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dumbbell close grip press strength standards

What is a good dumbbell close grip press?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate dumbbell close grip press is about 77 lb (0.43x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 99 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

Good target 77 lb Intermediate at 180 lb
Next tier 99 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 dumbbell close grip press

A solid (Intermediate) dumbbell close grip press for a 180 lb male is about 77 lb (0.43x bodyweight). Use the calculator below to convert your own dumbbell close grip press into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 99 lb (0.55x bodyweight).

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

dumbbell close grip press demonstration
Estimated Standards

How strong is your dumbbell close grip press? Compare your 1RM against standards for 21 bodyweight categories, from Beginner to Elite.

Primary Muscles triceps
Equipment dumbbell
Standards Coverage 21 bodyweights × 5 levels
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Compound

Estimated Standards - The level table for this exercise is modeled from FitnessVolt strength ratios for a related base lift, not from direct measurements of this movement. Learn about our methodology

How Strong Is Your dumbbell close grip press?

Intermediate (competition scale)
Typical FVCP: 50th percentile
A 180 lb male lifting 77 lbs (0.43x bodyweight) on the dumbbell close grip 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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to track your progress over time.

Reader Data Is Still Building

We do not have enough reader-submitted dumbbell close grip press entries yet to publish a stable crowd benchmark. Until then, this panel shows the Intermediate standards baseline only:

77 lb Typical 1RM (Intermediate)
0.43x 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 dumbbell close grip 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 19 29 44 61 79
120 22 34 49 67 86
130 26 38 54 73 93
140 29 42 59 78 100
150 33 47 64 84 106
160 36 50 69 89 112
170 39 54 73 95 118
180 42 58 77 99 123
190 46 62 82 104 128
200 49 65 86 109 134
210 52 69 90 114 139
220 55 72 94 118 144
230 58 76 98 123 149
240 61 79 102 127 153
250 63 83 105 131 158
260 67 86 109 135 162
270 69 89 113 139 167
280 72 92 116 143 171
290 75 95 119 147 175
300 77 98 123 150 179
310 80 101 126 154 183

Is Your dumbbell close grip press Good?

A quick read on what counts as a good dumbbell close grip press at each level, for a typical male and female lifter.

Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) dumbbell close grip press is about 77 lb (0.43x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 99 lb (0.55x), and Elite is 123 lb (0.68x).

Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) dumbbell close grip press is about 38 lb (0.27x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 55 lb (0.39x), and Elite is 73 lb (0.52x).

How Much Should You Be Able to dumbbell close grip press?

Men: a 180 lb male should lift about 77 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 42 lb).

Women: a 140 lb female should lift about 38 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 14 lb).

By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter lifts about 64 lb, and a 220 lb lifter lifts about 94 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 76 lb, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 68 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 dumbbell close grip press Strength?

How dumbbell close grip 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 31 46 65 87 111
20 35 53 74 99 127
25 36 54 76 102 130
30 36 54 76 102 130
35 36 54 76 102 130
40 36 54 76 102 130
45 34 51 72 97 124
50 32 48 68 91 116
55 30 44 63 84 107
60 27 40 57 77 98
65 25 36 51 69 89
70 22 33 46 62 79
75 20 29 41 56 71
80 18 26 37 50 63
85 16 23 33 44 57
90 14 21 30 40 51

What Do dumbbell close grip press Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are learning dumbbell stabilization and control on the dumbbell close grip 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 dumbbell close grip press. You are progressing linearly and building the chest, shoulder, and tricep base needed for intermediate strength.

Intermediate

Stronger than 50% of lifters. Your dumbbell close grip 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 dumbbell close grip 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 dumbbell close grip 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 dumbbell close grip press

Tier-specific training recommendations to move your dumbbell close grip press to the next level.

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the dumbbell close grip 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 dumbbell close grip 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 dumbbell close grip press under competition-style commands and judging.
View RPE-to-percentage chart →

How to Perform dumbbell close grip press

["Sit on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand, resting on your thighs.","Using your thighs to help raise the dumbbells, lift the dumbbells one at a time so that you can hold them in front of you at shoulder width.","Once at shoulder width, rotate your wrists forward so that the palms of your hands are facing away from you. This will be your starting position.","As you breathe in, slowly lower the dumbbells to your side until they are about level with your chest.","As you exhale, use your triceps to lift the dumbbells back to the starting position. Make sure to use only your triceps and do not use your forearms or biceps to help lift the dumbbells.","After a second pause at the contracted position, repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions."]

Read the complete dumbbell close grip press guide on FitnessVolt →

Where Do These dumbbell close grip 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 29, 2026

Is Your dumbbell close grip press Good for Your Weight?

Use this page to compare your dumbbell close grip 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 dumbbell close grip 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" dumbbell close grip 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 dumbbell close grip 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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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.