What is a good Dip?
For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate Dip is about 20 reps. Advanced starts around 31 reps. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.
Competition results, gym submissions, and reader logs stay labeled separately so the ranking source is clear.
A solid (Intermediate) Dip for a 180 lb male is about 20 reps. Use the calculator below to convert your own Dip into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 31 reps.
FitnessVolt strength standards, with source populations labeled separately
How strong is your Dip? Compare your max reps against standards for 21 bodyweight categories, from Beginner to Elite.
How Many Dip Should You Be Able to Do?
A fit adult man at about 180 lb should be able to do around 20 Dip in one set, which is an Intermediate result. An advanced lifter does 31+, and an elite lifter reaches 44 or more.
Dip rep targets for a 180 lb man, by training level:
Men vs women: a 180 lb man should do about 20 Dip at an Intermediate level, while a 140 lb woman should do about 10.
By age: at an Intermediate level a 30 year old does about 20 Dip, dropping to about 15 by age 50. See the By Age tab for every band.
What counts as a good number? Anything at or above the Intermediate target puts you past the beginner and novice bands for your bodyweight. Beginners often start with 1 and build up; clearing the Advanced number is a strong target for trained gym lifters.
FitnessVolt strength standards, with gym and competition datasets labeled separately
How Strong Is Your Dip?
That clears the median for this bodyweight and gives you a useful benchmark for the next tier.
Illustrative: a normal-distribution model anchored to the real Beginner to Elite percentile thresholds for your bodyweight. The marker shows where your rep count falls, not a measured frequency count.
Reader Data Is Still Building
We do not have enough reader-submitted Dip entries yet to publish a stable crowd benchmark. Until then, this panel shows the Intermediate standards baseline only:
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.
How Much Should You Dip?
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 | < 1 | 7 | 19 | 34 | 50 |
| 120 | < 1 | 8 | 20 | 34 | 50 |
| 130 | < 1 | 9 | 20 | 34 | 49 |
| 140 | < 1 | 9 | 20 | 34 | 48 |
| 150 | < 1 | 9 | 20 | 33 | 47 |
| 160 | 1 | 9 | 20 | 33 | 46 |
| 170 | 1 | 10 | 20 | 32 | 45 |
| 180 | 1 | 10 | 20 | 31 | 44 |
| 190 | 2 | 10 | 19 | 31 | 43 |
| 200 | 2 | 10 | 19 | 30 | 42 |
| 210 | 2 | 10 | 19 | 29 | 41 |
| 220 | 2 | 9 | 18 | 29 | 40 |
| 230 | 2 | 9 | 18 | 28 | 39 |
| 240 | 2 | 9 | 18 | 27 | 38 |
| 250 | 2 | 9 | 17 | 27 | 37 |
| 260 | 2 | 9 | 17 | 26 | 36 |
| 270 | 2 | 9 | 16 | 26 | 35 |
| 280 | 2 | 9 | 16 | 25 | 34 |
| 290 | 2 | 8 | 16 | 24 | 33 |
| 300 | 2 | 8 | 15 | 24 | 33 |
| 310 | 2 | 8 | 15 | 23 | 32 |
| 90 | < 1 | < 1 | 10 | 22 | 36 |
| 100 | < 1 | < 1 | 10 | 22 | 35 |
| 110 | < 1 | 1 | 10 | 22 | 34 |
| 120 | < 1 | 1 | 10 | 21 | 33 |
| 130 | < 1 | 1 | 10 | 21 | 32 |
| 140 | < 1 | 2 | 10 | 20 | 31 |
| 150 | < 1 | 2 | 10 | 19 | 30 |
| 160 | < 1 | 2 | 10 | 19 | 29 |
| 170 | < 1 | 2 | 9 | 18 | 28 |
| 180 | < 1 | 2 | 9 | 17 | 27 |
| 190 | < 1 | 1 | 9 | 17 | 26 |
| 200 | < 1 | 1 | 9 | 16 | 25 |
| 210 | < 1 | 1 | 8 | 16 | 24 |
| 220 | < 1 | 1 | 8 | 15 | 23 |
| 230 | < 1 | 1 | 8 | 14 | 22 |
| 240 | < 1 | < 1 | 7 | 14 | 21 |
| 250 | < 1 | < 1 | 7 | 13 | 21 |
| 260 | < 1 | < 1 | 7 | 13 | 20 |
Is Your Dip Good?
A quick read on what counts as a good Dip at each level, for a typical male and female lifter.
Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) Dip is about 20 reps. Advanced lifters hit 31 reps, and Elite is 44 reps.
Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) Dip is about 10 reps. Advanced lifters hit 20 reps, and Elite is 31 reps.
Dip Rep Targets by Bodyweight and Age
Men: a 180 lb male should do about 20 reps at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 1 reps).
Women: a 140 lb female should do about 10 reps at an Intermediate level.
By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter does about 20 reps, and a 220 lb lifter does about 18 reps at an Intermediate level. Find your exact bodyweight in the table above.
By age (men): at an Intermediate level a 30 year old male does about 20 reps, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 15 reps. See the By Age tab for every age band.
FitnessVolt strength standards, with source populations labeled separately
How Does Age Affect Dip Strength?
How Dip 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 | < 1 | 3 | 13 | 25 | 37 |
| 20 | < 1 | 8 | 19 | 32 | 47 |
| 25 | < 1 | 8 | 20 | 34 | 49 |
| 30 | < 1 | 8 | 20 | 34 | 49 |
| 35 | < 1 | 8 | 20 | 34 | 49 |
| 40 | < 1 | 8 | 20 | 34 | 49 |
| 45 | < 1 | 7 | 17 | 31 | 45 |
| 50 | < 1 | 5 | 15 | 27 | 40 |
| 55 | < 1 | 2 | 11 | 23 | 35 |
| 60 | < 1 | < 1 | 8 | 18 | 30 |
| 65 | < 1 | < 1 | 5 | 14 | 24 |
| 70 | < 1 | < 1 | 2 | 10 | 18 |
| 75 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | 6 | 13 |
| 80 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | 3 | 9 |
| 85 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | 6 |
| 90 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | 3 |
| 15 | < 1 | < 1 | 5 | 15 | 26 |
| 20 | < 1 | < 1 | 9 | 21 | 34 |
| 25 | < 1 | < 1 | 10 | 22 | 35 |
| 30 | < 1 | < 1 | 10 | 22 | 35 |
| 35 | < 1 | < 1 | 10 | 22 | 35 |
| 40 | < 1 | < 1 | 10 | 22 | 35 |
| 45 | < 1 | < 1 | 9 | 20 | 32 |
| 50 | < 1 | < 1 | 7 | 17 | 28 |
| 55 | < 1 | < 1 | 4 | 13 | 24 |
| 60 | < 1 | < 1 | 1 | 10 | 19 |
| 65 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | 7 | 15 |
| 70 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | 3 | 10 |
| 75 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | 7 |
| 80 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | 3 |
| 85 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 |
| 90 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 |
What Do Dip Strength Standards Mean?
Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are learning the movement on the Dip, building the shoulder stability and pressing coordination needed to handle heavier loads safely.
Stronger than 20% of lifters. You can press with a consistent path and controlled tempo on the Dip. You are progressing linearly and building the chest, shoulder, and tricep base needed for intermediate strength.
Stronger than 50% of lifters. Your Dip 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.
Stronger than 80% of lifters. You have optimized your Dip 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.
Stronger than 95% of lifters. Your Dip 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 Dip
Tier-specific training recommendations to move your Dip to the next level.
- Train the Dip 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.
- 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 Dip.
- 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.
- 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 Dip under competition-style commands and judging.
Tips for Dip
- Keep your core engaged to maintain proper form.
- Avoid flaring your elbows out to prevent shoulder strain.
- Lower yourself in a controlled manner to maximize muscle engagement.
- If you are a beginner, start with bench dips before progressing to parallel bar dips.
Where Do These Dip 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 29, 2026
Is Your Dip Good for Your Weight?
Use this page to compare your Dip against clearly labeled standards and percentile datasets. Here is the cleanest way to read it:
- Start with Standards to find the tier closest to your bodyweight.
- Use Gym Percentiles when you want self-reported gym comparisons.
- Use Competition for verified meet-result percentiles where the lift supports it.
- 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 Dip 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
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