Average Deadlift By Weight, Gender, and Experience Level

The deadlift is one of the three powerlifting exercises, along with the squat and bench press, and involves lifting weights off the floor to the hip level and then returning the bar to the ground.  

It is a compound lift that works almost every muscle in your body. Plus, there is something inherently badass about lifting heavy stuff off the floor and putting it back. 

Since the deadlift is a functional movement, most people have a hard time performing the lift. It is also a difficult movement to master, especially for beginners. 

Performing the lift with an incorrect form can put unnecessary tension on your lower back and hamstrings, which are particularly prone to injury. We’d go as far as to say that the highest number of injuries in the gym happen while performing the deadlift. 

Most deadlifting injuries occur when a lifter tries to bite off more than they can chew, resulting in them staying out of the weight room for weeks. 

Don’t get us wrong. We aren’t trying to scare you away from this beautiful lift. Instead, this is a call to spend time improving your exercise fundamentals to ensure longevity. 

In this article, you’ll learn about the average deadlift by gender, weight, and experience level, how to perform the deadlift with the correct form, and get better at the lift.

Average Deadlift By Weight, Experience Level, and Gender

Factors like your body weight, experience level, and gender can have a role in determining how much weight you can pull off the ground. 

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that a 198-pound untrained male lifter can lift more than a 181-pound untrained lifter. However, a 181-pound intermediate lifter can deadlift heavier than a 198-pound novice lifter. 

The tables below will help you find how you stack up against lifters at your level. The numbers below represent the one-rep max (1RM) for people at different experience levels and weight classes. 

Note: Don’t attempt these lifts without prior practice and warming up. 

How much can the average man deadlift?

The average male deadlift depends on several factors, including a lifter’s age, weight, and experience level.

Below is the Male Deadlift Standards chart from Symmetric Strength:

How much can the average woman deadlift?

Women’s deadlift performance, too, is linked to their weight, age, and experience level. 

Below is the Female Deadlift Standards chart from Symmetric Strength:

Overall Average Male and Female Deadlift

Here is what the overall average deadlift weight for males and females looks like:

Overall Average Male Deadlift

Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics (CDC), an average American male weighs 197.8 pounds, meaning an average man who doesn’t lift can deadlift 165 pounds or 245 pounds for a rookie lifter. [1]

Returning to the data by Symmetric Strength, the average deadlift for an American intermediate lifter is 330 pounds, 410 pounds for proficient, 480 pounds for advanced, 550 pounds for exceptional, 615 pounds for elite, and 685 pounds for world-class athletes.

Overall Average Female Deadlift

Per the CDC data, an average American female tips the scales at 170.5 pounds. As per the table from Symmetric Strength, a 165-pound woman (closest to 170.5 pounds) with no lifting experience can deadlift 115 pounds or 175 for a novice.

Furthermore, the average deadlift rises to 230 pounds for an intermediate lifter, 290 pounds for proficient, 335 pounds for advanced, 385 pounds for exceptional, 430 pounds for elite, and 480 pounds for world-class athletes. 

How to Deadlift

Deadlifting with the correct form comes with a learning curve. Like other things in life, regular practice is one of the most effective ways of getting better at exercise. Here is how to deadlift to get the most out of the lift:

1. Stand upright with a shoulder-wide stance and a barbell resting against your shins. 
2. Push your hips back and hinge forward until your torso is nearly parallel with the floor.
3. Reach down and grab the bar using a shoulder width, mixed grip. The mixed grip allows you to lift heavier than a conventional overhand grip. 
4. Pro tip: Inhale and pull up slightly on the bar while allowing your hips to drop in a seesaw fashion. It pulls the slack out of the bar and puts you in a better position to pull the weight off the floor. 
5. Drive through the whole foot and extend the knees and hips.
6. Your body should be in a straight line at the top. 
7. Pause at the top.
8. Return to the starting position in a slow and controlled motion. 
9. Repeat for desired reps. 

Check out our barbell deadlift guide to learn how to perform the exercise for achieving muscle hypertrophy. 

How to Improve Your Deadlift

Since the deadlift has several moving parts, making tiny adjustments can deliver drastic results. Use the following techniques to get the best bang for your buck:

1. While performing the deadlift, keep your upper body in a straight line. Looking up at the wall in front of you while at the bottom can put unnecessary stress on your neck. 
2. The deadlift is a hinging position. Many people make the mistake of using their legs too much. While deadlifting, think about pushing your hips back and down (only slightly). It shouldn’t look like you’re performing a squat.
3. The hips should be lower than your shoulders at the starting position. Your torso shouldn’t be parallel to the floor at the bottom of the movement. 
4. Keeping your lats pulled back and chest up will help focus on your posterior chain. 
5. Do not overextend on your back at the top, as it puts your lower back in a vulnerable position. 
6. Wrap your thumbs around the bar to get the best bang for your buck on the deadlift. It is no coincidence that no pro powerlifter uses a monkey grip on the deadlift. 
7. After getting rid of the slack at the bottom, you want to move as quickly as possible through the lift. Using a slow rep tempo puts you at a getter risk of failing during the rep.

Related: 10 Ways to Boost Your Deadlift

FAQs

What should be your foot position while deadlifting?

Foot positioning while deadlifting has always been a controversial topic. While many believe your feet should be parallel while performing the lift, others believe that pointing them slightly outwards can improve your performance. 

However, foot position will depend on your mobility and natural stance. You should perform the exercise in a foot stance that feels more natural and comfortable to you. 

How to get better at the deadlift?

To get better at the compound exercise and improve your average deadlift, you should perform it at least twice a week. Training secondary muscles like the back, hams, and glutes will also go a long way in getting better at the deadlift. 

Plus, if you think you’re weak at lockout, you should incorporate rack pulls, RDLs, and pulls against chains or bands to build strength at the top half of the movement. On the other hand, the deficit deadlift is a great option for developing explosive power in the bottom half of the lift. 

You might also like:

• Average Bench Press By Age, Weight, Gender, and Experience Level
• Average Squat By Weight, Gender, and Experience Level
• Average Pull-Up and Chin-Up By Weight, Gender, and Experience Level
• Average Power Clean By Weight, Gender, and Experience Level
• The Average Thigh Circumference in Males and Females
• The Average Calf Size for Men and Women
• Average Waist Size For Women and Men
• Average Biceps Size: How Do You Measure Up?

Wrapping Up

The deadlift is a fundamental lift that should be a part of every lifter’s training arsenal, whether novice or elite. You’d be leaving gains on the table by skipping this exercise. 

While the tables above should give you a good idea of how you stack up against your more experienced peers in the same weight class, you shouldn’t jump the gun trying to catch up with them. Get to the deadlift platform, burn the midnight oil, and results will follow. Best of luck!

References

1. McDowell MA, Fryar CD, Ogden CL, Flegal KM. Anthropometric reference data for children and adults: United States, 2003–2006. National health statistics reports; no 10. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2008.

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