What’s A Good Deadlift Weight? Average Deadlift By Age, Sex + Level

The deadlift is one of the three basic powerlifting exercises and arguably the best strength training exercise for the posterior chain muscles.

But, most athletes want to know: “How much should I be able to deadlift?” 

In other words, what are the deadlift standards by age and weight? What is the deadlift record for women and men? What is the average deadlift by age? What is a “good deadlift weight” for men and women?

In this guide to deadlift standards, we will look at the average deadlift weight by sex, age, body weight, and training level so that you can get an idea of what a good deadlift weight is for you.

We will look at: 

  • What Is the Deadlift World Record?
  • What’s A Good Deadlift Weight?
  • How Much Should I Deadlift?

Let’s get started!

People doing deadlifts.

What Is the Deadlift World Record?

Before we look at deadlift norms, let’s look at the deadlift world records.

Interestingly, there are different deadlift records based on the type of deadlift world record or competition (raw deadlift record, deadlift record with a weightlifting belt, StrongMan deadlift record, etc.).

The unassisted or raw deadlift world record for men was set on March 26, 2022, at the USPA Virginia Beach Classic 2, where Danny Grigsby set the deadlift record of 465 kilograms (1,025.2 pounds) in the 125-kilogram weight class.

This means he deadlifted nearly four times his body weight!

The deadlift world record for women for the raw deadlift without a belt was set in July 2022 at the World Raw Powerlifting Federation American Pro.

There, the women’s deadlift max was set by Tamara Walcott, who deadlifted a record 290 kilograms (639.4 pounds).

Competing in the 140-kg weight class means that the women’s deadlift world record represents deadlifting 2x bodyweight (and then some).

A deadlift.

What’s A Good Deadlift Weight?

There are various websites that report different deadlifting standards, such as deadlifting standards for powerlifters and competitive weightlifters.

While these deadlift weight standards are good for advanced strength athletes, if you fall under more of the recreational weightlifter category, you might wonder: “How much should men be able to deadlift?” or: “How much should women be able to deadlift?”

Understanding that there is a difference between competitive powerlifters and Olympic weightlifters and everyday men and women deadlifting in the gym.

Strength Level reports average deadlift weight for men and women by age and body weight based on fitness level by aggregating data from their community members through 16,996,114 lifts.

Based on this data, here are the average deadlift standards for men by age:

Age BeginnerNoviceIntermediateAdvancedElite
YearsLbsKgLbsKgLbsKgLbsKgLbsKg
151476720995286130375170470214
2016977240109327149429195538245
2517379246112336153440200552251
3017379246112336153440200552251
3517379246112336153440200552251
4017379246112336153440200552251
4516475233106319145417190524238
5015470219100299136392178492224
551426520292277126362165455207
601305918584252115331150415189
651185416776228104299136375170
70105481506820593268122336153
7594431346118383240109301137
808438120551647521497269122
857635107491476719287241110
9068319744132601737921799
A deadlift.

The deadlifting bodyweight average for men by body weight is also available.

The following table shows the average deadlift weight by body weight in pounds and kilograms for each level of athlete.

Find your body weight in pounds or kilograms on the left, and then you can see the average deadlift standards in pounds or kilograms for each strength training level in the columns to the right of your body weight.

Body WeightBeginnerNoviceIntermediateAdvancedElite
LbsKgLbsKgLbsKgLbsKgLbsKgLbsKg
1105096441446520493275125352160
120551115016274225102300136380173
130591265717981246112323147407185
140641406419790266121346157433197
150681547021397286130368167457208
1607316876229104304138389177481219
1707718182245111322146410186503229
1808219589261119340155430195525239
1908620895275125357162449204546248
20091220100290132373170467212567258
21095233106304138389177485220587267
220100245111318145405184503229606275
230105257117332151420191520236624284
240109268122345157435198536244642292
250114280127358163450205552251660300
260118291132370168464211568258677308
270123302137383174478217583265694315
280127313142395180491223598272710323
290132323147407185504229613279726330
300136333151418190517235627285741337
310141344156430195530241641291756344
A deadlift.

So, how do you interpret this data?

If you ask the question, “How much should I be able to deadlift?” you should look at your training level and then see the average deadlift by age and the average deadlift weight by body weight for those in your same training level and see how you compare.

A “good deadlift weight“ would be deadlifting a weight that is at or above the deadlift norm or deadlift standard for your age or body weight and training level.

According to the training levels given on Strength Level for deadlifting standards:

  • Beginners have just started weightlifting.
  • Novice weightlifters usually have less than six months of training. 
  • Intermediate lifters have been training for six months to 1-2 years.
  • Advanced lifters have been lifting weights for more than two years.

The other way to look at these deadlift standards charts is to look at how much you can deadlift and then see where it falls in the training levels.

A deadlift.

If you are below the deadlift weight standard based on your training level and age or weight, your strength is below average, and if you can deadlift more than the average deadlift for men of your age or weight, you can deadlift more than the average male in your peer group. 

One important caveat to bear in mind when looking at these average deadlift weights is that the deadlift weight was self-reported by users on a website. 

That said, with nearly 17 million logged lifts, the average deadlift weights here are certainly crowdsourced from a very large pool of data.

How Much Should Men Be Able to Deadlift?

The following chart shows the average deadlift in pounds, kilograms, and body weight for men using Strength Level data:

Strength LevelWeight (kg)Weight (pounds)Bodyweight Ratio
Beginner78 kg173 lb1.00x
Novice112 kg246 lb1.50x
Intermediate152 kg336 lb2.00x
Advanced200 kg440 lb2.50x
Elite250 kg552 lb3.00x
A deadlift.

Based on these deadlifting standards from Strength Level, when all of the deadlifting data is aggregated, the average deadlift weight for men is 152 kg or 336 pounds at the intermediate level, which represents deadlifting two times your body weight.

Thus, men who are deadlifting bodyweight loads with their deadlift 1RM are considered to be at the average beginner deadlift load.

If we are trying to look at the average deadlift weight for men overall, we can look at the deadlift standards and the body weight standards.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the average body weight for an adult male in the United States is 199.8 pounds.

For men, deadlifting body weight is the average load for beginners, so a good beginner deadlift weight for the typical man would be at or above 200 pounds. 

For intermediate lifters, a good deadlift weight for the average man would jump up to 373 pounds, while a good deadlifting weight for advanced men would be 467 pounds, or at least 2.5 times body weight.

A deadlift grip.

How Much Should Women Be Able to Deadlift?

We have similar deadlifting standards for women that we compiled based on the data from Strength Level.

This table shows the average deadlift weight for women by age, presented in pounds and kilograms based on training level:

Age BeginnerNoviceIntermediateAdvancedElite
YearsLbsKgLbsKgLbsKgLbsKgLbsKg
1572331125116475226103294134
2082371285818885258117337153
2584381326019388265120345157
3084381326019388265120345157
3584381326019388265120345157
4084381326019388265120345157
4580361255718383252115328149
5075341175317178236107308140
556931108491597221899284129
60632999451456619990260118
65572689401316018082235107
7051238036117531627421095
7546217233105481456618885
804119642994431295916876
853717572684381165315169
903315522476351044713662
What's A Good Deadlift Weight? Average Deadlift By Age, Sex + Level 1

The table below shows the average deadlift for women by body weight. 

Here again, you can find the deadlift standards by body weight in pounds and kilograms based on training level:

Body WeightBeginnerNoviceIntermediateAdvancedElite
LbsKgLbsKgLbsKgLbsKgLbsKgLbsKg
9041542590411396319890264120
10045612899451506821196279127
1105067301084916173224102294134
1205574341165317178235107307140
1305980361245618082246112319145
1406486391316018986257117331150
1506892421386319790267121343156
1607397441456620593276125353160
17077103471526921397285130363165
180821084915872221100294134373170
190861135116475228104302137382174
200911185417077235107310141391178
210951235617680241110317144400182
2201001275818182248113325148408185
2301051326018685254115332151416189
2401091366219287260118339154424193
2501141406419790266121345157431196
2601181446520191272124352160438199
A deadlift.

Finally, you can see the overall deadlift averages for women when all of the female deadlift standards are aggregated in the table below.

Strength LevelWeight (kg)Weight (pounds)Bodyweight Ratio
Beginner38 kg84 lb0.50x
Novice60 kg132 lb1.00x
Intermediate87 kg193 lb1.25x
Advanced120 kg265 lb1.75x
Elite157 kg345 lb2.50x

The average deadlift weight for all women at the beginner level is 84 pounds for 38 kg, or deadlifting half your body weight.

For intermediate-level lifters, the average female deadlift weight is 193 pounds or 87 kg, which equates to deadlifting body weight times 1.25.

As with the average weight for deadlifting for men, we can determine a good deadlift for women using these deadlift norms for females along with the average body weight for adult women.

According to the CDC, the average body weight for an adult female in the United States is 170.8 pounds.

Therefore, a good deadlift weight for women who are just starting out is 108 pounds. A good deadlift weight for women at the intermediate level is 221 pounds.

Again, keep in mind that these standards for deadlifting averages are based on the average American woman in terms of body weight. 

You can find out how much weight you should be able to deadlift based on your actual body weight using the tables provided earlier.

A deadlift.

How Much Should I Deadlift?

Regardless of whatever deadlifting standards are provided above, or common goals like deadlifting body weight or deadlifting two times body weight, it is essential to distinguish that the answer to the question: “How much should I deadlift?” is often distinctly different than: “How much should I be able to deadlift?”

When you are considering the question: “How much should you be able to deadlift,” you can use the above tables of deadlifting standards to see what is a good deadlift weight for your age, the average deadlift weight by sex, and the deadlift standards based on body weight.

From there, you can use your level of training to find the right column that shows how much you should be able to deadlift based on your training level, age, sex, and body weight, as described before.

However, you personally may be above or below the average deadlifting weight for your body weight, age, or sex.

Thus, the answer to the question: “How much should you deadlift?” really has nothing to do with what constitutes a good deadlift weight for men or women, a good deadlift weight for seniors, etc.

A deadlift.

Instead, you should deadlift the weight that is appropriate for you and your fitness goals, whether you are above or below the average deadlift load for lifters like you.

How much you should deadlift is also informed by your primary training goal.

If you are trying to increase strength, you will perform fewer deadlift reps in each set at a higher percentage of your one-repetition maximum, which are the deadlifting averages shown in the tables above.

Generally, you will lift at least 85% of your 1RM for 2 to 5 reps and 3 to 5 sets to increase deadlifting strength.

If your goal is to build muscle, also known as hypertrophy training, you should use lighter loads for your deadlifting weight, typically somewhere between 70 and 85% of your deadlift 1RM weight for three sets of 8-12 reps.

All that said, your strength training program should be individualized to you.

Thus, the answer to “How much should I deadlift?” is really however much you are capable of lifting with proper form and technique for the correct number of reps and sets you want to do based on your training goals.

Even if you are well below the average weight for deadlifting for women or men based on your sex and training level, you can always get stronger and better at deadlifting with consistency.

For the best exercises to strengthen your posterior chain muscles to improve your deadlift weight, check out our guide to the best posterior chain workout here.

A deadlift.
Photo of author
Amber Sayer is a Fitness, Nutrition, and Wellness Writer and Editor, as well as a NASM-Certified Nutrition Coach and UESCA-certified running, endurance nutrition, and triathlon coach. She holds two Masters Degrees—one in Exercise Science and one in Prosthetics and Orthotics. As a Certified Personal Trainer and running coach for 12 years, Amber enjoys staying active and helping others do so as well. In her free time, she likes running, cycling, cooking, and tackling any type of puzzle.

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