Deadlift Strength Standards

Enter one set: we'll estimate your 1RM and rank it against real deadlift lifts logged on Gravitus, by bodyweight and gender.

What Is a Good Deadlift?

A good deadlift for a 180 lb man is about 320 lb, the intermediate standard; for a 140 lb woman it is about 180 lb. Good is relative to bodyweight and sex, and the calculator below ranks your lift against real deadlift sets logged by lifters in the Gravitus app. The benchmark tables use allometric bodyweight scaling so you can compare fairly at any size.

What's the average deadlift? See the real numbers →

Learn proper deadlift form, muscles worked, and programming →

Calculate Your Deadlift Strength Level

1RM estimated from your weight and reps with the Brzycki formula

How Men's Deadlift 1RMs Are Distributed

Estimated one-rep max

Men: 25th percentile 238 lb · median 301 lb · 75th percentile 372 lb

Women: 25th percentile 118 lb · median 163 lb · 75th percentile 206 lb

The deadlift is the ultimate test of total body strength, engaging your entire posterior chain from your grip to your feet. It's the lift where most people can move the most weight. These standards show where your deadlift ranks compared to other lifters at your bodyweight and gender.

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Deadlift Standards for Men (lbs)

Bodyweight (lbs) Beginner Novice Intermediate median Advanced Elite
120* 120 170 230 290 365
130* 130 180 240 305 385
140 135 190 255 325 410
150 150 215 280 355 440
160 155 230 300 370 455
170 165 240 305 385 465
180 165 245 320 395 480
190 165 255 330 415 495
200 165 255 340 430 510
210 165 255 340 435 510
220 165 255 350 435 515
230 165 255 355 440 530
240 165 265 360 455 545
250 165 265 365 455 555
260* 165 270 370 460 565
270* 170 280 385 475 580
280* 175 285 395 490 595
290* 180 295 405 500 615
300* 185 305 415 515 630

Unmarked rows are computed from real Gravitus lifter data. * Estimated with allometric scaling, outside the bodyweight range with enough logged lifters.

Deadlift Standards for Women (lbs)

Bodyweight (lbs) Beginner Novice Intermediate median Advanced Elite
100* 60 100 150 185 250
110 65 105 160 200 270
120 70 110 165 205 270
130 70 115 170 210 270
140 70 120 180 225 275
150 70 120 180 230 280
160 70 120 180 240 295
170 75 120 180 250 315
180 75 120 190 255 315
190 75 120 190 255 315
200 75 120 190 255 345

Unmarked rows are computed from real Gravitus lifter data. * Estimated with allometric scaling, outside the bodyweight range with enough logged lifters.

How These Standards Are Calculated

These standards are computed directly from workouts logged in the Gravitus app: the all-time best deadlift efforts of real lifters, converted to estimated one-rep max (1RM). Each level corresponds to a percentile among lifters in your bodyweight bracket: Beginner (5th), Novice (20th), Intermediate (50th), Advanced (80th), and Elite (95th). Brackets with fewer than 50 lifters are estimated with allometric scaling and marked as interpolated. Figures reflect lifters who share workouts publicly; extreme outliers are excluded.

The full method, covering qualifying sets, the 1RM estimator, outlier trimming, bodyweight brackets, the percentile levels and the refresh cadence, is written up in how the standards are computed.

Tips for Improving Your Deadlift

To improve your deadlift: strengthen your grip with farmer's walks and dead hangs, practice deficit deadlifts and rack pulls to build strength at different points in the lift, improve hip hinge mechanics with Romanian deadlifts, build your upper back with rows and pull-ups, and ensure proper bracing and breathing technique.

Strength Levels Explained

  • Beginner

    The strength level of someone who has recently started training. Achievable within the first few months of proper training.

  • Novice

    Represents early progress with consistent training. Most dedicated lifters reach this level within their first year.

  • Intermediate

    Above-average strength that represents consistent, dedicated training over multiple years.

  • Advanced

    Exceptional strength that far exceeds the average lifter. Requires years of dedicated programming and nutrition.

  • Elite

    Competitive-level strength representing the top 1% of lifters. May require favorable genetics to achieve.

Frequently Asked Questions

An average untrained man can typically deadlift around 155-185 lbs. With consistent training, most men can reach an intermediate level of 275-365 lbs depending on bodyweight. For women, an intermediate deadlift is typically 155-225 lbs depending on bodyweight.

Yes, a 405 lb deadlift is an impressive lift. For a 180 lb man, this represents about 2.25x bodyweight, which is firmly in the advanced category. It's a milestone that many dedicated lifters aspire to reach.

Both styles are valid for these standards. Choose based on your body proportions and comfort: lifters with longer torsos and shorter arms often prefer sumo, while those with longer arms may prefer conventional. Try both and use whichever lets you lift more with good form.

Yes, most lifters deadlift more than they squat. A typical ratio is deadlift being 10-30% higher than squat. The deadlift uses more muscles and has favorable leverage for most body types.

Most intermediate lifters benefit from deadlifting 1-2 times per week. One heavy session and one lighter variation day (like Romanian deadlifts or deficit deadlifts) is a common and effective approach. Recovery is crucial as the deadlift is very taxing on the nervous system.

More Strength Standards

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