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Romanian Deadlift strength standards

What is a good Romanian Deadlift?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate Romanian Deadlift is about 274 lb (1.52x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 360 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

Good target 274 lb Intermediate at 180 lb
Next tier 360 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 Romanian Deadlift

A solid (Intermediate) Romanian Deadlift for a 180 lb male is about 274 lb (1.52x bodyweight). Use the calculator below to convert your own Romanian Deadlift into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 360 lb (2x bodyweight).

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

Romanian Deadlift demonstration
Estimated Standards

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
Standards Coverage 21 bodyweights × 5 levels
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Compound

How Strong Is Your Romanian Deadlift?

Intermediate (competition scale)
Typical FVCP: 50th percentile
A 180 lb male lifting 274 lbs (1.52x bodyweight) on the 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 Romanian Deadlift entries yet to publish a stable crowd benchmark. Until then, this panel shows the Intermediate standards baseline only:

274 lb Typical 1RM (Intermediate)
1.52x 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 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 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

Is Your Romanian Deadlift Good?

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

Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) Romanian Deadlift is about 274 lb (1.52x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 360 lb (2x), and Elite is 454 lb (2.52x).

Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) Romanian Deadlift is about 146 lb (1.04x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 199 lb (1.42x), and Elite is 258 lb (1.84x).

How Much Should You Be Able to Romanian Deadlift?

Men: a 180 lb male should lift about 274 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 139 lb).

Women: a 140 lb female should lift about 146 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 65 lb).

By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter lifts about 228 lb, and a 220 lb lifter lifts about 329 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 266 lb, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 236 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 Romanian Deadlift Strength?

How 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
15 103 157 226 307 396
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 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 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?

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 Romanian Deadlift Good for Your Weight?

Use this page to compare your 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 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" 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 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

Compare Romanian Deadlift

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

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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.