Squat Test

How This Calculator Works

This calculator measures your lower-body muscular endurance using the bodyweight squat test, a simple, equipment-free assessment of leg and hip stamina. You enter how many full-depth squats you can complete in one continuous set, and the calculator classifies your result against Amatal’s five-tier scale for your age and sex, then computes your category, your Squat Age, an estimated percentile, and where you fall on a bell curve.

How These Standards Were Set

Strength Level publishes bodyweight-squat rep counts at five percentile pointsThe rep counts that beat 5%, 20%, 50%, 80% and 95% of Strength Level users of the same age and sex. (5th, 20th, 50th, 80th and 95th) for every five years of age, separately for men and women. Amatal’s tiers use different cutoffs (35th, 65th, 85th and 95th), so each cutoff is placed between Strength Level’s points on a normal-curve (z-score) scale:

Each result is rounded up to a whole rep once, and those same whole numbers drive your category, the table and the chart. For ages between Strength Level’s five-year rows, values are interpolated in a straight line, so your exact age gets its own standards rather than jumping at a birthday.

The calculator covers ages 15 to 65 and does not extrapolate, the same range used on Amatal’s other Strength Level pages. Near 65, close to 20% of women in the data log less than one full squat, so the lower tiers there should be read as approximate.

Step 1: Enter Your Details

The calculator needs three inputs: your sex, your age, and the number of squats completed.

• SexSquat standards are reported separately for men and women because of differences in lower-body muscle mass and strength-to-weight ratio. — selects which standard you are compared against.
• Age — determines the standards for your stage of life. Ages 15 to 65 are supported.
• Squats Completed — your maximum full-depth bodyweight squats in one continuous set, with good form.

The Test Protocol

For results that match the standards, the test must be performed the way the standards assume:

• Start position: Stand tall with your feet about shoulder-width apart, toes turned out slightly, and your hands on your hips or arms held straight out in front. No chair or box is used.
• Each repetition: Push your hips back and bend your knees, keeping your heels on the floor and your chest up, until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Then stand back up to straight hips and knees. That is one rep.
• Continuous:Pausing at the top lets the legs recover and inflates the count, so only consecutive reps are counted. Reps must be continuous at a steady, controlled pace, with no pause at the top or bottom. The test ends at your first pause or rest, or when you can no longer reach parallel with good form.
• What doesn’t count: Reps that stop above parallel, reps that don’t return to straight hips and knees, heels lifting off the floor, and bouncing out of the bottom.

Because there’s no chair or box to touch, depth is self-judged. Filming yourself from the side, or having a partner watch, is the easiest way to keep every rep honest.

How Your Category Is Determined

Your result is placed on the same five-tier scale used across this platform, so the squat test reads consistently alongside the other assessments:

Your rep count is compared against the minimum repetitions required for each tier at your age and sex, and you are placed in the highest tier you qualify for:

• Low — below the 35th percentile for your group. A clear starting point with room for improvement. Because the comparison group is gym users, many generally active people land here.
• Intermediate — around the middle of the data (35th to 65th percentile). Typical of people who train their legs regularly. Remember the comparison group is gym users, not the general population.
• Advanced — 65th to 85th percentile. Reflects consistent lower-body training over time.
• Superior — 85th to 95th percentile. Characteristic of well-conditioned, regularly trained individuals.
• Elite — 95th percentile and above for your age and sex. Among the highest squat counts in the demographic.

How to Read the Standards Table

The standards table lists one row for every five years of age from 15 to 65, plus an extra row for your exact age, and one column for each of the five levels. The header labels are color-coded to match the chart bands — on a phone the headers shorten to single letters (L · I · A · S · E); tap any header to see its full name.

• Each cell is a single number — the minimum. It shows the fewest squats needed to reach that level at that age. If your result equals or exceeds it, you’ve reached that level.
• The Low column shows a range. Low runs from zero up to one rep below the Intermediate minimum, so it is shown as a range (for example, 0–39) rather than a threshold.
• Your row and level are highlighted. The row for your exact age is shaded, and within it, the cell for your achieved level is filled with that tier’s color.

Squat Age

Your Squat AgeThe age at which your rep count would be considered typical (median) performance. Conceptually similar to "fitness age" used in cardiovascular testing. is the age at which your result would be average. If you perform more squats than the typical person of your actual age, your Squat Age is younger; if fewer, it is older.

The typical result at each age is Strength Level’s 50th-percentile rep count. In that data the typical result peaks and holds steady from 25 to 40, then declines, so Squat Age is read from the declining side (40 to 65). A result at or above the peak shows as ≤40, and a result below the typical 65-year-old shows as 65+. If you are under 40 and at or above the typical result for your own age, the calculator says so rather than giving you an older Squat Age.

Percentile Estimate

The percentile estimates the share of Strength Level users of your age and sex who log fewer squats than you. Your rep count is placed between Strength Level’s percentile points for your exact age (5th, 20th, 50th, 80th and 95th), on the same z-score scale used for the tiers, so the percentile always agrees with your category:

Beyond the data’s range the calculator doesn’t guess: above the 95th point it shows >95th, and below the lowest point it shows <5th (or ≤20th, for example, where that share of people log less than one full squat).

The Bell Curve

The “Where You Fall in Your Age Group” chart draws a normal curveA bell-shaped curve that describes how results spread around an average: most people near the middle, fewer at either end. fitted to Strength Level’s percentile points for your age and sex, cut off at zero reps. The colored bands are the five tiers, and the dashed line marks your result.

Real squat counts are whole numbers and right-skewed: a long tail of people log very high counts, and a few, mostly older women, log less than one full squat. A smooth bell can’t show either shape exactly, so the curve is a positioning aid. Your category and percentile come from the published points, not from the curve.

How Age and Sex Change Your Score

These two inputs do not just describe you — each one directly changes the numbers your result is measured against:

• Age changes the thresholds. The calculator recomputes the rep requirement for every tier at your exact age. Because endurance standards decline with age, the same rep count is judged against lower requirements as you get older — so an identical number of squats can place you in a higher tier at 55 than it would at 25. In this data the standards rise from 15 to 25, hold steady to 40, then decline, which is the shape you see in the table and chart.
• Sex selects a different table. Choosing male or female swaps in Strength Level’s separate men’s or women’s data. Both are for the same bodyweight squat, but the rep counts required for each tier differ, so the same number of squats is scored differently depending on which table applies.

Why Lower-Body Endurance Matters

The ability to repeatedly lower and raise your own body weight underpins everyday function: climbing stairs, getting out of a chair, lifting and carrying, and staying mobile and independent with age. Lower-body muscular endurance reflects how long the large muscles of the legs and hips can sustain effort, and it tends to track broader conditioning.

The link to long-term health is suggestive. A 2014 study of 2,002 adults aged 51–80 found that those who scored lowest on a sitting-rising testA field test scored on the ability to lower yourself to the floor and stand back up without using hands, knees or other support. It reflects lower-body strength, flexibility, balance and body composition. had roughly a five- to six-fold higher risk of death during follow-up than those who scored highest.

Important context: that test is not the same movement as the bodyweight squat counted here, the study population was older, and it shows an association, not proof that squatting itself extends life. For adults 60 and older, the measured option is the 30-second chair stand, which has published age norms; it is a different test and is not scored here.

Data Sources and Verification

The squat standards come from Strength Level’s community data. The other references explain why older charts weren’t used and give context on lower-body function and health:

• Strength Level — Bodyweight Squat Standards (strengthlevel.com/strength-standards/bodyweight-squat). By-age rep standards for men and women built from users’ logged sets; retrieved October 31, 2026. Source of all thresholds, the percentile estimate, Squat Age and the bell curve on this page. Mapped to Amatal’s tier cutoffs; Amatal uses its own tier names.
• Antonetti, V. (1999). Total Fitness: A Home-Based Program for Measuring and Improving Your Fitness Level. Self-published — origin of the widely copied “squat test” chart this page previously used. Replaced because it reports no sample, percentiles or protocol.
• Brito, L.B., Ricardo, D.R., Araújo, D.S.M.S., Ramos, P.S., Myers, J., & Araújo, C.G.S. (2014). Ability to sit and rise from the floor as a predictor of all-cause mortality. European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, 21(7), 892–898 — source of the lower-body function and mortality association.
• Rikli, R.E., & Jones, C.J. (2013). Senior Fitness Test Manual (2nd ed.). Human Kinetics — measured 30-second chair-stand norms for adults 60 and older (a different test, mentioned for context).

Limitations and Important Caveats

This calculator provides an estimate, not a clinical measurement. Several factors affect how precisely it reflects your true muscular endurance:

• No measured norms. This is the most important caveat. No study has measured bodyweight-squat counts in a representative adult sample, so there is no clinical standard to compare against.
• Self-selected, self-reported data. Strength Level’s data comes from people who log their training online, mostly regular gym-goers, and reps aren’t verified for depth. Squat counts are especially easy to inflate with shallow reps, so the upper tiers in particular likely run high. Treat your category, Squat Age, and percentile as guidance, not clinical norms.
• Modeled steps. The 35th, 65th and 85th percentile cutoffs are placed between Strength Level’s published points on a normal-curve scale, and ages between its five-year rows are interpolated. Ratings cover ages 15 to 65 only.
• Depth and tempo. Without a chair or box, depth is self-judged, and squatting above parallel or bouncing changes the count a lot. Inconsistent depth is the largest source of error in self-administered squat tests.
• Ceiling effect. Bodyweight squats load large, strong muscles, so trained people can keep going for a long time, and the test separates very fit people less precisely than it does the general population.
• Body weight and leverage are not scored. Limb length, body weight and proportions change how hard each squat is. Strength Level publishes no combined age-and-bodyweight table, so this calculator scores by age and sex only.
• Single-test snapshot. Fatigue, sleep, time of day, and recent training all affect a single test. For tracking progress, retest under the same conditions every few weeks.

Disclaimer:
This calculator provides an estimate based on Strength Level’s self-logged community data, mapped to Amatal’s tiers; it does not use validated clinical norms. Real muscular endurance depends on training history, technique, body weight and proportions, recovery, and individual variation. Always warm up before any fitness test and stop immediately if you experience pain in the knees, hips or back, dizziness, or unusual discomfort. This tool is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered medical, fitness, or training advice. Consult a healthcare provider before beginning a new exercise program, especially if you have a pre-existing condition, are over the age of 45, or have been sedentary for an extended period.