- The median deadlift for raw men at 120+ kg is 560 lb (254 kg). Beat that and you out-lift half the class.
- Top 20%: 650 lb (295 kg). Top 10%: 700 lb (317.5 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 Raw Men
The 120+ kg class covers men weighing over 120 kg (265+ lb). These percentiles are computed from 92,640 raw (belt, sleeves, and wrist wraps only — no knee wraps, no supportive suits or 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 | 369 lb | 167.5 kg | Novice |
| 10th percentile | 413 lb | 187.5 kg | Novice |
| 20th percentile | 463 lb | 210 kg | Intermediate |
| 30th percentile | 502 lb | 227.5 kg | Intermediate |
| 40th percentile | 529 lb | 240 kg | Intermediate |
| 50th percentile | 560 lb | 254 kg | Advanced |
| 60th percentile | 590 lb | 267.5 kg | Advanced |
| 70th percentile | 617 lb | 280 kg | Advanced |
| 80th percentile | 650 lb | 295 kg | Elite |
| 85th percentile | 667 lb | 302.5 kg | Elite |
| 90th percentile | 700 lb | 317.5 kg | Elite |
| 95th percentile | 728 lb | 330 kg | World Class |
| 97.5th percentile | 766 lb | 347.5 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.
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Frequently Asked
What is a good deadlift for men in the 120+ kg raw class?
The median competition deadlift in this class is 560 lb (254 kg). Anything above that beats half of all raw men who have competed at 120+ kg. 650 lb (295 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 700 lb (317.5 kg) for raw 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 92,640 competition results in the OpenPowerlifting database for raw 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.