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barbell romanian deadlift strength standards

What is a good barbell romanian deadlift?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate barbell romanian deadlift is about 255 lb (1.42x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 323 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

Good target 255 lb Intermediate at 180 lb
Next tier 323 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 romanian deadlift

A solid (Intermediate) barbell romanian deadlift for a 180 lb male is about 255 lb (1.42x bodyweight). Use the calculator below to convert your own barbell romanian deadlift into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 323 lb (1.79x bodyweight).

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

barbell romanian deadlift demonstration
Estimated Standards

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
Standards Coverage 21 bodyweights × 5 levels
Difficulty Intermediate
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 romanian deadlift?

Intermediate (competition scale)
Typical FVCP: 50th percentile
A 180 lb male lifting 255 lbs (1.42x bodyweight) on the barbell romanian 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 romanian deadlift entries yet to publish a stable crowd benchmark. Until then, this panel shows the Intermediate standards baseline only:

255 lb Typical 1RM (Intermediate)
1.42x 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 romanian 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 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

Is Your barbell romanian deadlift Good?

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

Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) barbell romanian deadlift is about 255 lb (1.42x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 323 lb (1.79x), and Elite is 394 lb (2.19x).

Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) barbell romanian deadlift is about 142 lb (1.01x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 193 lb (1.38x), and Elite is 248 lb (1.77x).

How Much Should You Be Able to barbell romanian deadlift?

Men: a 180 lb male should lift about 255 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 146 lb).

Women: a 140 lb female should lift about 142 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 65 lb).

By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter lifts about 215 lb, and a 220 lb lifter lifts about 304 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 252 lb, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 224 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 romanian deadlift Strength?

How barbell romanian 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
15 110 157 215 281 353
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 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 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?

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 romanian deadlift Good for Your Weight?

Use this page to compare your barbell romanian 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 romanian 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 romanian 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 romanian 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.