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cable deadlift strength standards

What is a good cable deadlift?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate cable deadlift is about 187 lb (1.04x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 237 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

Good target 187 lb Intermediate at 180 lb
Next tier 237 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 cable deadlift

A solid (Intermediate) cable deadlift for a 180 lb male is about 187 lb (1.04x bodyweight). Use the calculator below to convert your own cable deadlift into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 237 lb (1.32x bodyweight).

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

cable deadlift demonstration
Estimated Standards

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

Primary Muscles glutes
Equipment cable
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 cable deadlift?

Intermediate (competition scale)
Typical FVCP: 50th percentile
A 180 lb male lifting 187 lbs (1.04x bodyweight) on the cable 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.

Help improve accuracy for everyone
Share your FVCP with friends
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to track your progress over time.

Reader Data Is Still Building

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

187 lb Typical 1RM (Intermediate)
1.04x 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 cable 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 53 79 112 151 194
120 61 89 124 165 209
130 69 98 135 178 224
140 77 108 146 190 238
150 85 117 157 202 251
160 92 126 167 214 265
170 100 135 177 226 277
180 107 144 187 237 289
190 114 151 196 247 300
200 121 160 205 257 312
210 128 167 214 267 323
220 135 175 223 277 333
230 141 183 231 286 343
240 147 190 239 295 353
250 154 197 248 304 363
260 160 204 255 312 372
270 166 211 263 321 382
280 172 217 270 329 391
290 178 224 277 337 399
300 183 230 284 345 408
310 189 237 292 353 416

Is Your cable deadlift Good?

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

Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) cable deadlift is about 187 lb (1.04x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 237 lb (1.32x), and Elite is 289 lb (1.61x).

Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) cable deadlift is about 104 lb (0.74x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 141 lb (1.01x), and Elite is 182 lb (1.3x).

How Much Should You Be Able to cable deadlift?

Men: a 180 lb male should lift about 187 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 107 lb).

Women: a 140 lb female should lift about 104 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 47 lb).

By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter lifts about 157 lb, and a 220 lb lifter lifts about 223 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 185 lb, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 164 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 cable deadlift Strength?

How cable 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 81 115 157 206 259
20 93 132 180 236 296
25 95 135 185 242 304
30 95 135 185 242 304
35 95 135 185 242 304
40 95 135 185 242 304
45 90 128 175 229 288
50 85 120 164 216 271
55 78 111 152 199 250
60 72 102 139 182 228
65 65 92 125 164 206
70 58 83 113 147 185
75 52 74 101 132 166
80 46 66 90 118 148
85 42 59 81 106 133
90 37 53 73 95 119

What Do cable deadlift Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

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

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

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the cable 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 cable 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 cable deadlift in competition or mock-meet conditions.
View RPE-to-percentage chart →

How to Perform cable deadlift

["Stand facing the cable machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.","Bend at the hips and knees, lowering your torso until your back is parallel to the ground.","Grasp the cable handles with an overhand grip, keeping your arms straight and your shoulders back.","Engage your glutes and hamstrings to lift the cable handles, extending your hips and standing up straight.","Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the cable handles back down to the starting position.","Repeat for the desired number of repetitions."]

Read the complete cable deadlift guide on FitnessVolt →

Where Do These cable 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 cable deadlift Good for Your Weight?

Use this page to compare your cable 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 cable 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" cable 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 cable 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.