Average Curl Weight For Males and Females on Dumbbell and Barbell Curl

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Let’s face it; most serious lifters are insecure about the weight on their bar. They don’t want to be seen lifting weights that are considered light by their fellow exercisers. Don’t believe us? Watch the average curling weight across the gym floor increase by at least 5 pounds when a pretty lady walks into the gym.

Although “How much do you bench?” is the most popular question amongst the bros, “How much do you curl?” takes a close second. Unlike the squat, bench press, or deadlift, the curl is an isolation exercise, meaning it uses a single joint and muscle group. For this reason, the weights you can lift on the biceps curl will be significantly lower than the big three lifts. Contrarily, if you have a bigger curl than the squat or bench press, you have some soul-searching to do. 

Your maximum curl weight depends on factors like your age, weight, gender, form, and experience level. Furthermore, your average and max curl weight will vary depending on the exercise. Most lifters have different average curl weights on the barbell, dumbbell, cable, and strict curl. 

You shouldn’t expect a 50-year-old beginner male to match a 24-year-old professional’s barbell curl max. At the same time, the senior should not be boasting about beating a fit lady’s dumbbell curl max. 

In this article, we cover the average curl weight for men and ladies on dumbbells and barbells, factors affecting your curl weight, how to find your one-rep max, the correct curling form, and how to increase your curl weight. Long story short, this guide will answer all your questions about curling. So, without any further ado, let’s get into it. 

Why Should You Know the Average Curl Weight?

Knowing the average curl weight for your group will tell you how you stack up against your peers. These benchmarks will give you a goal, allow you to track your progress, and keep you accountable. 

Furthermore, many rookies set themselves up for injury while training, as they try to do too much too soon. Knowing the average curl weight for your experience level will help you set realistic targets for yourself. 

Average Curl Weight For Dumbbells Curl

Contrary to what most lifters think, your weight on the dumbbell curl will not be the same as that on your barbell curl. Give below are the average curl weight for males and females on dumbbells and barbells. Use this data to select the right weight for your next workout. 

Average Dumbbell Curl Weight For Males

The information presented below is derived from the analysis of 1,910,923 lifts conducted by Strength Level based on a person’s one-rep maximum (1RM).

Weight (in pounds)	Beginner	Novice	Intermediate	Advanced	Elite
130	10	23	42	66	96
140	11	25	44	70	100
150	12	27	47	73	104
160	14	29	50	76	108
170	15	30	52	80	111
180	16	32	54	83	115
190	18	34	57	85	118
200	19	36	59	88	121
210	20	37	61	91	124
220	21	39	63	93	127
230	23	41	65	96	130

Note: These weights are for one dumbbell. 

According to the data, novice male lifters are capable of curling nearly twice the amount of weight as beginners across the weight classes. The disparity in dumbbell curl weight between inexperienced and elite athletes diminishes as body weight increases.

Average Dumbbell Curl Weight For Females

Men are generally stronger than their female counterparts, and this can be seen in curl weight comparisons throughout this article. 

Weight (in pounds)	Beginner	Novice	Intermediate	Advanced	Elite
110	6	13	25	40	58
120	6	15	27	43	61
130	7	16	28	45	63
140	8	17	30	46	66
150	9	18	31	48	68
160	9	19	33	50	70
170	10	20	34	51	72
180	11	21	35	53	73
190	12	22	36	54	75
200	12	23	38	56	77

While the difference between the male and female lifters is 6 pounds at the newbie level, it widens to 46 pounds for the advanced exercisers in the dumbbell curl. 

Average Curl Weight For Barbells Curl

The average barbell curl data is based on 1,647,530 lifts. The participants used an Olympic barbell (45 pounds) for this test. 

Average Barbell Curl Weight For Males

Here is the average barbell curl weight for males across different weight groups:

Weight (in pounds)	Beginner	Novice	Intermediate	Advanced	Elite
130	27	49	79	117	160
140	30	54	85	124	169
150	34	58	91	131	177
160	37	63	97	138	184
170	41	67	102	145	192
180	44	72	108	151	199
190	47	76	113	157	206
200	50	80	118	163	213
210	54	84	122	168	219
220	57	88	127	174	225
230	60	91	131	179	231

Average Barbell Curl Weight For Females

Here is the average barbell curl weight for females across different weight groups:

Weight (in pounds)	Beginner	Novice	Intermediate	Advanced	Elite
110	10	24	45	71	103
120	12	26	48	75	108
130	13	29	51	79	112
140	15	31	54	83	117
150	16	33	56	86	121
160	18	35	59	90	125
170	19	37	62	93	128
180	21	39	64	96	132
190	22	41	67	99	135
200	23	43	69	102	139

Factors Affecting Curl Weight

These factors can influence your curl weight:

Age

For people between 15-90, the average curling strength maxes out at 25 for elite athletes and stays constant up to 40, after which it starts tapering. You should go all out between 25 and 40 if you want to set a monster biceps curl PR. 

Gender

On average, males exhibit greater strength than females. Men in the same age, experience, and weight bracket will be able to lift heavier than their female counterparts. 

Weight

Heavier folks will generally be able to lift more than their peers in the same age and experience group. The additional weight provides more strength and stability required to lift heavier weights.

Experience Level

More experienced lifters will, on average, be able to curl heavier weights than those with lesser experience. It is mainly because experienced lifters have spent more time mastering their craft and have the muscle power to back it up. 

Exercise Variation

You shouldn’t expect to curl the same weight on the standing barbell curl as the barbell preacher curl. Furthermore, your grip (overhand or underhand) and hand placement also play a role in determining how much weight you can curl. 

Training Goal

People training to compete in a strict curl competition can curl more than a recreational lifter. Strength-focused athletes use the 1-5 rep range to go as heavy as possible. On the flip side, people focusing on aesthetics stay in the 8-12 rep range. 

Form

Your exercise form plays a crucial role in how much you can curl. Lifters using a lousy form and a lot of momentum will be able to lift heavier than folks using a strict form. Despite the allure of lifting heavy, you should stick to a strict form, as neglecting your form increases your risk of injury. 

How To Find Your 1RM Curl Weight

The weights listed in this article are one-rep maxes. Notably, attempting a one-rep max without the right skills and experience can lead to injury. You must perform a 1RM under expert supervision, especially if you are a rookie. 

Use a one-rep max calculator to find the maximum weight you can curl on a particular exercise variation. You, however, need to perform the exercise before using the calculator. Input the weights you used and the reps you were able to complete on the exercise with the perfect form to get your one-rep max number. 

How To Curl With the Correct Form

This is how to perform the barbell and dumbbell curl with the correct form:

Dumbbell Curl

1. Stand tall with a hip-width stance while holding a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral (palms facing each other) grip.
2. The dumbbells should be resting on the outside of your thighs at the starting position.
3. Keeping your elbows pinned to your sides, curl the dumbbells to your chest height. 
4. Turn your palms toward the ceiling during the concentric (upward) movement. 
5. Pause and contract your guns at the top. 
6. Slowly return to the starting position. 
7. Repeat for recommended reps.

Check out our complete dumbbell curl guide here!

Barbell Curl

1. Stand upright with a hip-width stance.
2. Hold the bar with a shoulder-wide underhand grip. 
3. Keeping your elbows pinned, curl the bar to your shoulder level. 
4. Pause and contract your biceps at the top. 
5. Rinse and repeat.

Check out our complete barbell curl guide here!

How To Increase Your Maximum Curl Weight

Use the following tips to improve your biceps curling performance:

Progressive Overload

To lift heavier on the biceps curl, you must constantly engage in challenging workouts. Contrary to what most lifters think, you don’t always have to lift heavy weights in each workout to get stronger. 

Advanced training techniques like dropsets, supersets, and intraset stretching can provide the stimulus required for muscle and strength gains. Furthermore, you could also increase your training intensity and volume to spur growth. 

Diet

You cannot out-train a bad diet. If you want to grow bigger and stronger, you must follow a balanced diet. Stick to your daily caloric goals and a high protein intake. Seek expert help if you lack the knowledge to design an effective diet. 

Rest

Training your arms every day might sound like a good plan to build strength and muscle mass; it, however, can stall your growth because of overtraining. Your biceps are a small muscle group and require at least 48 hours of rest between workouts to recover optimally. Training them too frequently can increase your risk of injury. 

FAQs

How to know if I’m curling sufficient weights?

Your ideal curl weight will depend on your age, gender, weight, experience level, and exercise variation. Use the average weights given for the barbell and dumbbell curl above to tally your performance. You’ve nothing to worry about If you’re curling more than the average for your weight class. 

How much weight should I use for bicep curls?

Again, the weights you will use will depend on your age, gender, weight, experience level, and exercise variation. You will also have to adjust your weights according to your training goal. Lifters training for hypertrophy should use a weight that allows them to complete 8-12 reps with a picture-perfect form. On the other hand, folks focusing on strength gains will be better off in the 1-5 rep range. [1]

Wrapping Up

Knowing the average curl weight for males and females can help you set realistic goals. You must, however, ensure that you don’t bite off more than you can chew. After you have found the average curl weight for your age, weight, gender, and experience level, you shouldn’t take on that weight in your first gym session.

Use progressive overload techniques to develop the necessary strength to lift the average curl weight for your group and then some more. Remember, always prioritize lifting with the correct form over moving heavy weights. Best of luck!

References

1. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Van Every DW, Plotkin DL. Loading Recommendations for Muscle Strength, Hypertrophy, and Local Endurance: A Re-Examination of the Repetition Continuum. Sports (Basel). 2021 Feb 22;9(2):32. doi: 10.3390/sports9020032. PMID: 33671664; PMCID: PMC7927075.