- A 2x bodyweight deadlift is a solid milestone that most dedicated lifters can reach. A 2.5x bodyweight pull is genuinely strong.
- Deadlift is typically the largest single lift in a powerlifting total, contributing roughly 35-40% for most raw lifters.
- "Good" depends on your bodyweight, training age, and goals. Use the rankings calculator with your actual numbers.
Deadlift Standards by Bodyweight
These are approximate benchmarks based on competition data from OpenPowerlifting. They represent raw male lifters pulling conventional or sumo (both count equally in competition). Female standards run roughly 60-70% of male numbers at equivalent bodyweights.
| Bodyweight | Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 132 lbs / 60 kg | 185 lbs | 315 lbs | 425 lbs | 520 lbs |
| 165 lbs / 75 kg | 225 lbs | 385 lbs | 500 lbs | 610 lbs |
| 181 lbs / 82 kg | 245 lbs | 405 lbs | 535 lbs | 650 lbs |
| 198 lbs / 90 kg | 265 lbs | 430 lbs | 565 lbs | 685 lbs |
| 220 lbs / 100 kg | 285 lbs | 455 lbs | 600 lbs | 730 lbs |
| 242 lbs / 110 kg | 300 lbs | 475 lbs | 625 lbs | 765 lbs |
"Beginner" means within your first year of consistent training. "Intermediate" is 1-3 years. "Advanced" is 3-5+ years of structured programming. "Elite" is nationally competitive, roughly the top 5-10% of competition lifters.
Conventional vs Sumo
Both stances are legal in every major powerlifting federation and neither is inherently "better." Conventional tends to favor lifters with longer arms and shorter torsos. Sumo tends to favor lifters with wider hips, longer torsos, and shorter arms. Most lifters should try both and stick with whichever lets them move more weight safely. Your stance choice doesn't affect where you rank, since competition results don't separate the two.
How to Actually Know Where You Stand
Tables like the one above are rough guides. Your actual standing depends on your exact bodyweight, age, and what you're comparing against. The most accurate way to know is to enter your squat, bench, and deadlift into the rankings calculator, which compares your total against every competition result on record in your weight class.
How to Improve Your Deadlift
Deadlift responds best to moderate frequency and high intent. Most intermediate lifters do well pulling heavy once per week with a lighter variation (deficit pulls, paused deadlifts, or block pulls) on a second day. Common weak points and their fixes: if you're slow off the floor, add deficit deadlifts and front squats to strengthen your starting position. If you lose it at the knees, block pulls and heavy rows will build the lockout. If grip is the limiter, add holds at the top of your last warm-up set and train double-overhand as long as possible before switching grip. Read the full accessory selection guide for more.