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barbell deadlift strength standards

What is a good barbell deadlift?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate barbell deadlift is about 340 lb (1.89x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 430 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

Good target 340 lb Intermediate at 180 lb
Next tier 430 lb Advanced standard
Gym median Separate tab Self-reported, not blended
Check My Level Estimate Your 1RM Methodology
Evidence ledger No blended rankings
Primary source FitnessVolt standards model
Available views Standards
Coverage 21 bodyweights × 5 levels

Competition results, gym submissions, and reader logs stay labeled separately so the ranking source is clear.

Quick Answer barbell deadlift

A solid (Intermediate) barbell deadlift for a 180 lb male is about 340 lb (1.89x bodyweight). Use the calculator below to convert your own barbell deadlift into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 430 lb (2.39x bodyweight).

FitnessVolt standards, with FVCP competition rankings shown separately from gym percentiles

barbell deadlift demonstration
Estimated Standards

How strong is your barbell deadlift? Compare your 1RM against standards for 21 bodyweight categories, from Beginner to Elite.

Primary Muscles glutes
Equipment barbell
Standards Coverage 21 bodyweights × 5 levels
Difficulty Advanced
Type Compound

Estimated Standards - The level table for this exercise is modeled from FitnessVolt strength ratios for a related base lift, not from direct measurements of this movement. Learn about our methodology

How Strong Is Your barbell deadlift?

Intermediate (competition scale)
Typical FVCP: 50th percentile
A 180 lb male lifting 340 lbs (1.89x bodyweight) on the barbell deadlift ranks Intermediate on the FVCP competition scale, stronger than ~50% of verified competition lifters at this bodyweight. Enter your own numbers above to see where you stand.

That clears the median for this bodyweight and gives you a useful benchmark for the next tier.

Over 40? Our calculator also reports an age-adjusted percentile and an age-30 equivalent using the McCulloch age factor, so masters lifters are compared to lifters their own age. See the age-adjusted (Masters 40+) standards below for the full breakdown.

FVCP competition ranking, shown separately from gym percentiles and reader logs
Your FVCP:
Age-adjusted percentile
lb Age-30 equivalent 1RM

FVCP competition ranking, shown separately from gym percentiles and reader logs
th percentile

Illustrative: a normal-distribution model anchored to the real Beginner to Elite percentile thresholds for your bodyweight. The marker shows where your lift falls, not a measured frequency count.

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to track your progress over time.

Reader Data Is Still Building

We do not have enough reader-submitted barbell deadlift entries yet to publish a stable crowd benchmark. Until then, this panel shows the Intermediate standards baseline only:

340 lb Typical 1RM (Intermediate)
1.89x x Bodyweight

Baseline figures for a 180 lb male at Intermediate level, from the standards table. This is not reader-submitted data. So far readers have logged a lift here.

Enter your numbers above first. We publish reader benchmarks only after a sample threshold is met.

How Much Should You barbell deadlift?

Use this table to find the standard closest to your bodyweight. The tiers are standards, not claims about reader submissions.

How a male lifter's expected 1RM scales with bodyweight at each level. Exact numbers in the table below.

BW (lbs) Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
110 96 144 204 275 352
120 111 162 225 300 380
130 126 179 246 323 407
140 140 197 266 346 433
150 154 213 286 368 457
160 168 229 304 389 481
170 181 245 322 410 503
180 195 261 340 430 525
190 208 275 357 449 546
200 220 290 373 467 567
210 233 304 389 485 587
220 245 318 405 503 606
230 257 332 420 520 624
240 268 345 435 536 642
250 280 358 450 552 660
260 291 370 464 568 677
270 302 383 478 583 694
280 313 395 491 598 710
290 323 407 504 613 726
300 333 418 517 627 741
310 344 430 530 641 756

Is Your barbell deadlift Good?

A quick read on what counts as a good barbell deadlift at each level, for a typical male and female lifter.

Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) barbell deadlift is about 340 lb (1.89x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 430 lb (2.39x), and Elite is 525 lb (2.92x).

Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) barbell deadlift is about 189 lb (1.35x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 257 lb (1.84x), and Elite is 331 lb (2.36x).

How Much Should You Be Able to barbell deadlift?

Men: a 180 lb male should lift about 340 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 195 lb).

Women: a 140 lb female should lift about 189 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 86 lb).

By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter lifts about 286 lb, and a 220 lb lifter lifts about 405 lb at an Intermediate level. Find your exact bodyweight in the table above.

By age (men): at an Intermediate level a 30 year old male lifts about 336 lb, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 299 lb. See the By Age tab for every age band.

FitnessVolt standards, with FVCP competition rankings shown separately from gym percentiles

How Does Age Affect barbell deadlift Strength?

How barbell deadlift standards change across different age groups. Values represent a 1RM in lbs.

How a male lifter's expected 1RM changes with age at each level. Exact numbers in the table below.

Age Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
15 147 209 286 375 470
20 169 240 327 429 538
25 173 246 336 440 552
30 173 246 336 440 552
35 173 246 336 440 552
40 173 246 336 440 552
45 164 233 319 417 524
50 154 219 299 392 492
55 142 202 277 362 455
60 130 185 252 331 415
65 118 167 228 299 375
70 105 150 205 268 336
75 94 134 183 240 301
80 84 120 164 214 269
85 76 107 147 192 241
90 68 97 132 173 217

What Do barbell deadlift Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are developing the hip-hinge pattern for the barbell deadlift, learning to load your hamstrings and glutes while keeping a neutral spine under tension.

Novice

Stronger than 20% of lifters. You can perform the barbell deadlift with a consistent hinge pattern and controlled eccentric. You are building posterior chain strength and grip endurance through progressive loading.

Intermediate

Stronger than 50% of lifters. Your barbell deadlift leverages a strong hip drive and solid lockout. You program variations strategically, use RPE to manage intensity, and have built serious hamstring and glute development.

Advanced

Stronger than 80% of lifters. You have optimized your barbell deadlift setup, grip strategy, and bracing sequence for maximal output. You train with periodized blocks and manage recovery to handle high-intensity pulling sessions.

Elite

Stronger than 95% of lifters. Your barbell deadlift is competition-caliber. You have dialed in every variable from stance width to breathing cadence and can execute near-maximal pulls with technical consistency.

How to Progress Your barbell deadlift

Tier-specific training recommendations to move your barbell deadlift to the next level.

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the barbell deadlift 1-2x per week, drilling the hip-hinge pattern with moderate loads.
  • Focus on keeping a neutral spine throughout the entire range of motion.
  • Use linear progression: add 5-10 lbs per session while form remains solid.
  • Build grip endurance with holds at the top of each set.
Track progress with the one rep max calculator →
Novice → Intermediate Structured Progression
  • Add a hinge variation (deficit, pause, or tempo) to address weak positions.
  • Program the barbell deadlift with RPE 7-8 working sets and occasional heavier singles.
  • Strengthen your grip separately if it becomes a limiting factor.
  • Begin tracking volume load to manage posterior chain fatigue.
Plan your RPE-based sessions →
Intermediate → Advanced Periodized Training Blocks
  • Run 4-6 week blocks alternating between volume accumulation and intensity peaks.
  • Use RPE 8-9 for top sets, with calculated backoff sets at RPE 7.
  • Address posterior chain weak points with targeted Romanian deadlifts, hip thrusts, or glute-ham raises.
  • Manage weekly hinge volume (10-16 hard sets) to avoid CNS fatigue.
Program your backoff sets →
Advanced → Elite Competition-Level Peaking
  • Run peaking cycles with precise RPE targets for each session.
  • Optimize your setup: stance, grip, hip height, and bracing sequence.
  • Manage recovery carefully - heavy hinge work has high systemic fatigue.
  • Test your barbell deadlift in competition or mock-meet conditions.
View RPE-to-percentage chart →

How to Perform barbell deadlift

["Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and the barbell on the ground in front of you.","Bend your knees and hinge at the hips to lower your torso and grip the barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.","Keep your back straight and chest lifted as you drive through your heels to lift the barbell off the ground, extending your hips and knees.","As you stand up straight, squeeze your glutes and keep your core engaged.","Lower the barbell back down to the ground by bending at the hips and knees, keeping your back straight.","Repeat for the desired number of repetitions."]

Read the complete barbell deadlift guide on FitnessVolt →

Where Do These barbell deadlift Standards Come From?

FitnessVolt keeps each data population labeled. Competition percentiles use verified raw meet results where available. Gym percentile tabs use self-reported Symmetric Strength data. Reader-submitted benchmarks appear only after enough entries are logged for this lift.

Standards data last refreshed: March 29, 2026

Is Your barbell deadlift Good for Your Weight?

Use this page to compare your barbell deadlift against clearly labeled standards and percentile datasets. Here is the cleanest way to read it:

  1. Start with Standards to find the tier closest to your bodyweight.
  2. Use Gym Percentiles when you want self-reported gym comparisons.
  3. Use Competition for verified meet-result percentiles where the lift supports it.
  4. Use By Age when age-segmented gym data is available.

If you do not know your 1RM, use the one rep max calculator to estimate it from any rep set. For example, if you can barbell deadlift 185 lbs for 5 reps, the calculator will estimate your max.

The important rule: do not mix the tabs. Standards, gym percentiles, competition percentiles, and reader logs answer different questions.

Frequently Asked Questions

A "good" barbell deadlift depends on your bodyweight, sex, and training background. The Intermediate tier is a useful first serious target, while Advanced and Elite represent much harder standards. Use the table above for the number closest to your bodyweight.
Many lifters can reach the Intermediate tier on the barbell deadlift after steady training, but the timeline depends on starting point, technique, programming, recovery, and bodyweight changes. Treat the tier as a benchmark, not a deadline.
Yes. Competition views use verified meet-result data where available, gym percentile views use self-reported gym cohorts, and reader-submitted benchmarks are shown only after enough entries are logged. The populations are labeled separately.
For weighted lifts, enter a clean raw 1RM or an estimated 1RM from a recent hard set. For rep-based movements, enter controlled full-range reps. Avoid equipped lifts, partial reps, or bounced reps unless you are comparing against the same style every time.

Related Exercise Standards

Related Calculators

One Rep Max Calculator Estimate your one-rep max from any rep set Benchmarks Compare against competition data RPE Chart Training load percentages by RPE
Written by Tom Miller, CSCS · Reviewed by Editorial Team
Tom Miller, CSCS, is a Sr. Editor & Content Strategist with 10 years of experience in Powerlifting and Personal Training. As a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, he is dedicated to delivering informative, engaging, and reliable health and fitness content. His work has been featured on websites including the-sun.com, Well+Good, Bleacher Report, Muscle and Fitness, UpJourney, Business Insider, NewsBreak and more.