Skip to content

Romanian Deadlift Strength Standards

Quick Answer Romanian Deadlift

A 180 lb male with an Intermediate-level Romanian Deadlift of 274 lbs ranks at the 50th percentile (FVCP), stronger than ~50% of lifters. An Advanced lifter at this weight lifts 360 lbs (2x bodyweight).

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

Romanian Deadlift demonstration
Competition-Verified

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

Primary Muscles Glutes, Hamstrings, Lower Back
Equipment Barbell
Data Points 71 rows
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Compound

How Strong Is Your Romanian Deadlift?

Your FVCP:
FitnessVolt Competition Percentile, based on 2.5M+ verified results
th percentile
Help improve accuracy for everyone
Share your FVCP with friends
Thanks for contributing! lifters have shared their data for this exercise.
to track your progress over time.

How Much Should You 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 62 104 160 227 303
120 73 119 178 249 328
130 85 133 195 269 351
140 96 147 212 289 373
150 107 160 228 308 395
160 118 173 244 326 415
170 128 186 259 343 435
180 139 199 274 360 454
190 149 211 288 377 472
200 159 223 302 393 490
210 169 235 315 408 507
220 178 246 329 423 524
230 188 257 341 438 540
240 197 268 354 452 556
250 207 279 366 466 572
260 216 289 378 479 586
270 224 300 390 492 601
280 233 310 401 505 615
290 242 319 413 518 629
300 250 329 424 530 643
310 258 339 434 542 656

How Does Age Affect Romanian Deadlift Strength?

How Romanian Deadlift standards change across different age groups. Values represent a 1RM in lbs.

Age Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
15 103 157 226 307 396
20 118 180 259 352 454
25 121 185 266 361 466
30 121 185 266 361 466
35 121 185 266 361 466
40 121 185 266 361 466
45 115 175 252 342 442
50 108 165 236 321 414
55 100 152 219 297 383
60 91 139 200 271 350
65 82 126 180 245 316
70 74 113 162 220 284
75 66 101 145 197 254
80 59 90 129 176 227
85 53 81 116 158 203
90 48 73 105 142 183

What Do Romanian Deadlift Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

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

Tier-specific training recommendations to move your Romanian Deadlift to the next level.

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

How to Perform Romanian Deadlift

  1. Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding a barbell with an overhand grip in front of your thighs.
  2. Keep your knees slightly bent and hinge at the hips, pushing your butt back as you lower the barbell along the front of your legs.
  3. Lower the barbell until you feel a strong stretch in your hamstrings, keeping your back flat and core engaged.
  4. Reverse the movement by driving your hips forward and standing up straight, bringing the barbell back to the starting position.
  5. Maintain control throughout the exercise and avoid rounding your back.

Read the complete Romanian Deadlift guide on FitnessVolt →

Tips for Romanian Deadlift

  • Keep the barbell close to your body to maintain balance and reduce strain on your lower back.
  • Engage your core to protect your spine and ensure proper form.
  • Avoid locking out your knees; keep them slightly bent throughout the movement.
  • Focus on the hip hinge rather than bending at the waist.

Where Do These Romanian Deadlift Standards Come From?

These 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 Romanian Deadlift Good for Your Weight?

Strength standards help you objectively measure your 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 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" 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 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.

Related Exercise Standards

Compare Romanian Deadlift

See how Romanian Deadlift standards compare side by side with other exercises.

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