How many pounds can the average person lift?

How many pounds a person can lift depends heavily on age, sex and overall fitness level, making it impossible to get a reliable average. In general, men will be able to lift more than women, but this also depends on how much each person has trained, as stated by Bodybuilding.com. Any previous injuries and the health of the muscle tissue are additional factors.

A good fitness goal is for someone to be able to bench press 1.5 times his or her weight; this means a 150 pound man should be able to bench press 225 pounds, reports Men's Health. Women may have to train harder or longer than men to accomplish this.