Deadlift standards by bodyweight (lb, one rep max)
| Bodyweight | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 120 | 135 | 205 | 275 | 340 | 410 |
| 135 | 150 | 220 | 295 | 370 | 445 |
| 150 | 160 | 235 | 315 | 395 | 475 |
| 165 | 170 | 255 | 335 | 420 | 505 |
| 180 | 180 | 270 | 360 | 445 | 535 |
| 200 | 190 | 290 | 385 | 480 | 575 |
| 220 | 205 | 305 | 410 | 510 | 615 |
| 240 | 215 | 325 | 435 | 540 | 650 |
| 275 | 235 | 355 | 475 | 595 | 710 |
| 310 | 255 | 385 | 515 | 640 | 770 |
What the levels mean
- Beginner: Can perform the lift with correct form; a few weeks of training.
- Novice: Several months of consistent training.
- Intermediate: One to two years of structured training.
- Advanced: Multiple years of dedicated training; competitive at local meets.
- Elite: Top few percent of drug-tested competitive lifters.
FitForge standards are bodyweight multiples at a reference bodyweight (80 kg for men, 60 kg for women), scaled by bodyweight to the power of two-thirds. That scaling reflects a well-established finding in strength research: strength rises with muscle cross-sectional area, which grows slower than bodyweight. It is why a 60 kg lifter benching 1.5× bodyweight and a 110 kg lifter benching 1.25× can be equally strong for their size. The multiples are rounded benchmarks in line with common coaching standards, not percentiles from a database.
The deadlift usually carries the heaviest numbers. Conventional and sumo pulls are both counted here, as they are in powerlifting. Compare every lift on the strength standards calculator.