What is a good deadlift for your body weight?

Deadlift Standards Table by Body Weight

These are the widely published one-rep-max deadlift standards (in lb) for men, stratified by body weight, based on the Strength Level (strengthlevel.com) database of millions of logged lifts. Classification describes training age: beginner is roughly the first month, novice runs 0-6 months, intermediate spans 1-2 years, advanced runs 3-5 years, and elite represents 6+ years.

Female deadlift standards run about 60-70% of male values at the same body weight, per the same source:

What Your Deadlift Tier Means

Your classification is the highest tier your one-rep max reaches at your body weight. Published standards (Strength Level, ExRx.net) define beginner as roughly the first month of practice, novice as 0-6 months of consistent training, intermediate as 1-2 years, advanced as 3-5 years, and elite as 6+ years of dedicated training.

• Beginner: Below the novice threshold. Most untrained people land here, and that is a completely normal starting point.
• Novice: Below intermediate but strong enough to classify. Typical of the first several months of training.
• Intermediate: Roughly 1.75× body weight for males. The 40-60th percentile range for active gym-goers.
• Advanced: About 2.5× body weight. Top ~15% of gym lifters; requires years of periodized training.
• Elite: 3×+ body weight. Near the top of non-competitive lifters and competitive in local powerlifting meets.

Because the deadlift responds to training faster than the squat, lifters often climb a tier within their first year. Use the classification to set the next block of programming rather than as a fixed label.

Why the Deadlift Standard Is the Highest of the Big Three

The deadlift naturally yields higher bodyweight multiples than the squat or bench press because it engages the entire posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes, spinal erectors, and traps) plus the grip simultaneously. A male lifter's intermediate deadlift is roughly 1.75× body weight versus about 1.5× for the squat and about 1.0× for the bench press. The bar also starts on the floor, so unlike the squat there is no eccentric phase to reverse: you begin from a dead stop, which actually reduces the range of motion you must accelerate through.

The trade-off is that the deadlift is the most technically demanding of the big three. A poorly set back is both weaker and more dangerous, which is why setup and bracing dominate beginner coaching recommendations. When your spine position collapses, you lose the stiffness that lets the posterior chain transmit force, and you load the lumbar discs in flexion. Get the setup right and the standard reflects what your whole body can do; get it wrong and the number tells you nothing.

Sumo vs Conventional in the Standards Table

Published standards do not separate sumo and conventional stances: the numbers above apply to either. That is not a simplification, it is an empirical fact. Escamilla et al. (2000), the largest three-dimensional biomechanical study of the two stances, found sumo and conventional pulls produced near-identical peak loads in experienced powerlifters. The difference for a given lifter is a few percent, far smaller than the difference between lifters of different training ages. Coaching consensus (Rippetoe & Kilgore) agrees: both stances move a barbell from floor to lockout, and neither is universally stronger.

The practical reading: pick the stance you pull most, train it consistently, and judge your number against the same table either way. For the full mechanical breakdown, see our sumo vs conventional deadlift guide.

Grip Notes: Straps vs Hook Grip vs Mixed

Your grip can cap a deadlift before your back and legs reach their limit. Three options exist for heavy pulling, and each changes the number you can log. The double overhand grip is the strictest and most honest test, but it fails first: most lifters find their overhand grip gives out between 70-90% of their true deadlift. The mixed grip (one hand supinated, one pronated) adds roughly 10-20% to the overhand number because it locks the bar against the rotation of the forearms. The hook grip (thumb wrapped under the bar, fingers over the thumb) approaches mixed-grip strength without the shoulder torque that a supinated arm creates, at the cost of thumb pain early on.

Straps and hook grips have an important role, but they change what you are testing. Most published standards assume a raw grip on a standard bar, so a strapped pull is not directly comparable. Reserve straps for volume sets and train a raw grip for testing day. If grip is what holds you back, run a few months of dedicated support work: dead hangs, farmer carries, and holds. Check where you stand with our grip strength calculator.

How the Standards Were Derived

Deadlift standards are observational, drawn from large training databases rather than controlled trials. Strength Level aggregates tens of millions of logged community lifts, then publishes percentile tables stratified by body weight, sex, and age. The data is self-reported and unverified, but its size makes it the best available picture of how real lifters actually pull. ExRx.net publishes a complementary table built from the older weight-training literature, and the two agree closely at most body weights.

The strength of the deadlift as a total-body movement is well documented, and ACSM progression guidelines (2009) confirm that structured progressive overload at 60-85% of 1RM reliably moves lifters up the classification ladder over 8-12 week blocks. Because the deadlift recruits so much musculature, it is often the first of the big three lifts to reach a lifter's advanced bodyweight multiple.

What Changes Your Deadlift Number

• Body weight: More muscle mass means more force. Standards scale with body weight, so compare against your own weight class.
• Sex: Women deadlift roughly 60-70% of male numbers at equal body weight, though the gap narrows in the lower body.
• Leverage: Long arms shorten the pulling range of motion and can add 10-20% to the same lifter's deadlift versus a shorter-armed peer.
• Grip: A failing grip caps the lift before the back and legs do. Straps can help, but dedicated grip work raises the real ceiling.
• Bar and equipment: A deadlift bar (thinner, with more whip) is easier to pull than a stiff power bar. Standards assume a standard bar.
• Lockout rules: Competition requires knees and hips locked with the bar held still. Pulling with a soft finish inflates the number.

How to Improve Your Deadlift

• Train the deadlift weekly: One heavy session (3-5 reps) plus lighter speed work builds the pattern without frying recovery.
• Build the posterior chain: Romanian deadlifts, good mornings, and back extensions strengthen the hamstrings and spinal erectors where most pullers are weakest.
• Strengthen your grip: Farmer carries and dead hangs allow your back and legs to pull as heavy as they are capable of. See our grip strength calculator.
• Perfect your setup: A tight, neutral-spine start position converts to more force than adding more back volume ever will.
• Eat and sleep: A small caloric surplus and 7-9 hours of sleep allow the muscle and connective tissue adaptations the standards reflect.

How to Test Your Deadlift 1RM Without Getting Hurt

1. Warm up with 3-4 ramp-up sets (e.g., 50%, 65%, 75%, 85% of your estimated max) so your nervous system is primed.
2. Attempt a weight you expect to fail around; rest 3-5 minutes between heavy attempts.
3. Add 5-10 lb and retry; lower 5-10 lb if you fail. Your 1RM is the heaviest weight you complete with a locked-out finish and no hitching.
4. Set the bar on a platform with plates so it starts at the right height, and never yank the bar off the floor: pull it stiff, as though you were trying to drag the floor toward you.
5. If you would rather not max out, estimate from a rep set using the Epley formula (1RM ≈ weight × (1 + reps/30)). Use our 1RM calculator.
6. Use a standard 45 lb bar, count total bar weight, and include the bar in your number.