can bench-press one time: 160
Age (yrs) 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69 Max. Weight (lbs) 180 158 143 128 116 - Number of sit-ups he can do in 1 minute: 36
Age (yrs) 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69 Sit-ups 40 36 31 26 20 - Number of push-ups he can do with good form in 1 minute: 27
Age (yrs) 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69 Push-ups 33 27 21 15 15 - Number of pull-ups he can do: 1
- Resting heart rate of a fit man: 52 beats per minute
- Time it takes a fit man to log 8,000,000 heartbeats: 30 years
- Resting heart rate of a man who's out of shape: 72 beats per minute
- Time it takes an out-of-shape man to log 8,000,000 heartbeats: 19 years
- Size of the average guy's biceps: 13 inches (flexed)
- Size of his chest: 40 inches (inhaled)
- Size of his waist: 34 inches
- Amount of muscle the average sedentary guy loses each year: 1 pound
- Amount of fat he gains each year: 1.1 pounds
- The part of a man's body that is the biggest turn-on for the average woman: his butt
- The part the average guy spends the most time trying to develop: his chest
- Percentage of men who don't belong to a gym: 88%
- Average cost of a 1-year gym membership: $648
- Amount the average 40-year-old man would save each year in medical costs if he exercised regularly: $949
- Time period when the typical gym is least crowded: 10:00am to 11:30am
- Percentage of men who would never skip another workout if... they could build twice the muscle with half the effort: 40%
- Percentage of men who would never skip another workout if... women began wearing see-through spandex: 16%
- Exercise equipment the average guy is most likely to own: dumbbells
- Percentage of men who use their fitness equipment as... a place to hang their clothes: 45%
- Percentage of men who use their fitness equipment as... a doorstop: 13%
- Number of men who would rather work out than have sex: 1 in 7
- Percentage of men who think that gyms are pickup joints: 14%
- The life expectancy of the average man is:
Year Born 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 1997 Life Expectancy (yrs) 65.6 66.6 67.1 70.0 71.8 73.6
July 1, 2008
10:44 PM
I think data detailing the median man would be far more useful. Those ten guys who compete in the strongman contests and that one guy who ran 350 miles really throw the averages out of whack.
November 23, 2008
5:35 PM
It is not clear from where have you where you have obtained these statistics, could you please clarify?
February 7, 2009
3:13 PM
Actually, what’s needed here instead of average (“mean”) or even median is MODE. “Mode” is the number, or range of numbers, that occurs the most in a set of collected numbers.
For example, if six men are surveyed and found to have these one-rep bench press max’s, 155, 155, 155, 155, 95, and 405, the average would be 186 2/3, but, the mode would be 155. The average, 186 2/3, would be misleading, being more than thirty units beyond what all but one man can handle. The 155 would more clearly indicate what the majority are able to bench.
By the way, the median in this example does happen to be 155 also, but in a larger set of numbers would not necessarily coincide with the mode. Mode would be most significant in establishing reference statistics for a “typical” man.
February 23, 2009
8:17 PM
man this is funny but true but i not a average guy
June 25, 2009
5:01 PM
This is great. I far better then the average man!
July 15, 2009
3:59 PM
WTH ? 180lbs for bench at that age ? i can bench 230lbs 5 reps and i’m 16 wth ?
August 20, 2009
11:52 AM
lol thats wayyyy wrong. im 15 and can bench 250 lbs and my flexed biceps were 16.5 inches (shunk to 16 from lack of workout due to football)
August 29, 2009
12:27 AM
15 and 16 this is an article about the average man not male, males dont quit growing till there in their 20′s, your bodies and physical performance is going to look quite different at age 40 than as a teenager.
September 20, 2009
4:42 PM
I think this Website is awesome. Every man wonders where he rates in the scheme of things. I always thought of myself as the absolute average guy. 5’11- 175..bench 215-220.and climbing..I can do the mile a little quicker than 8.34 but ive been smokin alittle so maybe not..there are a few statistics that are missing though IQ, personality types, preference in women,and another that may or may not be appropriate..But all in all I liked it..E-mail me if you get some new ones! PEACE
November 6, 2009
9:36 PM
average dan, the average iq is 100, its 100 for any age group,
November 15, 2009
1:27 PM
I think some of these percents are on and off. I am 36 and I can bench 405+ lbs, but thats due to the fact that I work hard at it. I am sure the average man does not work hard at it or even attempts to workout at all. So for all of us that hit the gym….we should be above or below the average. The one stat that relly stands out is the average man can only do 1 pull up….and now that I have noticed…that statement is probably the most accurate.
November 20, 2009
1:42 PM
Just going to go out ans say it, the average man is probably not on elitefeet.com for runners. Congratulations if you can bench 405; you aren’t average.
November 28, 2009
2:05 AM
i can do 20 pulls old as i am (35) my arms arent the problem… get my flat stomach back?
November 28, 2009
2:18 AM
when ur good u press ur weight
November 29, 2009
4:23 AM
At 27yoa i could bench press 160kg do 300pressups and60pullups 5onearm pullups (rightarm)in my 40s ive run a marathon in 2hrs47mins now im 60 i can still do 78pressups in 1min and cycle 20miles a day to and from work run up and down 8floors in 2min do 100stepups in 2min my rest pulse is 48bpm i consider myself normal
January 2, 2010
1:11 PM
What they don’t do is weigh muscle. Seen above, the Average 34 yr old has 13 inch arms. That is small if you
ask me. I am 50 years old and I scored myself honestly higher in the physical strength area higher than the average 20 to 30 yr old. No wonder they are encouraging children to get out and exercise more. I scored lower on my cardio partly because of Asthma. I will make an effort to run a mile on or around the 34 yr old average in 2010. To all who reads this, exercise works! I does make you above average!
January 4, 2010
9:39 AM
lol. im 42 and beat all of the above easy.
January 20, 2010
5:57 PM
I’m 42, I stopped smoking and started lifting three years ago and started running 18 months ago. I’m 5’9″ 178lbs. I bench 270 and run 3.5 miles a day with a average mile time between 7min 45sec and 7min 55sec. It’s been hard work repairing almost twenty years of neglect but one day I’ll have grandkids and it’ll be nice to play with them.
February 11, 2010
4:47 PM
I’m willing to bet most people on here are liars.
February 13, 2010
1:13 PM
This all sounds about right. People have differing abilities, so it’s probably best not to judge just on one stat here – better to figure out what you need to work on.
I’m 40 and can run way faster than the average 20 year old, and always have been able to. But I’m lanky – despite years of weights (on and off, to be fair), I’ve never been able to bench my weight. At around 140 on a good day (but can do about 40 push ups in a minute, so not sure what that means) but still working on it.
February 15, 2010
5:47 PM
I’m going to be 46 next month. I’m 6’1 225 lbs. I don’t go to a gym to work out. I work in a warehouse lifting and shipping out boxes the weigh 30- 35 lbs all day. I keep up or surpass the guys younger than me, they are in their 20′s and 30′s. I’m the oldest one there. In the winter I ride my snowmachine getting physical and getting fresh air. In the summer I still go to my cousin’s farm and help hay his fields all summer long. So, I’m in pretty good health I think. I don’t benchpress or measure my arms for size. Just knowing I feel good and stay in shape this way makes me happy.
February 27, 2010
7:16 PM
I’m 45 and in the military, do a 10:50 mile and half run, max pushups easy , do 35 situps and i can bench press 300pds. 1-2 reps , 50 dips without stopping and for you young bucks when i was wrestling @ 126pds. i could bench press 225 , it’s all about motivation no matter what your schedule is nowadays, if you want to learn about motivation just google Randy Couture UFC and try his workout, it is a real b****, and he is 44-45 y.o., good luck to everyone
March 3, 2010
11:51 AM
I am willing to be most people here are average liars. Not too bad and not too good.
April 14, 2010
1:13 PM
REPLY Psycho BOB
Your answer is mint… Hopefully one day i can feel that way im 20 and constantly looking in the mirror self esteem issues as many have except the elite few like yourself.. Get rrr done boss!
April 14, 2010
6:15 PM
lol nice e-stats everyone.
this must be why i go out in the real world and see fit guys with huge, ripped arms all the time…(sarcasm)
April 19, 2010
1:00 AM
I’m 15 @ 5’7 145lbs with just over 13” arms and I can bench around 130, at least I’m already average on the arm part. :)
April 28, 2010
10:31 AM
Im 5-8 210 and bench 285 have 17 1/4 arms and im 39. The stat that surprise was how mens bench got alot weaker as they got older, i mean most atheletes and Weightlifters get stronger as they hit around 30 and up including myself, iknow you lose your speed and quickness after around 30, but not strength.
May 9, 2010
9:09 PM
A lot of braggarts…
May 24, 2010
11:01 PM
So statistics are for the average man… and we get responses from guys crying for attention on the internet.
“WUUUUTTT THATS THE AVERAGE MAN? IM SOOOOO MUCH BETTER~ NO WAY~ AWWWW *feigning ignorance*”
But more on topic… These stats seem to be high because just walking around at work or the mall, almost all the guys I see I can just tell right away: “this dude cannot run a 8.5 min mile.”
May 25, 2010
11:21 PM
I can tap my head and rub my stomach. beat that!
May 28, 2010
11:21 AM
Dumbest article ever. Probably had a small sample size, with several strong outliers that threw it all out of balance. I go to the gym often at my university, and most college-aged males bench 135-150 for reps. Only the really jacked guys are putting up big numbers. Also, many Americans are fat and can’t even run 1 mile, much less 1.5 miles in 12 minutes.
This is a much better table of bench press weights per age and weight: http://www.exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/BenchStandards.html
The average untrained, 180 pound man can’t even put up 1 plate on each side
June 3, 2010
9:30 AM
I AM 70 YEARS OLD AND I DO PUSHUPS FOR MY EXCERISE. I AM A RETIRED POLICE CHIEF. I HAVE DONE 1200 PUSHUPS IN 2.15 HOURS . I STARTED IN OCT OF LAST YEAR WITH 70 AND NOW THREE TIMES A WEEK I DO 500 TO 700 PER NIGHT. I AT ONE TIME WAS INTO A LOTOF WEIGHTS. I FIND THAT PUSHUPS KEEP ME IN GREAT SHAPE.
June 4, 2010
8:57 AM
Are these statistics old? Seems like “the average man” was less healthy when these stats were gathered.
June 10, 2010
9:33 AM
Wow, what can I say? There are so many people that have left comments on here who clearly are exagerating some what. I don’t know which now is more entertaining……..the figures etc provided on the page, or the guys leaving there comments trying to impress. I think however the numbers etc provided are pretty much correct. They may not be exact, but they look close enough to me. They are average, for the average guy, not for guys that do excercise every week, because this is not what the average guy does.
June 12, 2010
2:35 PM
Thank you alex I bet you really bench 130 pounds. It is amazing how super buff every man is on this site if this was true we be out of 45pound plates at the gym. Average I see is 145pounds for skinny guys and 235pounds of the big belly and thick boned men. Everyone stop lying! Noone cares lol
June 22, 2010
2:52 PM
I’m 15 and i have a 43 inch chest and i bench more than i weigh and squat the most out of my schools JV football team and many varsity players… I’m not even i lineman i’m a running back but i out bench all but two linemen and out squat all of them… although i’m heavey for my height at my age (5’8″ 160 lbs) I’m still fast and play guard for the schools basketball team and can beat most the football team and basketball team in a footrace… except for those skinny little track kids who weigh like 105 and are my height…
July 2, 2010
11:29 AM
it’s hilarious how all the comments here are based around bench press weight as if that were the most important stat. my stats:
30 years old, $180k income, $45k in bank, sleep 7 hours a night, best shape in life at 21 years old, 6’1″ tall, 165 pounds, do not consider myself physically fit, can run a mile in 7:30, max bench press 190 lbs, # of sit ups in 1 minute 45, # of push ups in 1 minute 50, # of pull ups 6, don’t know bicep size or chest, waist 30 inches, don’t belong to gym, bored at work…
July 15, 2010
1:50 AM
What’s with all the dudes writing in to say how much they can bench? The article was about what the average man could do, and then we have all these guys writing in to say how much better they are! The word “insecure” comes to mind. And as for all these teenagers writing in to brag about their 43 inch chests (wow – 3 inches bigger than average!!!), it seems their advantage in physical fitness comes at the expense of a rather startling deficit in intellect??
July 20, 2010
8:58 AM
It’s funny how different people react to the above post, when I first read them I was well below the average, but instead of ridiculing them it inspired me to better myself. There will always be people who can lift more, run faster or make more money than me, but they are are the ones who make me push myself. To those of you who think this is foolishness and your happy the way you are, I’m happy for you, but don’t belittle those that want to better them selves.
July 26, 2010
5:36 PM
Yea.. I can bench 600 pounds do 80 pushups in a minute… In highschool I was the football team and the basketball team. Just me, noone else and we (I) ended up getting all the way to state. Basically my man parts are bigger than yours… Guarenteed
(End sarcasm)
July 27, 2010
2:57 PM
Man im 14 and i bench 215 i weigh 180 and can slaughter all of these records easily. Im a football player but still this cant be the average man and if ur 20-35 then u should be above me in weight and stregth but i understand endurance. All these 14, 15, and 16 year olds are doing way better than this average guy so it must mean one out of two things, 1: the younger generation is suddenly getting crazy strong or 2: this isnt a true representation of an average MAN and is just helping out of shape old men feel better about not being less than average. If you are proud of beating these standards then your standards are too low.
August 18, 2010
11:00 PM
I’m better than this, I can do that. Me me me me!!! Human behavior is bizarre it must be said.
Interesting article all the same and the information seems pretty accurate.
August 20, 2010
11:45 PM
ok first of all…. ill have to agree with the guy who said pretty much everyone on here is a liar…. im 5’8″ 16 years old and i bench 185 for 5 reps without a spot… i struggle to do that much and i have been training for one year!!! my arms are 15.5″! i only weigh 135-140lbs! i have gained 35-40lbs!!!!! exercise does work just so you know…. i can do 20 pullups easily max chinups i have done is 40 hopefully i can do a TRUE ONE ARM PULLUP not like that one guy said. those are probably the one HANDED pullups not one ARM pullups! major difference!!! seeing as at my school not many 16 year olds can bench more than 150lbs i highly doubt that the 16 year old who says he can bench ALOT of weight benchs that much and!!!
_______BY THE WAY: size is relevant to your Body Fat percentage!!!! mine is 3%!!!! not many people can get to that considering i do NO CARDIO i am naturally skinny/ripped! yeah……….. i mean think about it a 15.5″ arm on someone who is 140lbs and has 3% bf versus someone who weighs 200lbs with 17″ arms and has 10% bf!!!
which one do you think looks better? of course the first one!!!! and keep in mind these numbers that this site is HIGHLY unaccurate considering now the population of america is around 75% OBESE thats right OBESE = 30% BODYFAT OR MORE!!!!
hope this clears things up!
August 21, 2010
6:28 PM
I’m age 19, 6’3, 190lbs. I’d say I’m physically fit, can do more pull-ups and press-ups than the charts say, can run 1.5 miles in 9:30, but on the other hand I’ve been working out for 3 years on and off and can only just match the 180lb max on the bench. But then I started off skinny, and as noted above am better at the running. So yes I’d say these stats are about right. I’m above average on some things and below on others. Those of you who say the stats are skewed due to the big lifters and trained athletes, bear in mind that for every trained athlete there will likely be two or three or even ten couch potatoes counterbalancing them. Normal distributions ensure that the freak results at both ends cancel out and the average remains largely unaltered.
Oh and all you 14 year olds who can bench 300-450… 2 things, 1) One day you’ll get a bit older and realise that lies only work if they’re subtle, and 2) All credit to you if you CAN shift that weight, but when your balls shrivel up from the steroid abuse in a decade, and your hair starts fallingout in tufts… well don’t say I didn’t warn you!
August 23, 2010
1:06 PM
Well,let’s see..I have to cheat by one mile SOUTH here in
Windsor,Ont.,Can.,across the Detroit River from Detroit,
Mich.,U.S.A.(the SOLE Southern Canadian entry point to the U.S.),but were I a Yankee dude rather than a Canuck lad,
I guess I’d be regarded quite large at 5’81/4”,214 lb.,
47” Chest Normal,49” Chest Expanded,41.5” Waist amongst my measurements at age 57.(The typical Canadian man is 5’8.5”,182 lb.,the average U.S. chap,5’9.3”,
192 lb.)
August 29, 2010
10:21 PM
Why is it on the internet everyone is so much stronger than me, but when I go to the gym I train at, everyone lifts so much less? How come the NFL tests for # reps at 225? Man pro athletes must suck. How come a pro fighter only maxes out at 300 lbs on the bench? Man fighters are wimps.
Oh and that one guy in the military, I don’t know any branch that would let you in with only 35 situps. Maybe Air Force, they’re a bunch of pansies. In my branch 54 is the absolute minimum for situps, and you are expected to get far more. What’s the max for your pushups, 25? What military is this, the Spongebob Armed Forces?
I can get 70 pushups, working toward 84. I can do 55 situps and I want to work to 100 (this will be hard). I absolutely suck at running though. I really want to be able to run the 1.5 mile in 8 minutes but it’s a struggle even at 12:30 for me. I’m really bad at this.
I can box 10 rounds. I don’t go for max bench, or max anything actually, I stop at 225 lbs. for bench and just do reps. I can squat over 500 lbs machine assisted, but I only do about 250 or so regularly. I can deadlift 300 lbs but I also usually only dead lift about 250 or so on that too, usually less. I am a huge fan of the hanging clean press, which I do at about 145 lbs (I was doing it before GSP did, but that’s what he does too).
People that can easily kill all my numbers are probably full of shit. I’m sure there are many guys that can, but I doubt they’re 14 year olds that all happen to post on here. Also the higher numbers are generally for bigger people, guys that are like 250 lbs or so. The average person is about 170. A 170 lb person that bench presses 170 lbs is far more impressive than a 250 lb. person that benches 200.
August 30, 2010
5:01 PM
@Ryan,Chris,Steven this is about the average “truthful man” not the “lair” teen. I am 21 and can do about 120 lbs and I know I’m not that strong but I work on cardio more than lifting. So either you are lying or you are on some serious steroids, some of my friends can’t lift over 200 and they are big guys so I doubt a puny 14 year old can lift over 200.
August 30, 2010
11:10 PM
When I started working out 3 years ago (31yo/6’180lbs) I could do 135 for 10 reps, and a max lift of 165. I was completely average, having never worked out. Now my personal best is 305 and 225 for 18 reps. The crazy part is that I now weigh 240. I used to be able to run, but now Im just to heavy.
September 1, 2010
1:57 AM
There are way too many fellas bragging and tearing each other down in this post. I found this information affirming and positive. As men, we all feel self concious about how we are viewed by others, especially women. For those among us who can honestly say we exceed the stats listed, we should try as gentlemen to motivate and challenge others to meet the stats. We also need to appreciate that there are other men who arent able to walk to the bathroom due to trauma, much less bench their own bodyweight. Because of this, its not cool to brag and tear down.
September 1, 2010
1:38 PM
Just thank God that your even able to workout. Thank Him for everything. Just remember. There are people out there who don’t have it as fortunate as us. No arms, no legs, diseases of all sorts, and sicknesses. Try and workout; and have fun, and realize getting in shape is a goal, not a competition. Working out and staying in better physical condition and eating right all promote a healthy and prolonged lifestyle. Just remember, have fun. And when you get the chance, get out.