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Incline Dumbbell Fly strength standards

What is a good Incline Dumbbell Fly?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate Incline Dumbbell Fly is about 60 lb (0.33x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 89 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

Good target 60 lb Intermediate at 180 lb
Next tier 89 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 Incline Dumbbell Fly

A solid (Intermediate) Incline Dumbbell Fly for a 180 lb male is about 60 lb (0.33x bodyweight). Use the calculator below to convert your own Incline Dumbbell Fly into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 89 lb (0.49x bodyweight).

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

Incline Dumbbell Fly demonstration
Estimated Standards

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

Primary Muscles Shoulders (Deltoids), Triceps, Chest
Equipment Dumbbells, Incline Bench
Standards Coverage 21 bodyweights × 5 levels
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Isolation

How Strong Is Your Incline Dumbbell Fly?

Intermediate (competition scale)
Typical FVCP: 50th percentile
A 180 lb male lifting 60 lbs (0.33x bodyweight) on the Incline Dumbbell Fly 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 Incline Dumbbell Fly entries yet to publish a stable crowd benchmark. Until then, this panel shows the Intermediate standards baseline only:

60 lb Typical 1RM (Intermediate)
0.33x 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 Incline Dumbbell Fly?

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 6 17 35 58 86
120 8 20 38 63 92
130 10 23 42 68 98
140 12 25 46 72 103
150 13 28 50 77 109
160 15 31 53 81 114
170 17 33 56 85 119
180 19 36 60 89 123
190 21 38 63 93 128
200 22 41 66 97 132
210 24 43 69 101 137
220 26 45 72 104 141
230 28 48 75 108 145
240 29 50 78 111 149
250 31 52 80 114 152
260 33 54 83 117 156
270 34 56 86 121 160
280 36 59 88 124 163
290 38 61 91 127 166
300 39 63 93 129 170
310 41 65 95 132 173

Is Your Incline Dumbbell Fly Good?

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

Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) Incline Dumbbell Fly is about 60 lb (0.33x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 89 lb (0.49x), and Elite is 123 lb (0.68x).

Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) Incline Dumbbell Fly is about 30 lb (0.21x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 47 lb (0.34x), and Elite is 68 lb (0.49x).

How Much Should You Be Able to Incline Dumbbell Fly?

Men: a 180 lb male should lift about 60 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 19 lb).

Women: a 140 lb female should lift about 30 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 8 lb).

By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter lifts about 50 lb, and a 220 lb lifter lifts about 72 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 57 lb, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 51 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 Incline Dumbbell Fly Strength?

How Incline Dumbbell Fly 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 14 28 49 75 106
20 16 32 56 86 121
25 16 33 57 88 124
30 16 33 57 88 124
35 16 33 57 88 124
40 16 33 57 88 124
45 15 31 54 84 118
50 14 29 51 79 110
55 13 27 47 73 102
60 12 25 43 66 93
65 11 22 39 60 84
70 10 20 35 54 76
75 9 18 31 48 68
80 8 16 28 43 60
85 7 14 25 39 54
90 6 13 23 35 49

What Do Incline Dumbbell Fly Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are learning dumbbell stabilization and control on the Incline Dumbbell Fly, building the controlled movement pattern and mind-muscle connection needed to train the target muscle effectively.

Novice

Stronger than 20% of lifters. You can perform the Incline Dumbbell Fly with strict form and a smooth tempo. You are adding resistance progressively without sacrificing range of motion or using body English.

Intermediate

Stronger than 50% of lifters. Your Incline Dumbbell Fly is performed with excellent control and targeted tension. You use RPE to manage isolation work intensity and program it strategically within your training split.

Advanced

Stronger than 80% of lifters. You have built significant strength on the Incline Dumbbell Fly through disciplined, progressive training. You employ advanced techniques like drop sets, pauses, and tempo work to continue driving adaptation.

Elite

Stronger than 95% of lifters. Your Incline Dumbbell Fly strength is at the upper end of what most lifters achieve. You have maximized the target muscle development through years of focused, periodized isolation work.

How to Progress Your Incline Dumbbell Fly

Tier-specific training recommendations to move your Incline Dumbbell Fly to the next level.

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the Incline Dumbbell Fly 2x per week with slow, controlled reps.
  • Focus on full range of motion and eliminating momentum or swinging.
  • Keep sets at RPE 6-7 to develop proper movement patterns.
  • Build the mind-muscle connection - feel the target muscle working on every rep.
Track progress with the one rep max calculator →
Novice → Intermediate Structured Progression
  • Increase load progressively while keeping strict form on the Incline Dumbbell Fly.
  • Program 3-4 sets of 8-15 reps at RPE 7-8.
  • Add a variation (different grip, angle, or equipment) to address development gaps.
  • Place isolation work after your primary compound movements.
Plan your RPE-based sessions →
Intermediate → Advanced Advanced Isolation Techniques
  • Use drop sets, paused reps, and partial reps to break through Incline Dumbbell Fly plateaus.
  • Train at RPE 8-9 with advanced intensity techniques on your last 1-2 sets.
  • Manipulate tempo to increase time under tension without compromising form.
  • Manage total volume for the target muscle group across all exercises.
Calculate working set loads →
Advanced → Elite Mastery
  • Maximize Incline Dumbbell Fly strength through precise programming and fatigue management.
  • Use periodized blocks to cycle between volume, intensity, and deload phases.
  • Quality of contraction matters more than load at this level.
  • Continuous refinement of technique will yield the remaining gains.
View RPE-to-percentage chart →

How to Perform Incline Dumbbell Fly

  1. Adjust an incline bench to a 30-45 degree angle and sit with your back firmly against the pad.
  2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip (palms facing each other) and extend your arms straight above your chest.
  3. Slightly bend your elbows to protect your joints.
  4. Inhale and slowly lower the dumbbells in a wide arc until they are level with your chest, maintaining the slight bend in your elbows.
  5. Exhale and bring the dumbbells back to the starting position by squeezing your chest muscles together.
  6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Read the complete Incline Dumbbell Fly guide on FitnessVolt →

Tips for Incline Dumbbell Fly

  • Maintain a controlled motion to avoid shoulder strain.
  • Focus on the stretch and contraction of your chest muscles.
  • Avoid allowing the dumbbells to touch at the top to keep tension on the muscles.
  • Keep your feet flat on the ground for better stability.
  • Adjust the bench angle to target different areas of the chest.

Where Do These Incline Dumbbell Fly 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 Incline Dumbbell Fly Good for Your Weight?

Use this page to compare your Incline Dumbbell Fly 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 Incline Dumbbell Fly 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" Incline Dumbbell Fly 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 Incline Dumbbell Fly 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.