What’s A Good Dumbbell Shoulder Press Weight? The Standards At Different Training Levels And Bodyweights

Many would argue that the shoulder press is the king of the shoulder-builders. And dumbbells are a great variation of this exercise. But how much weight is considered good for a dumbbell shoulder press?

On average, a good dumbbell shoulder press weight is above 160-lbs standing or 176-lbs seated. This weight is for two dumbbells combined and for a single repetition. However, a person’s shoulder press weight will be strongly affected by their training level and bodyweight.

When I was a skinny beginner, I knew I was making gains.

But how was I performing compared to all the other guys at the gym?

If this is something you find yourself wondering, then you might want to keep reading.

This article will give you benchmarks for comparison, as well as provide tips to improve a sub-par shoulder press.

Let’s jump right in.

Average Male Dumbbell Shoulder Press Weight

The average US male weighs 197.9-lbs.

To find out how much the average man can dumbbell shoulder press, I turned to the Strength Level database of 122,000 standing shoulder presses and 247 seated shoulder presses.

Here’s how much weight the average 200-lb man should be able to dumbbell shoulder press:

Training Level	1-rep max	6-rep max	7-rep max	8-rep max	9-rep max	10-rep max
Beginner (standing)	56lb 25kg	47lb 21kg	46lb 21kg	45lb 20kg	44lb 20kg	41lb 19kg
Beginner (seated)	84lb 38kg	71lb 32kg	69lb 31kg	67lb 30kg	66lb 30kg	61lb 28kg
Intermediate (standing)	160lb 73kg	134lb 61kg	131lb 60kg	128lb 58kg	125lb 57kg	117lb 53kg
Intermediate (seated)	176lb 80kg	148lb 67kg	144lb 65kg	141lb 64kg	137lb 62kg	128lb 58kg
Advanced (standing)	214lb 97kg	180lb 82kg	175lb 80kg	171lb 78kg	167lb 76kg	156lb 71kg
Advanced (seated)	234lb 106kg	197lb 89kg	192lb 87kg	187lb 85kg	183lb 83kg	171lb 77kg

Note: X-rep max is the maximum amount of weight you can do for x-number of reps.

4 factors affect how much weight you can shoulder press.

The weight standards above are highly generalized.

In reality, your dumbbell shoulder press weight will be affected by 4 factors:

1. Training level. The longer you’ve been practicing the shoulder press the more weight you should be able to lift. Beginners have been practicing for up to 1 month, intermediates up to 2 years, and advanced lifters up to 5 years.

2. Bodyweight. The heavier you are the more muscle mass you have and the heavier you can press.

3. Rep number. The more the reps you perform the less weight you can press and vice versa. How many shoulder press reps should you be doing? 3-12 reps is the recommended rep range for building shoulder strength and size.

4. Shoulder press variation. In general, the average person can shoulder press more weight when seated compared to standing. But people under 150-lbs bodyweight can shoulder press more weight when standing compared to seated.

Next, you’ll find out how bodyweight affects your dumbbell shoulder press weight at different training levels.

Beginner Dumbbell Shoulder Press Weight Standards

If you’ve been doing the dumbbell shoulder press for up to 1 month, then you’re a beginner.

Here are some good standards for beginners to dumbbell shoulder press at different bodyweights:

Bodyweight	Variation	1-rep max	6-rep max	7-rep max	8-rep max	9-rep max	10-rep max
120lb 54kg	Standing	30lb 14kg	25lb 11kg	25lb 11kg	24lb 11kg	23lb 11kg	22lb 10kg
120lb 54kg	Seated	18lb 8kg	15lb 7kg	15lb 7kg	14lb 9kg	14lb 8kg	13lb 6kg
150lb 68kg	Standing	48lb 22kg	40lb 18kg	39lb 18kg	38lb 17kg	37lb 17kg	35lb 16kg
150lb 68kg	Seated	42lb 19kg	35lb 16kg	34lb 16kg	34lb 15kg	33lb 15kg	31lb 14kg
200lb 91kg	Standing	56lb 25kg	47lb 21kg	46lb 21kg	45lb 20kg	44lb 20kg	41lb 19kg
200lb 91kg	Seated	84lb 38kg	71lb 32kg	69lb 31kg	67lb 30kg	66lb 30kg	61lb 28kg
250lb 113kg	Standing	104lb 47kg	87lb 40kg	85lb 39kg	83lb 38kg	81lb 37kg	76lb 34kg
250lb 113kg	Seated	128lb 58kg	108lb 49kg	105lb 48kg	102lb 46kg	100lb 45kg	93lb 42kg
300lb 136kg	Standing	130lb 59kg	109lb 50kg	107lb 48kg	104lb 47kg	101lb 46kg	95lb 43kg
300lb 136kg	Seated	170lb 77kg	143lb 65kg	139lb 63kg	136lb 62kg	133lb 60kg	124lb 56kg

The average beginner should be able to dumbbell shoulder press 18-43% of their bodyweight (standing) or 10-57% of their bodyweight (seated).

The exact percentage will depend on your bodyweight and rep number (as per the table above).

So if you’re a beginner and you’re shoulder pressing above these averages, then you’re doing a good job.

And if you’re below average, then you can try some of my tips to improve your dumbbell shoulder press (see below).

Intermediate Dumbbell Shoulder Press Weight Standards

If you’ve been doing the dumbbell shoulder press for up to 2 years, then you’re an intermediate.

Here are some good standards for intermediates to dumbbell shoulder press at different bodyweights:

Bodyweight	Variation	1-rep max	6-rep max	7-rep max	8-rep max	9-rep max	10-rep max
120lb 54kg	Standing	88lb 40kg	74lb 34kg	72lb 33kg	70lb 32kg	69lb 31kg	64lb 29kg
120lb 54kg	Seated	70lb 32kg	59lb 27kg	57lb 26kg	56lb 25kg	55lb 25kg	51lb 23kg
150lb 68kg	Standing	118lb 54kg	99lb 45kg	97lb 44kg	94lb 43kg	92lb 42kg	86lb 39kg
150lb 68kg	Seated	110lb 50kg	92lb 42kg	90lb 41kg	88lb 40kg	86lb 39kg	80lb 36kg
200lb 91kg	Standing	160lb 73kg	134lb 61kg	131lb 60kg	128lb 58kg	125lb 57kg	117lb 53kg
200lb 91kg	Seated	176lb 80kg	148lb 67kg	144lb 65kg	141lb 64kg	137lb 62kg	128lb 58kg
250lb 113kg	Standing	198lb 90kg	166lb 75kg	162lb 74kg	158lb 72kg	154lb 70kg	145lb 66kg
250lb 113kg	Seated	236lb 107kg	198lb 90kg	194lb 88kg	189lb 86kg	184lb 83kg	172lb 78kg
300lb 136kg	Standing	232lb 105kg	195lb 88kg	190lb 86kg	186lb 84kg	181lb 82kg	169lb 77kg
300lb 136kg	Seated	292lb 132kg	1245lb 11kg	239lb 109kg	234lb 106kg	228lb 103kg	213lb 97kg

The average intermediate should be able to dumbbell shoulder press 53-80% of their bodyweight (standing) or 43-97% of their bodyweight (seated).

Again, the percentage will depend on your body weight and rep number.

So if you’re an intermediate and you’re shoulder pressing above these averages, then you’re doing a good job.

Conversely, If you’re a beginner, then these targets are a very respectable standard to reach for.

And if you’re below average, then you can try some of my tips to improve your dumbbell shoulder press (see below).

Advanced Dumbbell Shoulder Press Weight Standards

If you’ve been doing the dumbbell shoulder press for up to 5 years, then you’re an advanced lifter.

Here are some good weight standards for advanced lifters to dumbbell shoulder press at different bodyweights:

Bodyweight	Variation	1-rep max	6-rep max	7-rep max	8-rep max	9-rep max	10-rep max
120lb 54kg	Standing	130lb 59kg	109lb 50kg	107lb 48kg	104lb 47kg	101lb 46kg	95lb 43kg
120lb 54kg	Seated	92lb 42kg	77lb 35kg	75lb 34kg	74lb 33kg	72lb 33kg	67lb 30kg
150lb 68kg	Standing	164lb 74kg	138lb 62kg	134lb 61kg	131lb 60kg	128lb 58kg	120lb 54kg
150lb 68kg	Seated	158lb 72kg	133lb 60kg	130lb 59kg	126lb 57kg	123lb 56kg	115lb 52kg
200lb 91kg	Standing	214lb 97kg	180lb 82kg	175lb 80kg	171lb 78kg	167lb 76kg	156lb 71kg
200lb 91kg	Seated	234lb 106kg	197lb 89kg	192lb 87kg	187lb 85kg	183lb 83kg	171lb 77kg
250lb 113kg	Standing	256lb 116kg	215lb 98kg	210lb 95kg	205lb 93kg	200lb 91kg	187lb 85kg
250lb 113kg	Seated	304lb 138kg	255lb 116kg	249lb 113kg	243lb 110kg	237lb 108kg	222lb 101kg
300lb 136kg	Standing	296lb 134kg	249lb 113kg	243lb 110kg	237lb 107kg	231lb 105kg	216lb 98kg
300lb 136kg	Seated	368lb 167kg	309lb 140kg	302lb 137kg	294lb 134kg	287lb 130kg	269lb 122kg

The average advanced lifter should be able to dumbbell shoulder press 72-109% of their bodyweight (standing) or 56-123% of their bodyweight (seated).

The exact percentage will depend on your body weight and rep number.

So if you’re at the advanced stages of training and you’re shoulder pressing above these averages, then you’re doing a very respectable job.

Don’t fret if you haven’t reached these standards though.

It takes many years of consistent and dedicated training to attain these levels.

Indeed, many people never reach these standards and plateau at the intermediate standards instead.

That’s not a bad achievement for the majority of people.

My best advice is to keep persevering and maybe try the tips I share below.

If you’re a skinny guy trying to build a stronger physique, there are some essential tips you should know to avoid cycles of failed attempts. Check out my other article to learn how to build your first 10 pounds of muscle!

How Good Is Your Dumbbell Shoulder Press Vs Others?

Calculating your dumbbell shoulder press as a fraction of your bodyweight is another way to judge your performance.

To do this, simply divide the total weight of both dumbbells by your body weight.

This method allows you to fairly compare your shoulder press numbers with other people.

In general, being able to shoulder press your bodyweight is a good target to aim for. People who can shoulder press their own bodyweight represent the upper quartile of weight lifters and it is a very good level to attain.

Here are the percentages of males who can dumbbell shoulder press their own body weight:

Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press (1RM As Fraction Of Bodyweight)	% Of People Who Can Do It	Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press (1RM As Fraction Of Bodyweight)	% Of People Who Can Do It
0.10x	100%	0.10x	100%
0.20x	100	0.20x	100%
0.30x	98%	0.30x	99%
0.40x	94%	0.40x	96%
0.50x	87%	0.50x	91%
0.60x	77%	0.60x	82%
0.70x	64%	0.70x	72%
0.80x	50%	0.80x	59%
0.90x	37%	0.90x	47%
1.00x	26%	1.00x	36%
1.10x	17%	1.10x	26%
1.20x	11%	1.20x	18%
1.30x	7%	1.30x	12%
1.40x	4%	1.40x	8%
1.50x	2%	1.50x	5%
1.60x	1%	1.60x	3%
1.70x	0.7%	1.70x	2%
1.80x	0.3%	1.80x	1%
1.90x	0.2%	1.90x	0.5%
2.00x	0.1%	2.00x	0.3%

• 75% of men can dumbbell shoulder press 0.62x their bodyweight (standing) and 0.65x their bodyweight (seated). If you’ve reached this point, then you’re in the lower quartile of people who do the dumbbell shoulder press. This is an acceptable weight for beginners, but you can also probably do much better with training!

• 50% of men can dumbbell shoulder press 0.80x their bodyweight (standing) and 0.93x their bodyweight (seated). If you’ve reached this point, then you’re in the median quartile of people who do the dumbbell shoulder press. This is very respectable target for beginners to aim for.

• 25% of men can dumbbell shoulder press 1.00x their bodyweight (standing) and 1.10x their bodyweight (seated). If you’ve reached this point, then you’re in the upper quartile of people who do the dumbbell shoulder press! This is a very respectable target for intermediates to aim for.

Note: these standards are for a single repetition.

If you’re interested in buying dumbbells for home training, then you can find out how much dumbbells should cost in my other post!

Why People Struggle With The Shoulder Press

There are various reasons why people struggle to progress and find the dumbbell shoulder press difficult:

1) A weak grip can limit your capacity to hold the dumbbells.

A strong wrist is important in the dumbbell shoulder press for 2 reasons:

• Dumbbell stabilisation. You need wrist strength to stabilise the dumbbells as you go through the shoulder press movement.

• Dumbbell setup. Wrist strength is required to stabilise the dumbbells as you kick them into the air during the initial setup. If you can’t stabilise the dumbbells, you won’t be able to set yourself up for reps.

Therefore weak wrists can present a major chokepoint in your progression.

2) Untrained stabilisers make it difficult to shoulder press.

The shoulder press is primarily driven by the deltoids and triceps. But stabilizing activity also comes from the biceps, core, and upper back to help you maintain balance.

If these muscles are weak, then you won’t be able to shoulder press as much weight.

Therefore weak stabilizers also serve as a chokepoint in your progression.

3) Improper form and technique can impact your shoulder pressing.

The dumbbell shoulder press is a technical move and requires a good form to build maximum strength.

Here are some good dumbbell shoulder press form tips:

• Press with a full range of motion. Do this by allowing the dumbbells to reach the upper pecs on the downward phase.

• Brace your core. Do this by contracting your abs to form a sturdy foundation to press from.

• Don’t lock your elbows. Do this by stopping the upward phase just before your elbows lock. This will maintain consistent tension in the deltoids and triceps, thereby building more strength.

• Keep your back straight. A straight back focuses muscle activation on the primary target muscle, the deltoids. If you lean backwards whilst performing the press, it begins to emphasise less of the deltoids and more of the upper pecs.

Top tip: a vertically inclining weight bench is an affordable way to help you keep a straight back during the dumbbell shoulder press.

I use the Flybird adjustable bench (link for cheapest price).

Whilst it doesn’t have the same quality as a commercial gym bench, it does provide good value, is versatile, and is comfortable for shoulder pressing at home.

You can also use it to bench press at home. The best thing about this bench is that it can be folded, making it perfect for small home gyms!

4) Naive primary drivers prevent you from shoulder pressing heavy loads.

If you’re a beginner, your primary drivers (deltoids and triceps) may just simply need more training.

It can take absolute beginners a few weeks before any strength gains are noticeable.

Don’t forget that the shoulder press is a compound exercise, meaning it recruits multiple muscles simultaneously.

Here are the muscles activated by the dumbbell shoulder press:

• Posterior/medial/anterior deltoids (primary driver).

• Triceps (primary driver)

• Biceps (stabiliser).

• Trapezius (stabiliser).

• Rhomboids (stabiliser).

• Upper pectorals (stabiliser).

• Abdominals (stabiliser).

If any of these muscles are weak, they can impact your shoulder press progression.

5) Shoulder press strength plateaus can occur at all training levels.

A strength plateau describes when you get stuck at a certain weight and can’t seem to progress despite your best efforts.

It’s a common occurrence in beginners, intermediates, and advanced lifters alike.

The main causes of strength plateaus are:

• Not lifting heavy enough. The more weight you lift, the stronger you get.

• Training in the same rep range for too long. Lifting the same number of reps for 3+ months can cause your muscles to stop adapting and stop growing.

• Changing your exercises too quickly. If you switch your exercises too quickly, you don’t give your muscles enough time to adapt and grow. If you want your shoulder press to get significantyl stronger, stick with it for at least a month (preferably 3+ months).

• Poor nutrition. A calorie/protein deficiency means your body doesn’t have the energy to fuel the muscle growth process.

As a result of the above points, your dumbbell shoulder press progression may stagnate.

Ways To Make Your Shoulder Press Stronger

Jay Cutler's Training Tips: Dumbbell Shoulder Press Technique

Here are some ways you can make your dumbbell shoulder press stronger:

1) Eat a proper bulking diet with enough protein and calories.

A good nutrition plan will fuel the growth of your deltoids, triceps, and stabilizer muscles.

Aim to eat at least 1g of protein per pound of bodyweight and a 5-15% caloric surplus every day.

When you combine this with regular progressive overload, you have the perfect recipe for shoulder strength gains!

Top tip: Protein powders are an affordable way to reach your protein/calorie targets if you struggle to eat enough food. Skinny guys under 12% body fat can use the Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass (link for reviews) to bulk up fast.

For everyone else, the MyProtein Impact Whey is great for building lean muscle with minimal fat.

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2) Progressive overload every 1-2 weeks.

Aim to increase each dumbbell by 2.5-5-lbs whenever you can do the shoulder press with good form at your current poundage.

This will force your muscles to keep adapting and growing.

It will also minimize the chances of your strength plateauing.

A beginner should aim to increase dumbbell weight at least once every 1-2 weeks.

Top tip: If you’re training to get big at home, then a pair of heavy and durable adjustable dumbbells are well worth the investment. Ideally, they should go up to 90-lbs with 2.5-5-lb increments.

This allows you to progressive overload effectively.

I use the Powerblock Elites (find the cheapest price here) with the stage 2 (70lb) and stage 3 (90lb) add-on kits. They are the most affordable and reputable dumbbells that fit these criteria (based on personal research and experience).

If you’re on a tight budget, then the Yes4All spinlock dumbbells are a more affordable alternative.

They’re as heavy as the Powerblocks, but their weight increments are quite large making them troublesome for consistent progressive overload (especially on isolation exercises like the lateral raise).

3) Press slow for maximal muscle recruitment.

Apply time under tension (TUT) principles to your dumbbell shoulder press.

Count for 4 seconds on the downward phase, another 4 seconds on the upward phase, and a pause in between.

This may mean you have to reduce the weight by 10-20%.

But it allows you to slow down your lifting tempo and really feel your shoulder muscles contract and get pumped.

As a result, you’ll also give your muscles an entirely new stimulus to adapt to.

I like to dedicate 1 entire week per month to TUT training.

4) Change your rep range every month.

Try working in the strength rep range (2-6 reps per set) for one month, and then switch to a hypertrophy rep range (7-10 reps per set) next month.

This is called periodization.

When you combine periodization with progressive overload, your shoulder pressing strength will increase much quicker.

If you like, you can check out my other post for a full dumbbell bodybuilding workout program.

5) Don’t hold the dumbbells too wide in the shoulder press.

Remember when I said form is paramount to making shoulder press gains?

Well, another important way to maintain good form is by not flaring the elbows.

When your elbows go too wide, there’s a tendency for the dumbbells to also sit wide.

“A grip that is too wide can reduce your power output from the set as you’re essentially taking the prime movers and putting them into disadvantageous positions.”

Jake Boly, C.S.C.S

Instead, keep your elbows tucked towards your torso.

When done correctly, the dumbbells should sit directly above your elbows as they travel up and down in the shoulder press.

If you’re in the market for a new pair of dumbbells, check out my other article to find out what dumbbell weight you should buy!

How I Calculated These Standards

Here’s how I got the numbers for this study.

Average dumbbell shoulder press standards.

Dumbbell shoulder press 1RMs were taken from the Strength Level database.

These were then multiplied by different fractions to get the 6-10RM weights, as follows:

• x0.84 for 6RM.
• x0.82 for 7RM.
• x0.80 for 8RM.
• x0.78 for 9RM.
• x0.73 for 10RM.

% of people who can dumbbell shoulder press a fraction of their body weight

The Strength Level database also allows for different dumbbell shoulder press weights to be sampled against their total population.

I sampled a variety of dumbbell shoulder press weights for a 200-lb male beginner aged 24-39

Conclusion

Different factors including your training level, bodyweight, and rep number will determine what’s a good dumbbell shoulder press weight for your personal circumstances.

I’ve shared with you the average based on these 3 metrics.

They were calculated from the Strength Level database of dumbbell shoulder presses.

If you’re pressing above average for your training level and bodyweight, then you’re doing good!

But if you’re performing sub-par, then you can try my tips to improve your numbers.

How much weight do you currently shoulder press with dumbbells?

Let me know in the comments!

Or check out my other posts to find out how much you should be dumbbell bench pressing, rowing, and bicep curling.

Thanks for reading guys!

Peace Out,

Kal

(Biochemistry BSc, Biomedical Sciences MSc, Ex-Skinny Guy)