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Deadlift vs Bent Over Row

Strength Standards Comparison

How does your Deadlift compare to your Bent Over Row? See side-by-side strength standards from Beginner to Elite.

Quick Answer: The average intermediate lifter's Deadlift is approximately 176% of their Bent Over Row, based on FitnessVolt intermediate strength standards (anchored to 2.5M+ verified competition results for the base lifts).

What Is the Ratio Between These Lifts?

The average intermediate lifter's Deadlift is 176% of their Bent Over Row. This ratio is calculated from intermediate-level standards across all bodyweight categories.

Standards from the FitnessVolt strength standards model, anchored to 2.5M+ verified competition results (OpenPowerlifting) for the base lifts.

When Should You Use Each Exercise?

Deadlift

  • Primary muscles: Glutes, Hamstrings, Lower Back, Trapezius, Quadriceps, Forearms, Calves
  • Equipment: Barbell, Weight Plates
  • Type: Compound
  • Difficulty: Advanced

Bent Over Row

  • Primary muscles: Shoulders (Deltoids), Biceps, Back
  • Equipment: Barbell
  • Type: Compound
  • Difficulty: Intermediate

How Should You Interpret This Comparison?

The ratio between your Deadlift and Bent Over Row reveals important information about your training balance. A ratio significantly above the average suggests relative strength in your Deadlift, while a lower ratio may indicate it is a relative weakness worth addressing in your programming.

Use these standards to identify imbalances, then target weak points with the Backoff Calculator for accessory volume or the Block Planner for structured periodization.

All standards are based on the FitnessVolt Competition Percentile (FVCP), derived from 2.5M+ verified competition results. Learn more about our methodology.

Deadlift vs Bent Over Row: 1RM at Each Level

Expected 1RM for a male lifter at 180 lb bodyweight, from Beginner to Elite.

Deadlift Standards

BW Beg Nov Int Adv 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
90 54 90 139 198 264
100 61 99 150 211 279
110 67 108 161 224 294
120 74 116 171 235 307
130 80 124 180 246 319
140 86 131 189 257 331
150 92 138 197 267 343
160 97 145 205 276 353
170 103 152 213 285 363
180 108 158 221 294 373
190 113 164 228 302 382
200 118 170 235 310 391
210 123 176 241 317 400
220 127 181 248 325 408
230 132 186 254 332 416
240 136 192 260 339 424
250 140 197 266 345 431
260 144 201 272 352 438

Bent Over Row Standards

BW Beg Nov Int Adv Elite
110 46 74 111 156 206
120 54 85 124 171 223
130 62 95 137 186 240
140 70 105 148 200 255
150 78 115 160 213 271
160 86 124 171 226 285
170 94 134 182 238 299
180 102 143 193 251 313
190 109 152 203 262 326
200 117 160 213 274 338
210 124 169 223 285 351
220 131 177 232 295 362
230 138 185 242 306 374
240 145 193 251 316 385
250 152 201 259 326 396
260 158 208 268 335 407
270 165 216 276 345 417
280 171 223 285 354 427
290 177 230 293 363 437
300 183 237 301 372 447
310 189 244 308 380 456
90 23 42 70 104 143
100 25 46 74 109 149
110 28 49 79 115 155
120 30 52 82 119 161
130 32 55 86 124 166
140 34 58 90 128 171
150 36 61 93 132 175
160 38 63 96 136 180
170 40 66 99 139 184
180 42 68 102 143 188
190 44 70 105 146 192
200 46 73 108 149 195
210 47 75 110 152 199
220 49 77 113 155 202
230 51 79 115 158 205
240 52 81 117 161 208
250 54 83 120 163 211
260 55 84 122 166 214

How Does Muscle Targeting Compare?

Deadlift

Primary Muscles Glutes, Hamstrings, Lower Back, Trapezius, Quadriceps, Forearms, Calves
Secondary Muscles Forearms, Calves, Quadriceps
Equipment Barbell, Weight Plates

Bent Over Row

Primary Muscles Shoulders (Deltoids), Biceps, Back
Secondary Muscles Biceps
Equipment Barbell

Where Can You View Full Standards?

Deadlift vs Bent Over Row: How Do They Compare?

The Deadlift and Bent Over Row are both popular exercises, but they target different muscles and have different strength expectations. This page compares their strength standards side by side so you can see exactly how your lifts stack up.

The tables above show 1RM strength standards by bodyweight for both exercises, from Beginner to Elite, using the FitnessVolt strength standards model. Use the Male/Female toggle to switch between gender-specific data. For the big three (squat, bench press, deadlift) we also publish verified competition percentiles from 2.5M+ powerlifting meet results, always shown separately.

Want to check your own levels? Visit the individual exercise pages for Deadlift or Bent Over Row to use the interactive strength calculator and find your exact percentile.

Frequently Asked Questions

Based on competition data, the average intermediate lifter's Deadlift is approximately 176% of their Bent Over Row. Ratios vary by bodyweight and training experience.
No. Different exercises involve different muscle groups and leverage advantages. The ratio between lifts varies by anatomy, training history, and movement patterns.
Difficulty depends on your individual strengths and training history. Compare the standards tables above at your bodyweight to see which exercise you are relatively stronger at. The exercise where your 1RM falls into a higher tier is the one you are more advanced in.
If both exercises target muscles you want to develop, incorporating both into your program can provide complementary training stimulus. Check the muscle targeting comparison above to see how they differ.
Increase training frequency for the weaker lift to 2-3x per week, add targeted accessory work, and use RPE-based programming to manage fatigue. Our Block Planner can help structure a program.
Standards are derived from 2.5M+ verified competition results and community-reported training data. They are broken down by bodyweight and gender to give you an accurate comparison. Learn about our methodology.

What Other Exercises Can You Compare?

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.