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dumbbell straight arm pullover strength standards

What is a good dumbbell straight arm pullover?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate dumbbell straight arm pullover is about 62 lb (0.34x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 80 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

Good target 62 lb Intermediate at 180 lb
Next tier 80 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 straight arm pullover

A solid (Intermediate) dumbbell straight arm pullover for a 180 lb male is about 62 lb (0.34x bodyweight). Use the calculator below to convert your own dumbbell straight arm pullover into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 80 lb (0.44x bodyweight).

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

dumbbell straight arm pullover demonstration
Estimated Standards

How strong is your dumbbell straight arm pullover? Compare your 1RM against standards for 21 bodyweight categories, from Beginner to Elite.

Primary Muscles pectorals
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 straight arm pullover?

Intermediate (competition scale)
Typical FVCP: 50th percentile
A 180 lb male lifting 62 lbs (0.34x bodyweight) on the dumbbell straight arm pullover 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 straight arm pullover entries yet to publish a stable crowd benchmark. Until then, this panel shows the Intermediate standards baseline only:

62 lb Typical 1RM (Intermediate)
0.34x 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 straight arm pullover?

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 15 24 35 48 63
120 18 27 39 53 69
130 20 31 43 58 74
140 23 34 47 63 80
150 26 37 51 67 85
160 29 40 55 71 89
170 31 43 59 76 94
180 34 46 62 80 99
190 36 50 66 83 103
200 39 52 69 87 107
210 41 55 72 91 111
220 44 58 75 95 115
230 46 61 78 98 119
240 48 64 81 101 123
250 51 66 84 105 126
260 53 69 87 108 130
270 55 71 90 111 133
280 57 74 93 114 137
290 60 76 95 117 140
300 62 78 98 120 143
310 64 81 101 123 146

Is Your dumbbell straight arm pullover Good?

A quick read on what counts as a good dumbbell straight arm pullover at each level, for a typical male and female lifter.

Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) dumbbell straight arm pullover is about 62 lb (0.34x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 80 lb (0.44x), and Elite is 99 lb (0.55x).

Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) dumbbell straight arm pullover is about 30 lb (0.21x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 44 lb (0.31x), and Elite is 59 lb (0.42x).

How Much Should You Be Able to dumbbell straight arm pullover?

Men: a 180 lb male should lift about 62 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 34 lb).

Women: a 140 lb female should lift about 30 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 11 lb).

By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter lifts about 51 lb, and a 220 lb lifter lifts about 75 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 61 lb, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 54 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 straight arm pullover Strength?

How dumbbell straight arm pullover 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 25 37 52 69 89
20 28 42 59 80 102
25 29 43 61 81 104
30 29 43 61 81 104
35 29 43 61 81 104
40 29 43 61 81 104
45 27 41 58 77 99
50 26 38 54 73 93
55 24 36 50 67 86
60 22 32 46 61 78
65 20 29 41 55 71
70 18 26 37 50 64
75 16 24 33 45 57
80 14 21 30 40 51
85 13 19 27 36 46
90 11 17 24 32 41

What Do dumbbell straight arm pullover Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

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

Intermediate

Stronger than 50% of lifters. Your dumbbell straight arm pullover 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 straight arm pullover 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 straight arm pullover 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 straight arm pullover

Tier-specific training recommendations to move your dumbbell straight arm pullover to the next level.

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the dumbbell straight arm pullover 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 straight arm pullover.
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 straight arm pullover under competition-style commands and judging.
View RPE-to-percentage chart →

How to Perform dumbbell straight arm pullover

["Lie flat on a bench with your head at one end and your feet planted firmly on the ground.","Hold a dumbbell with both hands and extend your arms straight above your chest.","Keeping your arms straight, slowly lower the dumbbell behind your head in an arc-like motion.","Pause for a moment, then raise the dumbbell back to the starting position.","Repeat for the desired number of repetitions."]

Read the complete dumbbell straight arm pullover guide on FitnessVolt →

Where Do These dumbbell straight arm pullover 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 straight arm pullover Good for Your Weight?

Use this page to compare your dumbbell straight arm pullover 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 straight arm pullover 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 straight arm pullover 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 straight arm pullover 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.