Deadlift Strength Standards (lb)
A 315 lb deadlift beats 7.5% of male competitive powerlifters and beats 69.2% of female competitive powerlifters in the OpenPowerlifting dataset.
This page shows how a deadlift ranks for men and women at every bodyweight. The numbers come from the OpenPowerlifting database, a public domain archive of sanctioned meet results, filtered to raw (unequipped) lifts and reduced to each lifter's single best deadlift so no one is counted twice.
Read it in two parts. The strength levels table uses traditional bodyweight multiples that gym lifters can aim for, from untrained through elite, while the percentile tables rank competitive powerlifters, who are stronger than the average gym-goer. Treat those percentiles as a hard grading curve rather than a snapshot of the general public.
Viewing in lb. Switch to kg
Strength levels by bodyweight
Traditional bodyweight-multiple estimates. Each cell is a bodyweight multiple applied to the row bodyweight, rounded to the nearest 5 lb.
Men (lb)
| Bodyweight (lb) | Untrained | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 120 | 120 | 150 | 180 | 240 | 300 |
| 140 | 140 | 175 | 210 | 280 | 350 |
| 150 | 150 | 190 | 225 | 300 | 375 |
| 160 | 160 | 200 | 240 | 320 | 400 |
| 170 | 170 | 215 | 255 | 340 | 425 |
| 180 | 180 | 225 | 270 | 360 | 450 |
| 200 | 200 | 250 | 300 | 400 | 500 |
| 220 | 220 | 275 | 330 | 440 | 550 |
| 240 | 240 | 300 | 360 | 480 | 600 |
Women (lb)
| Bodyweight (lb) | Untrained | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 120 | 70 | 90 | 110 | 145 | 180 |
| 140 | 85 | 105 | 125 | 170 | 210 |
| 150 | 90 | 115 | 135 | 180 | 225 |
| 160 | 95 | 120 | 145 | 190 | 240 |
| 170 | 100 | 130 | 155 | 205 | 255 |
| 180 | 110 | 135 | 160 | 215 | 270 |
| 200 | 120 | 150 | 180 | 240 | 300 |
| 220 | 130 | 165 | 200 | 265 | 330 |
| 240 | 145 | 180 | 215 | 290 | 360 |
Percentiles among competitive powerlifters (lb)
Each row is a bodyweight class from the dataset. Columns are the deadlift at the 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th, and 99th percentile within that class.
Men (lb)
| Bodyweight class | Lifters | 25th | 50th | 75th | 90th | 99th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| under 123 lb | 6,446 | 176 | 243 | 309 | 364 | 452 |
| 123-140 lb | 13,019 | 287 | 342 | 400 | 446 | 529 |
| 140-160 lb | 37,472 | 353 | 408 | 457 | 502 | 584 |
| 160-180 lb | 67,763 | 402 | 452 | 507 | 551 | 639 |
| 180-200 lb | 69,835 | 430 | 485 | 540 | 595 | 683 |
| 200-220 lb | 50,606 | 452 | 513 | 573 | 623 | 722 |
| 220-240 lb | 37,047 | 470 | 529 | 595 | 645 | 744 |
| 240-260 lb | 18,304 | 474 | 540 | 605 | 661 | 765 |
| over 260 lb | 27,460 | 485 | 557 | 628 | 700 | 810 |
Women (lb)
| Bodyweight class | Lifters | 25th | 50th | 75th | 90th | 99th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| under 123 lb | 26,757 | 198 | 237 | 276 | 314 | 375 |
| 123-140 lb | 34,554 | 231 | 270 | 314 | 350 | 419 |
| 140-160 lb | 35,100 | 250 | 287 | 331 | 369 | 443 |
| 160-180 lb | 23,484 | 265 | 305 | 347 | 391 | 472 |
| 180-200 lb | 13,094 | 270 | 310 | 353 | 402 | 491 |
| 200-220 lb | 6,100 | 270 | 314 | 358 | 402 | 475 |
| 220-240 lb | 3,962 | 276 | 320 | 364 | 408 | 491 |
| 240-260 lb | 2,359 | 276 | 325 | 369 | 414 | 507 |
| over 260 lb | 2,987 | 288 | 336 | 386 | 441 | 546 |
How rare is a big deadlift?
Percent of competitive powerlifters whose best deadlift is below each weight.
| Deadlift (lb) | Percent of men below | Percent of women below |
|---|---|---|
| 135 lb | 0.3% | 1.2% |
| 225 lb | 1.9% | 17.7% |
| 315 lb | 7.5% | 69.2% |
| 405 lb | 23.7% | 95.7% |
| 495 lb | 55.0% | 99.6% |
| 585 lb | 85.7% | 100.0% |
| 675 lb | 97.0% | 100.0% |
Methodology
These standards are computed from the public domain bulk data published by OpenPowerlifting, which aggregates results from sanctioned powerlifting meets. The data is released into the public domain, so it can be reused and republished freely.
Only raw (unequipped) lifts are included, so figures reflect lifts performed without a bench shirt, squat suit, or supportive equipment beyond a belt and sleeves. For each lifter we keep only their single best result on this lift, which prevents someone with many logged meets from counting more than once. This snapshot was generated on 2026-07-11 from 1,876,119 raw competition entries, covering 327,952 men and 148,397 women for the deadlift.
One honest caveat: everyone in this dataset chose to compete in powerlifting, and competitive powerlifters are considerably stronger than the general gym population. These percentiles therefore understate how rare a given lift is among all men or women. A lift that beats a modest share of competitors would beat a far larger share of the untrained public.
Frequently asked questions
How rare is a 405 lb deadlift?
A 405 lb deadlift beats 23.7% of male competitive powerlifters, so it sits below the median among people who compete in the sport. For a typical gym trainee, though, a four-plate pull is an advanced lift, since competitors deadlift far more than the average trainee.
How much should a 200 lb man be able to deadlift?
An intermediate 200 lb man should be able to deadlift about 1.5 times bodyweight, or roughly 300 lb. The median competitive lifter in the 200-220 lb class pulls 513 lb, but that group is far stronger than the typical gym-goer.
Is a 315 lb deadlift good?
A 315 lb deadlift beats 7.5% of male competitive powerlifters, making it a novice-level pull within that dedicated field. For a general gym-goer it is a good three-plate milestone, since most untrained men deadlift well below competition numbers.
What is a good deadlift for a woman?
A good deadlift for a woman is roughly 0.9 times bodyweight at an intermediate level, about 135 lb for a 150 lb lifter. Among competitive women the median in the 140-160 lb class deadlifts 287 lb, which reflects their dedicated training.
How rare is a 495 lb deadlift?
A 495 lb deadlift beats 55.0% of male competitive powerlifters, placing it just above the median in a strength-focused field. Among the general population it is much rarer, as a five-plate pull is beyond what most lifters ever achieve.