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smith deadlift strength standards

What is a good smith deadlift?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate smith deadlift is about 306 lb (1.7x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 387 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

Good target 306 lb Intermediate at 180 lb
Next tier 387 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 smith deadlift

A solid (Intermediate) smith deadlift for a 180 lb male is about 306 lb (1.7x bodyweight). Use the calculator below to convert your own smith deadlift into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 387 lb (2.15x bodyweight).

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

smith deadlift demonstration
Estimated Standards

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

Primary Muscles glutes
Equipment smith-machine
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 smith deadlift?

Intermediate (competition scale)
Typical FVCP: 50th percentile
A 180 lb male lifting 306 lbs (1.7x bodyweight) on the smith 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 smith deadlift entries yet to publish a stable crowd benchmark. Until then, this panel shows the Intermediate standards baseline only:

306 lb Typical 1RM (Intermediate)
1.7x 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 smith 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 86 130 184 248 317
120 100 146 203 270 342
130 113 161 221 291 366
140 126 177 239 311 390
150 139 192 257 331 411
160 151 206 274 350 433
170 163 221 290 369 453
180 176 235 306 387 473
190 187 248 321 404 491
200 198 261 336 420 510
210 210 274 350 437 528
220 221 286 365 453 545
230 231 299 378 468 562
240 241 311 392 482 578
250 252 322 405 497 594
260 262 333 418 511 609
270 272 345 430 525 625
280 282 356 442 538 639
290 291 366 454 552 653
300 300 376 465 564 667
310 310 387 477 577 680

Is Your smith deadlift Good?

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

Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) smith deadlift is about 306 lb (1.7x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 387 lb (2.15x), and Elite is 473 lb (2.63x).

Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) smith deadlift is about 170 lb (1.21x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 231 lb (1.65x), and Elite is 298 lb (2.13x).

How Much Should You Be Able to smith deadlift?

Men: a 180 lb male should lift about 306 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 176 lb).

Women: a 140 lb female should lift about 170 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 77 lb).

By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter lifts about 257 lb, and a 220 lb lifter lifts about 365 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 302 lb, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 269 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 smith deadlift Strength?

How smith 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
15 132 188 257 338 423
20 152 216 294 386 484
25 156 221 302 396 497
30 156 221 302 396 497
35 156 221 302 396 497
40 156 221 302 396 497
45 148 210 287 375 472
50 139 197 269 353 443
55 128 182 249 326 410
60 117 167 227 298 374
65 106 150 205 269 338
70 95 135 185 241 302
75 85 121 165 216 271
80 76 108 148 193 242
85 68 96 132 173 217
90 61 87 119 156 195

What Do smith deadlift Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

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

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

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

How to Perform smith deadlift

["Set up the smith machine with the bar at hip height.","Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing slightly outward.","Bend at the hips and knees, keeping your back straight and chest up, and grip the bar with an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.","Engage your core and lift the bar by extending your hips and knees, keeping the bar close to your body.","Stand up straight, fully extending your hips and knees.","Lower the bar back down by bending at the hips and knees, maintaining control and keeping your back straight.","Repeat for the desired number of repetitions."]

Read the complete smith deadlift guide on FitnessVolt →

Where Do These smith 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 smith deadlift Good for Your Weight?

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