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barbell romanian deadlift Strength Standards

Quick Answer barbell romanian deadlift

A 180 lb male with an Intermediate-level barbell romanian deadlift of 255 lbs ranks at the 50th percentile (FVCP), stronger than ~50% of lifters. An Advanced lifter at this weight lifts 323 lbs (1.79x bodyweight).

FitnessVolt Competition Percentile (FVCP), based on 2.5M+ verified competition results

barbell romanian deadlift demonstration
Competition-Derived

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

Primary Muscles glutes
Equipment barbell
Data Points 71 rows
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Compound

Estimated Standards - Estimated from deadlift standards using a 0.75x ratio.. These values are derived from verified competition data for the base exercise. Learn about our methodology

How Strong Is Your barbell romanian deadlift?

Your FVCP:
FitnessVolt Competition Percentile, based on 2.5M+ verified results
th percentile
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to track your progress over time.

How Much Should You barbell romanian deadlift?

1RM weight (lbs) you should be able to lift at each standard, based on your bodyweight.

BW (lbs) Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
110 72 108 153 206 264
120 83 122 169 225 285
130 95 134 185 242 305
140 105 148 200 260 325
150 116 160 215 276 343
160 126 172 228 292 361
170 136 184 242 308 377
180 146 196 255 323 394
190 156 206 268 337 410
200 165 218 280 350 425
210 175 228 292 364 440
220 184 239 304 377 455
230 193 249 315 390 468
240 201 259 326 402 482
250 210 269 338 414 495
260 218 278 348 426 508
270 227 287 359 437 521
280 235 296 368 449 533
290 242 305 378 460 545
300 250 314 388 470 556
310 258 323 398 481 567

How Does Age Affect barbell romanian deadlift Strength?

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

Age Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
15 110 157 215 281 353
20 127 180 245 322 404
25 130 185 252 330 414
30 130 185 252 330 414
35 130 185 252 330 414
40 130 185 252 330 414
45 123 175 239 313 393
50 116 164 224 294 369
55 107 152 208 272 341
60 98 139 189 248 311
65 89 125 171 224 281
70 79 113 154 201 252
75 71 101 137 180 226
80 63 90 123 161 202
85 57 80 110 144 181
90 51 73 99 130 163

What Do barbell romanian deadlift Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are developing the hip-hinge pattern for the barbell romanian 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 romanian 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 romanian 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 romanian 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 romanian 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 romanian deadlift

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

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the barbell romanian 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 your E1RM progress →
Novice → Intermediate Structured Progression
  • Add a hinge variation (deficit, pause, or tempo) to address weak positions.
  • Program the barbell romanian 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 romanian deadlift in competition or mock-meet conditions.
View RPE-to-percentage chart →

How to Perform barbell romanian deadlift

["Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing forward.","Hold the barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.","Bend at the hips, keeping your back straight and your knees slightly bent.","Lower the barbell towards the ground, keeping it close to your body.","Feel the stretch in your hamstrings as you lower the barbell.","Once you feel a stretch in your hamstrings, push your hips forward and stand up straight.","Squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement.","Lower the barbell back down to the starting position and repeat for the desired number of repetitions."]

Read the complete barbell romanian deadlift guide on FitnessVolt →

Where Do These barbell romanian deadlift Standards Come From?

These barbell romanian deadlift standards are based on 2.5M+ verified competition results from powerlifting, weightlifting, and strongman federations worldwide. Every number comes from a sanctioned meet with certified judges - not self-reported gym lifts. Data is sourced from OpenPowerlifting and other verified competition databases, ensuring accuracy you can trust.

Last Updated: March 30, 2026

Reviewed by the Fitness Volt Editorial Team, certified strength training analysts.

Is Your barbell romanian deadlift Good for Your Weight?

Strength standards help you objectively measure your barbell romanian deadlift performance relative to other lifters of the same bodyweight and sex. Here is how to interpret them:

  1. Find your bodyweight in the left column of the table above.
  2. Look across the row to find which strength level your 1RM falls into.
  3. Use the age tab to see how your strength compares within your age group.
  4. Switch between Male and Female standards using the toggle - each has its own dataset.

If you do not know your 1RM, use the E1RM Calculator to estimate it from any rep set. For example, if you can barbell romanian deadlift 185 lbs for 5 reps, the calculator will estimate your max.

These standards are derived from 2.5M+ competition results across powerlifting, weightlifting, and strongman federations worldwide, combined with community training data.

Frequently Asked Questions

A "good" barbell romanian deadlift depends on your bodyweight, sex, and training experience. As a general benchmark, an Intermediate-level lift (stronger than 50% of lifters) is a solid goal for most recreational athletes. Check the table above for your specific bodyweight.
Most lifters can reach Intermediate level on the barbell romanian deadlift within 1-2 years of consistent training with progressive overload and proper nutrition. Genetics, training program quality, and recovery all play a role.
Yes. Our standards are calculated from 2.5M+ verified competition results and community-reported data. They are adjusted for bodyweight and age to give you an accurate comparison.
These standards are based on raw (unequipped) lifts. If you use supportive equipment like a bench shirt or squat suit, your equipped numbers will be higher than these standards reflect.

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Related Calculators

E1RM Calculator Estimate your one-rep max from any rep set Benchmarks Compare against competition data RPE Chart Training load percentages by RPE