Is Your Deadlift Good? Average Weights by Level & Age

Quick Answer: The average deadlift is 340 lb (154 kg) for men and 200 lb (91 kg) for women at intermediate level, stronger than 50% of lifters. For untrained adults who have never deadlifted, expect around 135–155 lb (61–70 kg) for men and 75–90 lb (34–41 kg) for women. Data: Strength Level, 22 million+ logged lifts.

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Whether you want to know where you stand, set a target, or understand why your number differs from a chart, the tables below give you a clear picture. Average deadlift weight varies more than most people expect, bodyweight, age, training history, and the variation you train all shift the standard meaningfully.

Experience-level data comes directly from Strength Level’s database of 22,978,599 logged lifts (data cutoff: March 2026). Age-adjusted standards use ExRx population norms. All tables include lb and kg.

What Is the Average Deadlift Weight?

The average gym-going man deadlifts 340 lb (154 kg) for a one-rep max. The average gym-going woman deadlifts 200 lb (91 kg). Both sit at intermediate level on Strength Level’s scale — stronger than 50% of all lifters in their database.

About these numbers: Strength Level’s data comes from people who actively track workouts in fitness apps — a self-selected group who train regularly. The true baseline for an untrained adult who has never deadlifted is considerably lower (roughly 135–155 lb for men, 75–90 lb for women, based on ExRx population norms). These tables compare you to active gym-goers, not the general population.

Overall Average — Men vs Women at a Glance

Level	Percentile	Men (lb)	Men (kg)	Women (lb)	Women (kg)
Beginner	Top 95%	176	80	91	41
Novice	Top 80%	249	113	139	63
Intermediate	Top 50%	340	154	200	91
Advanced	Top 20%	445	202	273	124
Elite	Top 5%	558	253	352	160

Source: Strength Level (22,978,599 lifts, 2015–2026). Numbers reflect aggregated 1RM across all bodyweights.

Is Your Deadlift Good? Specific Numbers Answered

These are the most common questions people search. Context requires knowing your bodyweight, the by-bodyweight tables below cover every weight class. For most people at average gym-going weight (men ~180 lb, women ~140 lb), here is what each milestone means:

Is a 135 lb Deadlift Good?

For a man at 180 lb, 135 lb is below the beginner standard (201 lb), still in the early stages of learning the movement. For a woman at 140 lb, 135 lb sits between novice (139 lb) and intermediate (196 lb), a solid result. For anyone in their first month of training, 135 lb is a competent starting point to build from.

Is a 225 lb Deadlift Good?

For a man at 180 lb, 225 lb falls between beginner (201 lb) and novice (268 lb), a meaningful lift with clear room to progress. For a woman at 140 lb, 225 lb sits above the advanced standard (264 lb) and near elite, a strong result by any measure.

Is a 315 lb Deadlift Good?

For a man at 180 lb, 315 lb sits just below the intermediate standard (348 lb), placing you in the top 35–40% of tracked lifters. For a woman at 140 lb, 315 lb is above the elite standard (338 lb). Fewer than 30% of male gym-goers ever pull 315 lb with clean form, it is a genuine milestone.

Is a 405 lb Deadlift Good?

For a man at 180 lb, 405 lb falls between intermediate (348 lb) and advanced (438 lb), top 25–30% of tracked lifters. For any woman, 405 lb is elite regardless of bodyweight. Four plates from the floor is a meaningful strength achievement by any standard.

Average Deadlift by Experience Level — Men

What Each Level Means

• Beginner (top 95%): Has practiced the movement correctly for at least one month
• Novice (top 80%): Has trained the deadlift consistently for at least six months
• Intermediate (top 50%): Has trained consistently for at least two years
• Advanced (top 20%): Has progressed consistently for over five years
• Elite (top 5%): Dedicated five+ years toward competitive strength performance

Men’s Deadlift Standards by Bodyweight (lb)

Bodyweight (lb)	Beginner	Novice	Intermediate	Advanced	Elite
130	131	186	254	332	416
140	146	203	274	355	442
150	160	220	293	377	466
160	174	236	312	398	490
170	188	252	330	419	513
180	201	268	348	438	535
190	214	283	365	458	556
200	227	297	382	476	576
220	252	326	413	512	615
240	275	352	443	545	652

Men’s Deadlift Standards by Bodyweight (kg)

Bodyweight (kg)	Beginner	Novice	Intermediate	Advanced	Elite
60	59	84	115	151	189
65	66	93	126	163	203
70	73	102	137	175	217
75	80	111	148	189	233
80	87	120	159	201	247
85	94	128	169	213	260
90	100	136	179	225	273
100	112	152	198	247	298
110	124	166	216	268	321

Source: Strength Level. Kg values converted from lb at 0.453592.

Average Deadlift by Experience Level — Women

Using the same level definitions above.

Women’s Deadlift Standards by Bodyweight (lb)

Bodyweight (lb)	Beginner	Novice	Intermediate	Advanced	Elite
110	74	115	168	231	300
120	80	123	178	242	313
130	87	131	187	253	326
140	93	139	196	264	338
150	99	146	205	274	349
160	105	153	213	283	359
170	110	159	221	292	370
190	121	172	236	309	389
220	135	189	256	332	414

Women’s Deadlift Standards by Bodyweight (kg)

Bodyweight (kg)	Beginner	Novice	Intermediate	Advanced	Elite
50	34	52	76	105	136
55	37	57	83	114	147
60	41	62	90	122	158
65	44	67	96	131	168
70	47	72	102	139	178
75	50	77	108	146	187
80	53	81	113	153	195
90	59	89	123	166	211
100	64	97	133	179	226

Source: Strength Level. Kg values converted from lb at 0.453592.

Average Deadlift by Age Group

Deadlift strength peaks between ages 25–35 for most people. After 40, muscle mass decreases and recovery slows without deliberate intervention, the tables below show what this looks like in practice across each decade. Consistent strength training measurably slows this decline; these numbers are not fixed outcomes.

Data source: ExRx population norms. Numbers shown for 180 lb (82 kg) man and 140 lb (64 kg) woman. For your exact bodyweight, the full ExRx tables at exrx.net list standards at every weight class.

Men’s Average Deadlift by Age Group — at 180 lb (82 kg) bodyweight

Age Group	Untrained	Novice	Intermediate	Advanced	Elite
18–39	150 lb / 68 kg	275 lb / 125 kg	315 lb / 143 kg	440 lb / 200 kg	550 lb / 249 kg
40–49	135 lb / 61 kg	250 lb / 113 kg	285 lb / 129 kg	395 lb / 179 kg	485 lb / 220 kg
50–59	115 lb / 52 kg	220 lb / 100 kg	255 lb / 116 kg	355 lb / 161 kg	435 lb / 197 kg
60–69	85 lb / 39 kg	155 lb / 70 kg	180 lb / 82 kg	250 lb / 113 kg	315 lb / 143 kg

Women’s Average Deadlift by Age Group — at 140 lb (64 kg) bodyweight

Age Group	Untrained	Novice	Intermediate	Advanced	Elite
18–39	75 lb / 34 kg	145 lb / 66 kg	165 lb / 75 kg	230 lb / 104 kg	290 lb / 132 kg
40–49	65 lb / 29 kg	130 lb / 59 kg	150 lb / 68 kg	205 lb / 93 kg	260 lb / 118 kg
50–59	55 lb / 25 kg	115 lb / 52 kg	135 lb / 61 kg	185 lb / 84 kg	230 lb / 104 kg
60–69	45 lb / 20 kg	85 lb / 39 kg	95 lb / 43 kg	135 lb / 61 kg	170 lb / 77 kg

Source: ExRx population norms.

Deadlift Bodyweight Ratio Standards

Bodyweight ratio removes the size advantage from the comparison. Two people pulling the same absolute weight can be at very different levels if their bodyweights differ, the ratio shows where each stands relative to their own body.

Men’s Deadlift Bodyweight Ratios

Level	Bodyweight Ratio	Example: 180 lb man
Beginner	~1.1× BW	~200 lb
Novice	~1.5× BW	~270 lb
Intermediate	~1.9× BW	~340 lb
Advanced	~2.5× BW	~450 lb
Elite	~3.1× BW	~558 lb

Women’s Deadlift Bodyweight Ratios

Level	Bodyweight Ratio	Example: 140 lb woman
Beginner	~0.65× BW	~91 lb
Novice	~1.0× BW	~140 lb
Intermediate	~1.4× BW	~196 lb
Advanced	~1.9× BW	~266 lb
Elite	~2.5× BW	~350 lb

Two milestones worth noting: pulling 2× bodyweight puts a man in the advanced category — only the top 20% of tracked male lifters reach this. For women, pulling 1.5× bodyweight sits between advanced and elite, placing you in the top 10–15% of female lifters.

What Affects Your Average Deadlift?

Several factors push your number above or below these standards, none are excuses, but all are worth understanding when interpreting a chart.

Age

If you are 50 and matching the novice standard for 18–39-year-olds, you are performing above average for your age group. Use the age table as your primary benchmark, then use the experience-level table for goal-setting.

Bodyweight

Heavier lifters generally pull more absolute weight, but lighter lifters typically show better bodyweight ratios. The by-bodyweight tables above account for this directly, use your own row, not the overall average.

Sex

Men and women have different absolute strength capacities at the same bodyweight, primarily due to differences in muscle mass driven by hormonal differences. Women’s standards are set independently, not as a percentage of men’s numbers.

Body Proportions

Longer arms relative to torso length provide a mechanical advantage in the conventional deadlift — the bar travels a shorter distance to lockout. Lifters with shorter arms often find the conventional pull harder and may benefit from sumo mechanics. The full breakdown is in the sumo vs conventional deadlift guide.

Deadlift Variation

Standards above apply to conventional barbell deadlifts. The trap bar deadlift runs about 8% higher, Strength Level’s trap bar intermediate is 366 lb for men and 217 lb for women. The sumo deadlift sits close to conventional (370 lb men, 209 lb women at intermediate). Do not compare numbers across variations directly.

Training Consistency and Specificity

The experience-level definitions assume consistent, specific deadlift training. Five years of general gym attendance without deadlifting regularly will not produce intermediate deadlift numbers. The level reflects deadlift-specific training, not total time in the gym.

How to Reach the Intermediate Standard?

The intermediate standard, roughly 1.9× bodyweight for men and 1.4× for women, is achievable for most people within two to three years of consistent training. For complete beginners, a realistic 12-month target is 1.5× bodyweight for men and 1.0× for women.

Three things that move the number consistently:

• Train the deadlift specifically, at least twice per week. General gym attendance builds fitness; deadlift strength requires pulling from the floor with progressive intent on a regular schedule.
• Apply progressive overload systematically. Adding load or reps over time — as a structured plan, not randomly, is what converts sessions into measurable strength gains. The full breakdown is in the progressive overload guide.
• Track your starting point. Use a 1RM estimation method to set a baseline — it lets you identify your current level in these tables and set training weights as percentages rather than guesswork.

Frequently Asked Questions

These standards are reference benchmarks from app user data, not population-wide targets or medical recommendations. If you have existing injuries, joint conditions, or relevant health considerations, consult a physiotherapist or qualified strength coach before loading the deadlift.