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Dumbbell Face Pull strength standards

What is a good Dumbbell Face Pull?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate Dumbbell Face Pull is about 50 lb (0.28x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 76 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

Good target 50 lb Intermediate at 180 lb
Next tier 76 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 Face Pull

A solid (Intermediate) Dumbbell Face Pull for a 180 lb male is about 50 lb (0.28x bodyweight). Use the calculator below to convert your own Dumbbell Face Pull into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 76 lb (0.42x bodyweight).

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

Estimated Standards

How strong is your Dumbbell Face Pull? Compare your 1RM against standards for 21 bodyweight categories, from Beginner to Elite.

Primary Muscles Rhomboids, Trapezius, Infraspinatus, Teres Minor, Posterior Deltoid
Equipment Dumbbells
Standards Coverage 21 bodyweights × 5 levels

How Strong Is Your Dumbbell Face Pull?

Intermediate (competition scale)
Typical FVCP: 50th percentile
A 180 lb male lifting 50 lbs (0.28x bodyweight) on the Dumbbell Face Pull 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 Dumbbell Face Pull entries yet to publish a stable crowd benchmark. Until then, this panel shows the Intermediate standards baseline only:

50 lb Typical 1RM (Intermediate)
0.28x 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 Face Pull?

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 4 14 29 50 76
120 6 16 32 55 81
130 7 18 35 59 86
140 8 20 38 62 91
150 10 22 41 66 95
160 11 25 44 70 99
170 12 27 47 73 103
180 14 29 50 76 107
190 15 31 52 80 111
200 17 32 55 83 115
210 18 34 57 86 118
220 19 36 59 89 122
230 21 38 62 91 125
240 22 40 64 94 128
250 23 42 66 97 131
260 25 43 68 99 134
270 26 45 71 102 137
280 27 47 73 104 140
290 28 48 75 107 143
300 29 50 77 109 146
310 31 51 78 111 148

Is Your Dumbbell Face Pull Good?

A quick read on what counts as a good Dumbbell Face Pull at each level, for a typical male and female lifter.

Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) Dumbbell Face Pull is about 50 lb (0.28x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 76 lb (0.42x), and Elite is 107 lb (0.59x).

Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) Dumbbell Face Pull is about 27 lb (0.19x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 41 lb (0.29x), and Elite is 57 lb (0.41x).

How Much Should You Be Able to Dumbbell Face Pull?

Men: a 180 lb male should lift about 50 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 14 lb).

Women: a 140 lb female should lift about 27 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 7 lb).

By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter lifts about 41 lb, and a 220 lb lifter lifts about 59 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 46 lb, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 41 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 Face Pull Strength?

How Dumbbell Face Pull 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 9 22 40 63 90
20 11 25 45 72 103
25 11 25 46 74 106
30 11 25 46 74 106
35 11 25 46 74 106
40 11 25 46 74 106
45 11 24 44 70 100
50 10 23 41 66 94
55 9 21 38 61 87
60 8 19 35 55 80
65 8 17 32 50 72
70 7 15 28 45 65
75 6 14 25 40 58
80 5 12 23 36 52
85 5 11 20 32 46
90 4 10 18 29 42

What Do Dumbbell Face Pull Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are building the mind-muscle connection for the Dumbbell Face Pull, learning to initiate the pull with your back rather than your arms, and developing basic grip strength.

Novice

Stronger than 20% of lifters. You can perform the Dumbbell Face Pull with proper scapular retraction and a controlled range of motion. You are progressively overloading and building back thickness and lat width.

Intermediate

Stronger than 50% of lifters. Your Dumbbell Face Pull shows strong back engagement with minimal momentum. You use RPE to regulate pulling intensity and train strategically to balance horizontal and vertical pull volume.

Advanced

Stronger than 80% of lifters. You have built substantial back development through the Dumbbell Face Pull with refined technique and heavy loads. Your grip is no longer a limiting factor, and you manage rowing and pulling fatigue across training blocks.

Elite

Stronger than 95% of lifters. Your Dumbbell Face Pull strength is exceptional. You can handle loads that most lifters cannot move with strict form, and your back development reflects years of high-volume, periodized pulling work.

How to Progress Your Dumbbell Face Pull

Tier-specific training recommendations to move your Dumbbell Face Pull to the next level.

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the Dumbbell Face Pull 2x per week, focusing on initiating the pull from your back, not your arms.
  • Use linear progression with strict form - no swinging or excessive body English.
  • Pause briefly at peak contraction to build the mind-muscle connection.
  • Develop grip strength in parallel to avoid it becoming a bottleneck.
Track progress with the one rep max calculator →
Novice → Intermediate Structured Progression
  • Add a pull variation (different grip width, underhand, or single-arm) for balanced development.
  • Increase pulling volume to 10-15 sets per week across all back movements.
  • Program the Dumbbell Face Pull at RPE 7-8, saving RPE 9 work for top sets only.
  • Balance horizontal pulls (rows) with vertical pulls (pulldowns/pull-ups).
Plan your RPE-based sessions →
Intermediate → Advanced Periodized Training Blocks
  • Run 4-6 week blocks with progressive overload on the Dumbbell Face Pull.
  • Use RPE 8-9 for heavy sets with calculated backoff work at RPE 6-7.
  • Add controlled eccentrics and paused reps to break through plateaus.
  • Total back volume of 15-22 sets per week, distributed across pull patterns.
Program your backoff sets →
Advanced → Elite Mastery
  • Maximize the Dumbbell Face Pull through advanced intensity techniques and precise volume management.
  • Use periodized blocks with planned overreaching and supercompensation phases.
  • Refine execution: squeeze at contraction, controlled stretch, zero momentum.
  • Your back development should reflect years of disciplined, high-volume pulling.
View RPE-to-percentage chart →

How to Perform Dumbbell Face Pull

  1. Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip (palms facing each other).
  2. Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight, until your torso is nearly parallel to the ground.
  3. Begin the movement by pulling the dumbbells up towards your face, leading with your elbows and squeezing your shoulder blades together.
  4. Keep your upper arms parallel to the ground and avoid shrugging your shoulders during the pull.
  5. Hold the contraction for a moment at the top of the movement, then slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
  6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, maintaining controlled movements throughout.

Tips for Dumbbell Face Pull

  • Keep your back straight and core engaged to avoid lower back strain.
  • Focus on squeezing your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement.
  • Use a lighter weight to ensure proper form and avoid shoulder strain.
  • Maintain a neutral neck position by looking slightly ahead of you.

Where Do These Dumbbell Face Pull 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 Dumbbell Face Pull Good for Your Weight?

Use this page to compare your Dumbbell Face Pull 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 Face Pull 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 Face Pull 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 Face Pull 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.

Related Exercise Standards

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.