- The median deadlift for equipped men at 120+ kg is 510 lb (231.3 kg). Beat that and you out-lift half the class.
- Top 20%: 634 lb (287.5 kg). Top 10%: 689 lb (312.5 kg). Top 1%: 805 lb (365 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 over 120 kg (265+ lb). These percentiles are computed from 116,566 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 | 330 lb | 149.7 kg | Novice |
| 10th percentile | 365 lb | 165.6 kg | Novice |
| 20th percentile | 410 lb | 186 kg | Intermediate |
| 30th percentile | 445 lb | 201.8 kg | Intermediate |
| 40th percentile | 480 lb | 217.5 kg | Intermediate |
| 50th percentile | 510 lb | 231.3 kg | Advanced |
| 60th percentile | 550 lb | 249.5 kg | Advanced |
| 70th percentile | 590 lb | 267.6 kg | Advanced |
| 80th percentile | 634 lb | 287.5 kg | Elite |
| 85th percentile | 661 lb | 300 kg | Elite |
| 90th percentile | 689 lb | 312.5 kg | Elite |
| 95th percentile | 728 lb | 330 kg | World Class |
| 97.5th percentile | 761 lb | 345 kg | World Class |
| 99th percentile | 805 lb | 365 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 510 lb (231.3 kg). Anything above that beats half of all equipped men who have competed at 120+ kg. 634 lb (287.5 kg) puts you in the top 20%, and 728 lb (330 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 689 lb (312.5 kg) for equipped men at 120+ kg. The top 1% of the class has lifted 805 lb (365 kg) or more.
Where does this data come from?
Every number on this page is computed from 116,566 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.