Average Incline Dumbbell Press by Age
The average (median) man aged 19–29 who logs incline dumbbell press in Liftoff lifts about 70 lb per dumbbell for one rep; the average woman about 30 lb. The chart below shows every age group.
Updated October 9, 2026 · Based on 182,575 Liftoff users
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Average incline dumbbell press by age
The chart and table below show the median estimated one rep max for each age group, split by sex, among Liftoff users who log the incline dumbbell press. An estimated one rep max is the most weight a lifter could press once, worked out from the sets they log.
| Age | Men, per dumbbell (lb) | Women, per dumbbell (lb) | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13–15 | 50 | – | 26,584 |
| 16–18 | 60 | 30 | 59,250 |
| 19–29 | 70 | 30 | 86,222 |
| 30–39 | 75 | 30 | 8,886 |
| 40–49 | 75 | – | 1,633 |
Median means half of lifters in each group lift more and half lift less.
Weights here are per dumbbell: the weight of one dumbbell, not the pair added together.
Incline dumbbell press by experience level
Lifters can expect to press about 75 to 90% of their flat dumbbell press on the incline, and about 20 to 25% less on an incline press than on a flat bench press.
Men, per hand
- Untrained (no lifting experience): about 30 to 40 lb
- Novice (some gym experience): about 45 to 55 lb
- Intermediate (consistent training): about 60 to 75 lb
- Proficient (advanced lifter): about 80 to 95 lb
- Elite (highly trained lifter): 100 lb or more
Women, per hand
- Untrained: about 10 to 20 lb
- Novice: about 25 to 35 lb
- Intermediate: about 40 to 55 lb
- Proficient: about 60 to 70 lb
- Elite: 75 lb or more
What is the incline dumbbell press?
It's a dumbbell press done on a bench set at an incline. You lie back with a dumbbell in each hand at chest level, press them up until your arms are almost straight, then lower them under control. The incline shifts work towards the upper chest and the front of the shoulders, with the triceps helping.
See the Incline Dumbbell Bench Press form guide for the setup with video.
What changes your incline dumbbell press
- Bench angle. The steeper the bench, the more your shoulders do and the less weight you'll press. Compare sessions done at the same angle.
- Bodyweight and muscle mass. Heavier lifters with more muscle usually press more.
- Training age. Dumbbells take practice to balance, so early progress comes partly from control.
- Sex. Men press more on average because of differences in upper-body muscle mass. Progress follows the same pattern for everyone.
- Technique. Shoulder blades pulled back, elbows a little in front of your shoulders and a controlled lowering phase all add up.
- Equipment. Dumbbell jumps differ between gyms, and so do the angle settings on adjustable benches.
How to improve your incline dumbbell press
- Set the bench at 30 to 45 degrees. A 2020 study found upper chest activity was highest at a 30 degree incline. Steeper angles hand more of the work to the shoulders.
- Start lighter than your flat press. The incline is the harder position, so expect to use less weight than you do on a flat bench.
- Pull your shoulder blades back and down. That gives you a stable base and keeps your chest doing the pressing.
- Lower slowly. Bring the dumbbells to the line of your upper chest without bouncing at the bottom.
- Leave a rep or two in reserve on most sets. Grinding every set to failure makes the next session worse.
- Fix a weaker side. Each arm works alone with dumbbells. If one lags, match your reps to that side until it catches up.
- Move up when your reps are solid. Hit the top of your rep range on every set, then take the next dumbbells up.
Keep reading: Incline Dumbbell Bench Press form guide, how Liftoff builds its strength standards, average bench press by age, average dumbbell shoulder press by age.
How we calculated this
These figures are the median estimated one rep max among Liftoff users who logged incline dumbbell press from Jul 10 to Oct 8, 2026. Each lifter counts once, at their strongest set of 12 reps or fewer, converted with the Epley formula and rounded to 5 lb.
Read how the Liftoff rank system is built.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
A good weight is one you can press for controlled reps through a full range of motion at your chosen bench angle. For a comparison point, find your age group in the table, which shows the median among Liftoff users.
For men who log incline dumbbell press in Liftoff, the median estimated one rep max is about 70 lb per dumbbell at 19–29, about 75 lb per dumbbell at 30–39, about 75 lb per dumbbell at 40–49. The table above has every age group.
Yes, for most people. The incline puts more of the load on the shoulders and the upper chest, which are smaller than the muscles a flat press uses, so you'll usually press less.
Between 30 and 45 degrees works for most lifters. Around 30 degrees keeps more of the work on the upper chest, and steeper angles bring in more shoulder.
Wondering where your incline dumbbell press stands?
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