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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.

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Dumbbell Straight Arm Pullover Standards by Bodyweight

Estimates from the FitnessVolt standards model, scaled from the Bench Press table by a fixed ratio of 0.28. 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 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

The Dumbbell Straight Arm Pullover standard at each level as bodyweight rises, for the sex selected above. Exact numbers in the table above.

Dumbbell Straight Arm Pullover Standards by Age

How the Dumbbell Straight Arm Pullover 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 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

The Dumbbell Straight Arm Pullover standard at each level as age rises, for the sex selected above. Exact numbers in the table above.

Check Your Dumbbell Straight Arm Pullover 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 62 lbs (0.34x bodyweight) on the Dumbbell Straight Arm Pullover 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 Straight Arm Pullover Strength Levels Mean

Beginner

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

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

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

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

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

Dumbbell Straight Arm Pullover demonstration
Primary Muscles pectorals
Equipment dumbbell
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Compound
["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?

The levels on this page are estimates from the FitnessVolt strength standards model. The Dumbbell Straight Arm Pullover table is the Bench Press table scaled by a fixed FitnessVolt ratio of 0.28 (confidence: medium). It is a set of targets, not a measured population. There is no competition or gym dataset for the Dumbbell Straight Arm Pullover 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 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.
They are estimates from the FitnessVolt strength standards model. The Dumbbell Straight Arm Pullover table is the Bench Press table scaled by a fixed FitnessVolt ratio of 0.28 (confidence: medium). 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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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.