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Dumbbell Rear Delt Row (Shoulder) strength standards

What is a good Dumbbell Rear Delt Row (Shoulder)?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate Dumbbell Rear Delt Row (Shoulder) is about 36 lb (0.2x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 47 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

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Dumbbell Rear Delt Row (Shoulder) Standards by Bodyweight

Estimates from the FitnessVolt standards model, scaled from the Shoulder Press table by a fixed ratio of 0.25. Updated March 29, 2026. Find the row closest to your bodyweight. Beginner is a first target for a new lifter, Novice a few months in, Intermediate about one to two years of structured training, Advanced several years, Elite the top of the table.

BW (lbs) Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
110 8 14 21 29 39
120 10 16 23 32 42
130 11 18 26 35 45
140 13 19 28 38 49
150 14 21 30 40 51
160 16 23 32 43 54
170 17 25 34 45 57
180 19 27 36 47 60
190 20 28 38 50 62
200 22 30 40 52 64
210 23 32 42 54 67
220 24 33 44 56 69
230 26 35 46 58 71
240 27 36 47 60 73
250 28 38 49 62 76
260 29 39 51 64 78
270 31 40 52 66 80
280 32 42 54 67 82
290 33 43 55 69 83
300 34 45 57 71 85
310 35 46 58 72 87

The Dumbbell Rear Delt Row (Shoulder) standard at each level as bodyweight rises, for the sex selected above. Exact numbers in the table above.

Dumbbell Rear Delt Row (Shoulder) Standards by Age

How the Dumbbell Rear Delt Row (Shoulder) standards change with age, as a 1RM in lb. This table is not tied to one bodyweight, so read it for the trend and use the bodyweight table above for your own number.

Age Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
15 14 21 30 41 53
20 16 24 35 47 60
25 17 25 36 48 62
30 17 25 36 48 62
35 17 25 36 48 62
40 17 25 36 48 62
45 16 24 34 46 59
50 15 22 32 43 55
55 14 21 29 40 51
60 12 19 27 36 47
65 11 17 24 33 42
70 10 15 22 29 38
75 9 14 19 26 34
80 8 12 17 24 30
85 7 11 16 21 27
90 7 10 14 19 24

The Dumbbell Rear Delt Row (Shoulder) standard at each level as age rises, for the sex selected above. Exact numbers in the table above.

Check Your Dumbbell Rear Delt Row (Shoulder) Level

Intermediate
Level score: 50 of 100
Level score on the FitnessVolt standards: Beginner 5, Novice 20, Intermediate 50, Advanced 80, Elite 95
A 180 lb male lifting 36 lbs (0.2x bodyweight) on the Dumbbell Rear Delt Row (Shoulder) is at the Intermediate standard for his bodyweight. Enter your own numbers above to see where you stand.

Over 40? Add your age and the calculator also shows an age-adjusted level and an age-30 equivalent, using the McCulloch age factor to scale your lift to peak age. Every age band is in the standards by age table above.

Level score:
Level score on the FitnessVolt standards: Beginner 5, Novice 20, Intermediate 50, Advanced 80, Elite 95
Age-adjusted score
lb Age-30 equivalent 1RM

of 100
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What the Dumbbell Rear Delt Row (Shoulder) Strength Levels Mean

Beginner

You are building the mind-muscle connection for the Dumbbell Rear Delt Row (Shoulder), learning to initiate the pull with your back rather than your arms, and developing basic grip strength.

Novice

You can perform the Dumbbell Rear Delt Row (Shoulder) with proper scapular retraction and a controlled range of motion. You are progressively overloading and building back thickness and lat width.

Intermediate

Your Dumbbell Rear Delt Row (Shoulder) 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

You have built substantial back development through the Dumbbell Rear Delt Row (Shoulder) 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

Your Dumbbell Rear Delt Row (Shoulder) 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 Rear Delt Row (Shoulder)

Tier-specific training recommendations to move your Dumbbell Rear Delt Row (Shoulder) to the next level.

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the Dumbbell Rear Delt Row (Shoulder) 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 Rear Delt Row (Shoulder) 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 Rear Delt Row (Shoulder).
  • 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 Rear Delt Row (Shoulder) 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 Rear Delt Row (Shoulder)

Dumbbell Rear Delt Row (Shoulder) demonstration
Primary Muscles delts
Equipment dumbbell
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Compound
["Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent.","Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing your body.","Bend forward at the waist, keeping your back straight and your core engaged.","Extend your arms straight down towards the floor, with a slight bend in your elbows.","Raise the dumbbells out to the sides, squeezing your shoulder blades together.","Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.","Repeat for the desired number of repetitions."]

Read the complete Dumbbell Rear Delt Row (Shoulder) guide on FitnessVolt →

Where Do These Dumbbell Rear Delt Row (Shoulder) Standards Come From?

The levels on this page are estimates from the FitnessVolt strength standards model. The Dumbbell Rear Delt Row (Shoulder) table is the Shoulder Press table scaled by a fixed FitnessVolt ratio of 0.25 (confidence: low). It is a set of targets, not a measured population. There is no competition or gym dataset for the Dumbbell Rear Delt Row (Shoulder) itself. Reader-submitted benchmarks appear only after enough entries are logged for this lift.

Standards data last refreshed: March 29, 2026

  • Level tables: the FitnessVolt strength standards model, not meet data.
  • Method: Strength standards methodology - how the level tables are built and where each data source on the site comes from.
Cite this Fitness Volt strength standards model, 2026. Beginner to Elite levels are model values, not competition percentiles. https://fitnessvolt.com/strength-standards/methodology/

Frequently Asked Questions

A "good" Dumbbell Rear Delt Row (Shoulder) 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 Rear Delt Row (Shoulder) 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.
They are estimates from the FitnessVolt strength standards model. The Dumbbell Rear Delt Row (Shoulder) table is the Shoulder Press table scaled by a fixed FitnessVolt ratio of 0.25 (confidence: low). It is a set of targets, not a measured population.
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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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.