- The median deadlift for equipped men at 74 kg is 395 lb (179.2 kg). Beat that and you out-lift half the class.
- Top 20%: 474 lb (215 kg). Top 10%: 513 lb (232.5 kg). Top 1%: 606 lb (275 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 — 74 kg Equipped Men
The 74 kg class covers men weighing 66–74 kg (146–163 lb). These percentiles are computed from 91,947 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 | 260 lb | 117.9 kg | Novice |
| 10th percentile | 285 lb | 129.3 kg | Novice |
| 20th percentile | 320 lb | 145 kg | Intermediate |
| 30th percentile | 345 lb | 156.5 kg | Intermediate |
| 40th percentile | 369 lb | 167.5 kg | Intermediate |
| 50th percentile | 395 lb | 179.2 kg | Advanced |
| 60th percentile | 415 lb | 188.2 kg | Advanced |
| 70th percentile | 441 lb | 200 kg | Advanced |
| 80th percentile | 474 lb | 215 kg | Elite |
| 85th percentile | 490 lb | 222.3 kg | Elite |
| 90th percentile | 513 lb | 232.5 kg | Elite |
| 95th percentile | 550 lb | 249.5 kg | World Class |
| 97.5th percentile | 573 lb | 260 kg | World Class |
| 99th percentile | 606 lb | 275 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.
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Frequently Asked
What is a good deadlift for men in the 74 kg equipped class?
The median competition deadlift in this class is 395 lb (179.2 kg). Anything above that beats half of all equipped men who have competed at 74 kg. 474 lb (215 kg) puts you in the top 20%, and 550 lb (249.5 kg) in the top 5%.
What deadlift do you need to be elite at 74 kg?
Using the top-10% line as the elite threshold, that is 513 lb (232.5 kg) for equipped men at 74 kg. The top 1% of the class has lifted 606 lb (275 kg) or more.
Where does this data come from?
Every number on this page is computed from 91,947 competition results in the OpenPowerlifting database for equipped men in the 74 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.