Dumbbell Shoulder Press Strength Standards
Use these dumbbell shoulder press standards to compare your weight lifted with other lifters. The tables break performance into beginner, novice, intermediate, advanced, and elite levels, with separate comparisons by bodyweight, age, and sex where available.
Calculate Your Dumbbell Shoulder Press Strength Level
Enter your sex, bodyweight, age, and dumbbell shoulder press one-rep max to estimate your strength level and approximate percentile.
Percentiles are approximate and are interpolated between the Beginner (5th), Novice (20th), Intermediate (50th), Advanced (80th), and Elite (95th) benchmarks shown on this page.
Male Dumbbell Shoulder Press Standards
Male Dumbbell Shoulder Press Strength Standards
| Strength Level | Weight |
|---|---|
| Beginner | 25 lb |
| Novice | 45 lb |
| Intermediate | 65 lb |
| Advanced | 90 lb |
| Elite | 120 lb |
Male Dumbbell Shoulder Press Standards by Bodyweight Ratio
| Strength Level | Bodyweight Ratio |
|---|---|
| Beginner | 0.15x |
| Novice | 0.25x |
| Intermediate | 0.40x |
| Advanced | 0.55x |
| Elite | 0.70x |
Male Dumbbell Shoulder Press Standards by Bodyweight
| Bodyweight | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 110 lb | 15 lb | 25 lb | 40 lb | 55 lb | 80 lb |
| 120 lb | 15 lb | 30 lb | 45 lb | 65 lb | 85 lb |
| 130 lb | 20 lb | 30 lb | 50 lb | 70 lb | 90 lb |
| 140 lb | 20 lb | 35 lb | 50 lb | 75 lb | 95 lb |
| 150 lb | 25 lb | 40 lb | 55 lb | 80 lb | 100 lb |
| 160 lb | 25 lb | 40 lb | 60 lb | 85 lb | 110 lb |
| 170 lb | 30 lb | 45 lb | 65 lb | 90 lb | 115 lb |
| 180 lb | 30 lb | 50 lb | 70 lb | 90 lb | 120 lb |
| 190 lb | 35 lb | 50 lb | 70 lb | 95 lb | 125 lb |
| 200 lb | 35 lb | 55 lb | 75 lb | 100 lb | 130 lb |
| 210 lb | 40 lb | 60 lb | 80 lb | 105 lb | 130 lb |
| 220 lb | 40 lb | 60 lb | 85 lb | 110 lb | 135 lb |
| 230 lb | 45 lb | 65 lb | 85 lb | 115 lb | 140 lb |
| 240 lb | 45 lb | 65 lb | 90 lb | 115 lb | 145 lb |
| 250 lb | 50 lb | 70 lb | 95 lb | 120 lb | 150 lb |
| 260 lb | 50 lb | 70 lb | 95 lb | 125 lb | 155 lb |
| 270 lb | 55 lb | 75 lb | 100 lb | 125 lb | 155 lb |
| 280 lb | 55 lb | 75 lb | 100 lb | 130 lb | 160 lb |
| 290 lb | 60 lb | 80 lb | 105 lb | 135 lb | 165 lb |
| 300 lb | 60 lb | 80 lb | 110 lb | 135 lb | 170 lb |
| 310 lb | 65 lb | 85 lb | 110 lb | 140 lb | 170 lb |
Male Dumbbell Shoulder Press Standards by Age
| Age | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 20 lb | 35 lb | 55 lb | 75 lb | 100 lb |
| 20 | 25 lb | 40 lb | 65 lb | 90 lb | 115 lb |
| 25 | 25 lb | 45 lb | 65 lb | 90 lb | 120 lb |
| 30 | 25 lb | 45 lb | 65 lb | 90 lb | 120 lb |
| 35 | 25 lb | 45 lb | 65 lb | 90 lb | 120 lb |
| 40 | 25 lb | 45 lb | 65 lb | 90 lb | 120 lb |
| 45 | 25 lb | 40 lb | 60 lb | 85 lb | 115 lb |
| 50 | 25 lb | 40 lb | 55 lb | 80 lb | 105 lb |
| 55 | 20 lb | 35 lb | 55 lb | 75 lb | 95 lb |
| 60 | 20 lb | 30 lb | 50 lb | 65 lb | 90 lb |
| 65 | 15 lb | 30 lb | 45 lb | 60 lb | 80 lb |
| 70 | 15 lb | 25 lb | 40 lb | 55 lb | 70 lb |
| 75 | 15 lb | 25 lb | 35 lb | 50 lb | 65 lb |
| 80 | 10 lb | 20 lb | 30 lb | 45 lb | 55 lb |
| 85 | 10 lb | 20 lb | 25 lb | 40 lb | 50 lb |
| 90 | 10 lb | 15 lb | 25 lb | 35 lb | 45 lb |
Female Dumbbell Shoulder Press Standards
Female Dumbbell Shoulder Press Strength Standards
| Strength Level | Weight |
|---|---|
| Beginner | 10 lb |
| Novice | 20 lb |
| Intermediate | 30 lb |
| Advanced | 45 lb |
| Elite | 60 lb |
Female Dumbbell Shoulder Press Standards by Bodyweight Ratio
| Strength Level | Bodyweight Ratio |
|---|---|
| Beginner | 0.10x |
| Novice | 0.15x |
| Intermediate | 0.25x |
| Advanced | 0.35x |
| Elite | 0.45x |
Female Dumbbell Shoulder Press Standards by Bodyweight
| Bodyweight | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90 lb | 5 lb | 15 lb | 25 lb | 35 lb | 45 lb |
| 100 lb | 10 lb | 15 lb | 25 lb | 35 lb | 50 lb |
| 110 lb | 10 lb | 15 lb | 25 lb | 40 lb | 50 lb |
| 120 lb | 10 lb | 20 lb | 30 lb | 40 lb | 55 lb |
| 130 lb | 10 lb | 20 lb | 30 lb | 45 lb | 55 lb |
| 140 lb | 10 lb | 20 lb | 30 lb | 45 lb | 60 lb |
| 150 lb | 15 lb | 20 lb | 35 lb | 45 lb | 60 lb |
| 160 lb | 15 lb | 25 lb | 35 lb | 50 lb | 65 lb |
| 170 lb | 15 lb | 25 lb | 35 lb | 50 lb | 65 lb |
| 180 lb | 15 lb | 25 lb | 35 lb | 50 lb | 65 lb |
| 190 lb | 15 lb | 25 lb | 40 lb | 50 lb | 70 lb |
| 200 lb | 15 lb | 25 lb | 40 lb | 55 lb | 70 lb |
| 210 lb | 20 lb | 30 lb | 40 lb | 55 lb | 70 lb |
| 220 lb | 20 lb | 30 lb | 40 lb | 55 lb | 75 lb |
| 230 lb | 20 lb | 30 lb | 45 lb | 60 lb | 75 lb |
| 240 lb | 20 lb | 30 lb | 45 lb | 60 lb | 75 lb |
| 250 lb | 20 lb | 30 lb | 45 lb | 60 lb | 75 lb |
| 260 lb | 20 lb | 30 lb | 45 lb | 60 lb | 80 lb |
Female Dumbbell Shoulder Press Standards by Age
| Age | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 10 lb | 15 lb | 25 lb | 40 lb | 50 lb |
| 20 | 10 lb | 20 lb | 30 lb | 45 lb | 60 lb |
| 25 | 10 lb | 20 lb | 30 lb | 45 lb | 60 lb |
| 30 | 10 lb | 20 lb | 30 lb | 45 lb | 60 lb |
| 35 | 10 lb | 20 lb | 30 lb | 45 lb | 60 lb |
| 40 | 10 lb | 20 lb | 30 lb | 45 lb | 60 lb |
| 45 | 10 lb | 20 lb | 30 lb | 45 lb | 55 lb |
| 50 | 10 lb | 20 lb | 30 lb | 40 lb | 55 lb |
| 55 | 10 lb | 15 lb | 25 lb | 35 lb | 50 lb |
| 60 | 10 lb | 15 lb | 25 lb | 35 lb | 45 lb |
| 65 | 5 lb | 15 lb | 20 lb | 30 lb | 40 lb |
| 70 | 5 lb | 10 lb | 20 lb | 25 lb | 35 lb |
| 75 | 5 lb | 10 lb | 15 lb | 25 lb | 30 lb |
| 80 | 5 lb | 10 lb | 15 lb | 20 lb | 30 lb |
| 85 | 5 lb | 10 lb | 15 lb | 20 lb | 25 lb |
| 90 | 5 lb | 5 lb | 10 lb | 15 lb | 25 lb |
What the Strength Levels Mean
Beginner
Stronger than roughly 5% of lifters. This level represents someone who is still relatively new to the exercise but has practiced it consistently enough to develop proper technique. They understand the basic mechanics of the movement and can perform it with proper form and control through a full range of motion.
Novice
Stronger than roughly 20% of lifters. This level represents someone who has moved beyond the beginner stage and has trained the exercise consistently for around six months. They have developed reliable technique, greater control of the movement, and a foundation of strength that comes from regular practice.
Intermediate
Stronger than roughly 50% of lifters. This level represents someone with significant experience training the exercise, typically around two years or more. They have developed solid strength, consistent technique, and a strong understanding of the movement through sustained and progressive training.
Advanced
Stronger than roughly 80% of lifters. This level represents a highly experienced lifter who has spent several years consistently training and improving the exercise. They have developed a high level of strength and technical proficiency that generally requires more than five years of focused training to achieve.
Elite
Stronger than roughly 95% of lifters. This level represents an exceptionally strong and highly experienced lifter who has spent years developing the exercise to a very high standard. They rank among the strongest people performing the movement and have reached a level of strength that may be competitive in strength sports.
Related Strength Standards
These standards are comparative benchmarks, not requirements for safe or effective training. Individual performance can vary with technique, equipment, range of motion, training history, and testing conditions.