- The median deadlift for equipped men at 120 kg is 518 lb (235 kg). Beat that and you out-lift half the class.
- Top 20%: 617 lb (280 kg). Top 10%: 665 lb (301.6 kg). Top 1%: 770 lb (349.3 kg).
- A 2× bodyweight deadlift is a common intermediate milestone; 2.5× is strong; 3× is competitive at the national level in most classes.
Deadlift Percentiles — 120 kg Equipped Men
The 120 kg class covers men weighing 105–120 kg (231–265 lb). These percentiles are computed from 88,755 equipped (single-ply or multi-ply suits and bench shirts) competition results in the OpenPowerlifting database. Remember that everyone in this dataset trained hard enough to enter a meet, so the 20th percentile here is already well above the average gym-goer.
| Percentile | Lbs | Kg | Band |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5th percentile | 325 lb | 147.4 kg | Novice |
| 10th percentile | 365 lb | 165.6 kg | Novice |
| 20th percentile | 410 lb | 186 kg | Intermediate |
| 30th percentile | 450 lb | 204.1 kg | Intermediate |
| 40th percentile | 485 lb | 220 kg | Intermediate |
| 50th percentile | 518 lb | 235 kg | Advanced |
| 60th percentile | 551 lb | 250 kg | Advanced |
| 70th percentile | 584 lb | 265 kg | Advanced |
| 80th percentile | 617 lb | 280 kg | Elite |
| 85th percentile | 639 lb | 290 kg | Elite |
| 90th percentile | 665 lb | 301.6 kg | Elite |
| 95th percentile | 705 lb | 320 kg | World Class |
| 97.5th percentile | 733 lb | 332.5 kg | World Class |
| 99th percentile | 770 lb | 349.3 kg | World Class |
Novice = below the 20th percentile of competitors. Intermediate = 20th–50th. Advanced = 50th–80th. Elite = 80th–95th. World Class = top 5%. Percentiles are calculated on the best deadlift from each meet entry, so a lifter with ten meets appears ten times; this weights the data toward experienced competitors.
How to Improve Your Deadlift
Deadlift tolerates less frequency than the other lifts — one heavy pull per week plus one lighter variation day is enough for most lifters. Weak off the floor means more leg drive: deficit pulls, paused deadlifts below the knee, and front squats. Weak at lockout means glutes and upper back: block pulls, Romanian deadlifts, and rows. Grip failing before the back does is common past the 400/500 lb range; switch to mixed or hook grip and train it. See the accessory selection guide and the program generator.
Compare
Other lifts, same class:
Other weight classes:
Other equipment / sex:
Frequently Asked
What is a good deadlift for men in the 120 kg equipped class?
The median competition deadlift in this class is 518 lb (235 kg). Anything above that beats half of all equipped men who have competed at 120 kg. 617 lb (280 kg) puts you in the top 20%, and 705 lb (320 kg) in the top 5%.
What deadlift do you need to be elite at 120 kg?
Using the top-10% line as the elite threshold, that is 665 lb (301.6 kg) for equipped men at 120 kg. The top 1% of the class has lifted 770 lb (349.3 kg) or more.
Where does this data come from?
Every number on this page is computed from 88,755 competition results in the OpenPowerlifting database for equipped men in the 120 kg class, and is regenerated automatically as new meets are added (last update 2026-09-02). These are lifts done in competition under referees, not gym numbers or self-reported maxes.