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Close Grip Dumbbell Bench Press strength standards

What is a good Close Grip Dumbbell Bench Press?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate Close Grip Dumbbell Bench Press is about 83 lb (0.46x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 121 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

Good target 83 lb Intermediate at 180 lb
Next tier 121 lb Advanced standard
Gym median Separate tab Self-reported, not blended
Check My Level Estimate Your 1RM Methodology
Evidence ledger No blended rankings
Primary source FitnessVolt standards model
Available views Standards
Coverage 21 bodyweights × 5 levels

Competition results, gym submissions, and reader logs stay labeled separately so the ranking source is clear.

Quick Answer Close Grip Dumbbell Bench Press

A solid (Intermediate) Close Grip Dumbbell Bench Press for a 180 lb male is about 83 lb (0.46x bodyweight). Use the calculator below to convert your own Close Grip Dumbbell Bench Press into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 121 lb (0.67x bodyweight).

FitnessVolt standards, with FVCP competition rankings shown separately from gym percentiles

Estimated Standards

How strong is your Close Grip Dumbbell Bench Press? Compare your 1RM against standards for 21 bodyweight categories, from Beginner to Elite.

Primary Muscles Shoulders (Deltoids), Triceps, Chest
Equipment Dumbbells, Flat Bench
Standards Coverage 21 bodyweights × 5 levels

How Strong Is Your Close Grip Dumbbell Bench Press?

Intermediate (competition scale)
Typical FVCP: 50th percentile
A 180 lb male lifting 83 lbs (0.46x bodyweight) on the Close Grip Dumbbell Bench Press ranks Intermediate on the FVCP competition scale, stronger than ~50% of verified competition lifters at this bodyweight. Enter your own numbers above to see where you stand.

That clears the median for this bodyweight and gives you a useful benchmark for the next tier.

Over 40? Our calculator also reports an age-adjusted percentile and an age-30 equivalent using the McCulloch age factor, so masters lifters are compared to lifters their own age. See the age-adjusted (Masters 40+) standards below for the full breakdown.

FVCP competition ranking, shown separately from gym percentiles and reader logs
Your FVCP:
Age-adjusted percentile
lb Age-30 equivalent 1RM

FVCP competition ranking, shown separately from gym percentiles and reader logs
th percentile

Illustrative: a normal-distribution model anchored to the real Beginner to Elite percentile thresholds for your bodyweight. The marker shows where your lift falls, not a measured frequency count.

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Share your FVCP with friends
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to track your progress over time.

Reader Data Is Still Building

We do not have enough reader-submitted Close Grip Dumbbell Bench Press entries yet to publish a stable crowd benchmark. Until then, this panel shows the Intermediate standards baseline only:

83 lb Typical 1RM (Intermediate)
0.46x x Bodyweight

Baseline figures for a 180 lb male at Intermediate level, from the standards table. This is not reader-submitted data. So far readers have logged a lift here.

Enter your numbers above first. We publish reader benchmarks only after a sample threshold is met.

How Much Should You Close Grip Dumbbell Bench Press?

Use this table to find the standard closest to your bodyweight. The tiers are standards, not claims about reader submissions.

How a male lifter's expected 1RM scales with bodyweight at each level. Exact numbers in the table below.

BW (lbs) Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
110 6 19 39 66 99
120 9 24 45 75 109
130 12 28 52 83 119
140 16 33 58 91 128
150 19 38 65 99 138
160 22 43 71 106 147
170 26 47 77 114 155
180 29 52 83 121 164
190 33 57 89 128 172
200 36 61 95 135 180
210 40 66 100 142 188
220 43 70 106 148 195
230 47 75 111 154 203
240 50 79 116 161 210
250 54 83 122 167 217
260 57 88 127 173 223
270 61 92 132 179 230
280 64 96 137 184 237
290 67 100 141 190 243
300 71 104 146 195 249
310 74 108 151 201 255

Is Your Close Grip Dumbbell Bench Press Good?

A quick read on what counts as a good Close Grip Dumbbell Bench Press at each level, for a typical male and female lifter.

Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) Close Grip Dumbbell Bench Press is about 83 lb (0.46x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 121 lb (0.67x), and Elite is 164 lb (0.91x).

Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) Close Grip Dumbbell Bench Press is about 35 lb (0.25x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 55 lb (0.39x), and Elite is 78 lb (0.56x).

How Much Should You Be Able to Close Grip Dumbbell Bench Press?

Men: a 180 lb male should lift about 83 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 29 lb).

Women: a 140 lb female should lift about 35 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 9 lb).

By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter lifts about 65 lb, and a 220 lb lifter lifts about 106 lb at an Intermediate level. Find your exact bodyweight in the table above.

By age (men): at an Intermediate level a 30 year old male lifts about 78 lb, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 70 lb. See the By Age tab for every age band.

FitnessVolt standards, with FVCP competition rankings shown separately from gym percentiles

How Does Age Affect Close Grip Dumbbell Bench Press Strength?

How Close Grip Dumbbell Bench Press standards change across different age groups. Values represent a 1RM in lbs.

How a male lifter's expected 1RM changes with age at each level. Exact numbers in the table below.

Age Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
15 19 39 67 102 143
20 22 44 76 117 164
25 22 45 78 120 168
30 22 45 78 120 168
35 22 45 78 120 168
40 22 45 78 120 168
45 21 43 74 114 159
50 20 41 70 107 150
55 18 37 64 99 138
60 17 34 59 90 126
65 15 31 53 81 114
70 14 28 48 73 102
75 12 25 43 65 92
80 11 22 38 58 82
85 10 20 34 52 73
90 9 18 31 47 66

What Do Close Grip Dumbbell Bench Press Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are learning dumbbell stabilization and control on the Close Grip Dumbbell Bench Press, building the shoulder stability and pressing coordination needed to handle heavier loads safely.

Novice

Stronger than 20% of lifters. You can press with a consistent path and controlled tempo on the Close Grip Dumbbell Bench Press. You are progressing linearly and building the chest, shoulder, and tricep base needed for intermediate strength.

Intermediate

Stronger than 50% of lifters. Your Close Grip Dumbbell Bench Press technique is efficient under heavy loads. You use programmed variations, understand how to manage pressing fatigue, and can grind through the mid-range sticking point.

Advanced

Stronger than 80% of lifters. You have optimized your Close Grip Dumbbell Bench Press setup for maximal force production - arch, leg drive, and grip width are dialed in. You train with periodized intensity blocks and accessory work targeting weak points.

Elite

Stronger than 95% of lifters. Your Close Grip Dumbbell Bench Press is at a competitive standard. You have refined every aspect of the lift through years of structured peaking and can produce maximal force with technical precision.

How to Progress Your Close Grip Dumbbell Bench Press

Tier-specific training recommendations to move your Close Grip Dumbbell Bench Press to the next level.

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the Close Grip Dumbbell Bench Press 2-3x per week to build pressing strength and shoulder stability.
  • Use linear progression: add 2.5-5 lbs per session.
  • Practice controlled eccentrics (3-second lowering) to build tendon strength.
  • Keep working sets at RPE 6-7 to accumulate quality volume.
Track progress with the one rep max calculator →
Novice → Intermediate Structured Progression
  • Add a pressing variation (close-grip, incline, or paused) for weak-point development.
  • Increase frequency to 2-3 sessions per week with varied rep ranges.
  • Program most sets at RPE 7-8 with one heavy session including RPE 9 work.
  • Build tricep and shoulder accessory volume to support the Close Grip Dumbbell Bench Press.
Plan your RPE-based sessions →
Intermediate → Advanced Periodized Training Blocks
  • Run 4-6 week blocks with planned volume and intensity progression.
  • Use RPE 8-9 for competition-style sets, RPE 7 for volume backoffs.
  • Target your sticking point with specific accessory work (board press, pin press, bands).
  • Manage total weekly pressing volume (12-20 sets) across all push movements.
Program your backoff sets →
Advanced → Elite Competition-Level Peaking
  • Peak with structured 8-12 week cycles targeting a competition or max attempt.
  • Refine your setup: arch, leg drive, grip width, and bar path for maximal efficiency.
  • Use the RPE chart for precise percentage work during peaking phases.
  • Test your Close Grip Dumbbell Bench Press under competition-style commands and judging.
View RPE-to-percentage chart →

How to Perform Close Grip Dumbbell Bench Press

  1. Lie flat on a bench with your feet firmly on the ground.
  2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip (palms facing each other) and extend your arms straight up above your chest.
  3. Position the dumbbells close together, almost touching.
  4. Slowly lower the dumbbells towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body to emphasize tricep engagement.
  5. Pause briefly at the bottom of the movement.
  6. Press the dumbbells back up to the starting position by extending your arms, ensuring to keep the dumbbells close together throughout the movement.
  7. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
  8. Remember to exhale while pushing the dumbbells up and inhale while lowering them down.

Tips for Close Grip Dumbbell Bench Press

  • Keep your elbows close to your body to maximize tricep engagement.
  • Avoid flaring your elbows out to prevent shoulder strain.
  • Maintain a controlled motion throughout the exercise to avoid using momentum.
  • Start with lighter weights to master the form before progressing to heavier dumbbells.

Where Do These Close Grip Dumbbell Bench Press Standards Come From?

FitnessVolt keeps each data population labeled. Competition percentiles use verified raw meet results where available. Gym percentile tabs use self-reported Symmetric Strength data. Reader-submitted benchmarks appear only after enough entries are logged for this lift.

Standards data last refreshed: March 28, 2026

Is Your Close Grip Dumbbell Bench Press Good for Your Weight?

Use this page to compare your Close Grip Dumbbell Bench Press against clearly labeled standards and percentile datasets. Here is the cleanest way to read it:

  1. Start with Standards to find the tier closest to your bodyweight.
  2. Use Gym Percentiles when you want self-reported gym comparisons.
  3. Use Competition for verified meet-result percentiles where the lift supports it.
  4. Use By Age when age-segmented gym data is available.

If you do not know your 1RM, use the one rep max calculator to estimate it from any rep set. For example, if you can Close Grip Dumbbell Bench Press 185 lbs for 5 reps, the calculator will estimate your max.

The important rule: do not mix the tabs. Standards, gym percentiles, competition percentiles, and reader logs answer different questions.

Frequently Asked Questions

A "good" Close Grip Dumbbell Bench Press depends on your bodyweight, sex, and training background. The Intermediate tier is a useful first serious target, while Advanced and Elite represent much harder standards. Use the table above for the number closest to your bodyweight.
Many lifters can reach the Intermediate tier on the Close Grip Dumbbell Bench Press after steady training, but the timeline depends on starting point, technique, programming, recovery, and bodyweight changes. Treat the tier as a benchmark, not a deadline.
Yes. Competition views use verified meet-result data where available, gym percentile views use self-reported gym cohorts, and reader-submitted benchmarks are shown only after enough entries are logged. The populations are labeled separately.
For weighted lifts, enter a clean raw 1RM or an estimated 1RM from a recent hard set. For rep-based movements, enter controlled full-range reps. Avoid equipped lifts, partial reps, or bounced reps unless you are comparing against the same style every time.

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Related Calculators

One Rep Max Calculator Estimate your one-rep max from any rep set Benchmarks Compare against competition data RPE Chart Training load percentages by RPE
Written by Tom Miller, CSCS · Reviewed by Editorial Team
Tom Miller, CSCS, is a Sr. Editor & Content Strategist with 10 years of experience in Powerlifting and Personal Training. As a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, he is dedicated to delivering informative, engaging, and reliable health and fitness content. His work has been featured on websites including the-sun.com, Well+Good, Bleacher Report, Muscle and Fitness, UpJourney, Business Insider, NewsBreak and more.