How Much Can the Average Male Squat vs. a Navy SEAL BUD/S Trainee?

I will be honest with you. I made alot of mistakes in training to become a Navy SEAL.

I trained in an old school bodybuilding gym back in the 1980s.

In all fairness – it was the only thing I knew at 18 years old. Working out in that style of gym I was exposed to the good, the bad, and the ugly. Good – as I got underneath a barbell and learned perfect squatting form. If your form needed help – there were plenty of guys to point it out.

Bad in that we worked out on a pec deck and did preacher curls until our biceps burned. The ugly is that I never ran or did anything over an hour workout. I had no endurance cardio. I could go on… but I will stop here.

Why is the Squat Important?

The squat is one of the most fundamental exercises for building strength, power, and endurance. Whether you’re an average guy hitting the gym or a Navy SEAL BUD/S trainee grinding through some of the toughest training on the planet, squatting plays a crucial role. But the why behind squatting is different for each. Let’s break it down.

The Average Male – Strength and Health

For the average male, the squat is about building raw strength and improving overall health. It targets the lower body muscles—quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves—while also working the core and stabilizers. In a regular gym routine, squats help in several ways:

Strength Gain:

The average person squats to build muscle and strength in the lower body. This translates into better performance in daily activities—lifting, walking, running, and even maintaining balance as they age.

Functional Movement:

Squats mimic movements we do every day, like getting out of a chair or picking something up from the ground. Training with squats helps keep the body mobile and functional.

Injury Prevention:

By strengthening the muscles and joints around the knees and hips, squatting can help reduce the risk of injury in sports or daily life. A strong lower body protects the back and joints.

Metabolic Boost:

Squatting large muscle groups causes a higher metabolic demand, meaning more calories burned and better overall fitness. For the average guy trying to lose weight or stay lean, squats are a great exercise.

Confidence:

Pushing yourself under a loaded bar builds mental toughness. As the weight on the bar increases, so does your confidence in what you can handle.

In short, the squat for the average male is about building a solid foundation of strength, improving health, and looking good. It’s about setting personal goals—whether it’s squatting 200, 300, or even 400 pounds—and achieving them over time. It’s a symbol of progress.

When we talk about squats, it’s not just about strength. It’s about resilience, discipline, and pushing beyond limits. The average male may walk into a gym, hit the squat rack, and pump out some reps. But a Navy SEAL BUD/S trainee? They’re built different. Let’s break it down.

The Average Male Squat Weight

The average male, depending on fitness level, can squat about 150-225 pounds. This number can vary based on age, weight, and training experience. For a guy who lifts casually or stays active, that range is solid. They might do it for strength, to keep fit, or just look good in front of a mirror. Nothing wrong with that.

Here are the average male standards for barbell squat.
Level – Bodyweight Ratio
Beginner – 0.75x
Novice – 1.25x
Intermediate – 1.50x
Advanced – 2.25x
Elite – 2.75x

An average 170 lb. male with intermediate skill level should be able to squat 255 lbs (115.6 kg) for a 1 rep max.

But here’s the thing: most people focus on the weight alone. They load the bar with plates, bend down, and push up. That’s fine if all you care about is the number. But squatting isn’t just about how much weight is on the bar — it’s about how your body handles the strain, how your mind controls the grind, and how you keep going when it hurts.

Navy SEAL BUD/S Trainee – A Different Breed

Now, let’s talk about a Navy SEAL BUD/S trainee. These guys aren’t your average gym-goers. They train with a mindset: endure and overcome. In BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training), it’s not about how much you can squat once. It’s about how many times you can squat under pressure—day in and day out, with stress, fatigue, and pain weighing on you like a ton of bricks.

When a SEAL candidate squats, it’s often not just with a barbell. They’ll throw on a rucksack, or lift with a sand bag.  During training they carry scuba tanks on their backs and are constantly moving. They hold logs with their team, and perform squats by the hundreds. The weight might be less than what’s on a barbell, but the reps are dozens at a time. During BUD/S, strength is important, but endurance and mental toughness are king.

In BUD/S, trainees are known to handle weights in the 135-185-pound range for high repetitions—often in sand, mud, and with little sleep. The environment breaks down your body. The real challenge is doing this while soaked in cold water, covered in sand, with the instructors yelling at you, and knowing you’ve got hours of this left. That’s where the true test lies.

Mental Strength vs. Physical Strength

The average male might focus on maxing out their squat at 300 or even 400 pounds for a few reps. But that’s only a part of the equation. In BUD/S, trainees are tested not just on how much they can lift once, but how much they can lift repeatedly, and under extreme conditions.

Think about this: You might be able to squat 300 pounds in a gym, but could you do that after running miles on the beach, after being awake for 48 hours straight, or after holding a log with your team over your head and carrying on your shoulder for hours? That’s the difference between average strength and SEAL strength.

Real-Life Example – The SEAL Way
Let’s take an example from SEALgrinderPT training. One of our athletes, a former BUD/S trainee, could squat 185 pounds for 10 reps easily before entering BUD/S. But in BUD/S, it wasn’t just about doing 10 reps—it was about being able to squat, run, swim, and climb ropes in the same day, with no rest. He described it as turning “squats into survival.”

At SGPT, we also see this with our GORUCK athletes. These guys might only have 135 pounds on their back during a workout, but they’ll squat for hours during ruck marches, obstacle courses, and carrying teammates. The weight may seem light compared to gym standards, but in SEAL training, it’s about maintaining strength while the body and mind are screaming to quit.

Bottom Line – It’s More Than Just Weight
The average male might look at the squat rack and focus on how much weight they can lift. A Navy SEAL BUD/S trainee looks at the same rack and thinks: how long can I keep going? That’s the SEAL mindset.

When comparing the average male squat to a BUD/S trainee, it’s clear that strength alone isn’t the full story. SEAL trainees train their bodies to handle weight under extreme circumstances. Sure, the average guy may squat more in a comfortable gym setting, but a SEAL trainee? They’re squatting with purpose, under pressure, and in conditions most people can’t even imagine.

In the end, it’s not about how much you can squat once. It’s about how much you can endure and keep going. That’s the true difference between an average lifter and a Navy SEAL.

Your Challenge:

Find your 3 rep max with a barbell. If no barbell then use a sandbag or ruck. If no sandbag or ruck then perform max air squats in 2 minutes. Pay attention to your form and make sure you are performing properly.

Post your score in your training log. Now you have a baseline test that you can work from.

About the Author:

Are you looking to achieve big goals? Do you have a big event on the horizon and you want to finish the drill?

Wanting to complete a Spartan, GORUCK, Tough Mudder or SEALFIT 20X Challenge?

Get individual coaching from former Navy SEAL Coach Brad McLeod. Check out SGPT coaching here:

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