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!

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).

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	Beginner		Novice		Intermediate		Advanced		Elite
Years	Lbs	Kg	Lbs	Kg	Lbs	Kg	Lbs	Kg	Lbs	Kg
15	147	67	209	95	286	130	375	170	470	214
20	169	77	240	109	327	149	429	195	538	245
25	173	79	246	112	336	153	440	200	552	251
30	173	79	246	112	336	153	440	200	552	251
35	173	79	246	112	336	153	440	200	552	251
40	173	79	246	112	336	153	440	200	552	251
45	164	75	233	106	319	145	417	190	524	238
50	154	70	219	100	299	136	392	178	492	224
55	142	65	202	92	277	126	362	165	455	207
60	130	59	185	84	252	115	331	150	415	189
65	118	54	167	76	228	104	299	136	375	170
70	105	48	150	68	205	93	268	122	336	153
75	94	43	134	61	183	83	240	109	301	137
80	84	38	120	55	164	75	214	97	269	122
85	76	35	107	49	147	67	192	87	241	110
90	68	31	97	44	132	60	173	79	217	99

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 Weight		Beginner		Novice		Intermediate		Advanced		Elite
Lbs	Kg	Lbs	Kg	Lbs	Kg	Lbs	Kg	Lbs	Kg	Lbs	Kg
110	50	96	44	144	65	204	93	275	125	352	160
120	55	111	50	162	74	225	102	300	136	380	173
130	59	126	57	179	81	246	112	323	147	407	185
140	64	140	64	197	90	266	121	346	157	433	197
150	68	154	70	213	97	286	130	368	167	457	208
160	73	168	76	229	104	304	138	389	177	481	219
170	77	181	82	245	111	322	146	410	186	503	229
180	82	195	89	261	119	340	155	430	195	525	239
190	86	208	95	275	125	357	162	449	204	546	248
200	91	220	100	290	132	373	170	467	212	567	258
210	95	233	106	304	138	389	177	485	220	587	267
220	100	245	111	318	145	405	184	503	229	606	275
230	105	257	117	332	151	420	191	520	236	624	284
240	109	268	122	345	157	435	198	536	244	642	292
250	114	280	127	358	163	450	205	552	251	660	300
260	118	291	132	370	168	464	211	568	258	677	308
270	123	302	137	383	174	478	217	583	265	694	315
280	127	313	142	395	180	491	223	598	272	710	323
290	132	323	147	407	185	504	229	613	279	726	330
300	136	333	151	418	190	517	235	627	285	741	337
310	141	344	156	430	195	530	241	641	291	756	344

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.

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 Level	Weight (kg)	Weight (pounds)	Bodyweight Ratio
Beginner	78 kg	173 lb	1.00x
Novice	112 kg	246 lb	1.50x
Intermediate	152 kg	336 lb	2.00x
Advanced	200 kg	440 lb	2.50x
Elite	250 kg	552 lb	3.00x

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.

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	Beginner		Novice		Intermediate		Advanced		Elite
Years	Lbs	Kg	Lbs	Kg	Lbs	Kg	Lbs	Kg	Lbs	Kg
15	72	33	112	51	164	75	226	103	294	134
20	82	37	128	58	188	85	258	117	337	153
25	84	38	132	60	193	88	265	120	345	157
30	84	38	132	60	193	88	265	120	345	157
35	84	38	132	60	193	88	265	120	345	157
40	84	38	132	60	193	88	265	120	345	157
45	80	36	125	57	183	83	252	115	328	149
50	75	34	117	53	171	78	236	107	308	140
55	69	31	108	49	159	72	218	99	284	129
60	63	29	99	45	145	66	199	90	260	118
65	57	26	89	40	131	60	180	82	235	107
70	51	23	80	36	117	53	162	74	210	95
75	46	21	72	33	105	48	145	66	188	85
80	41	19	64	29	94	43	129	59	168	76
85	37	17	57	26	84	38	116	53	151	69
90	33	15	52	24	76	35	104	47	136	62

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 Weight		Beginner		Novice		Intermediate		Advanced		Elite
Lbs	Kg	Lbs	Kg	Lbs	Kg	Lbs	Kg	Lbs	Kg	Lbs	Kg
90	41	54	25	90	41	139	63	198	90	264	120
100	45	61	28	99	45	150	68	211	96	279	127
110	50	67	30	108	49	161	73	224	102	294	134
120	55	74	34	116	53	171	78	235	107	307	140
130	59	80	36	124	56	180	82	246	112	319	145
140	64	86	39	131	60	189	86	257	117	331	150
150	68	92	42	138	63	197	90	267	121	343	156
160	73	97	44	145	66	205	93	276	125	353	160
170	77	103	47	152	69	213	97	285	130	363	165
180	82	108	49	158	72	221	100	294	134	373	170
190	86	113	51	164	75	228	104	302	137	382	174
200	91	118	54	170	77	235	107	310	141	391	178
210	95	123	56	176	80	241	110	317	144	400	182
220	100	127	58	181	82	248	113	325	148	408	185
230	105	132	60	186	85	254	115	332	151	416	189
240	109	136	62	192	87	260	118	339	154	424	193
250	114	140	64	197	90	266	121	345	157	431	196
260	118	144	65	201	91	272	124	352	160	438	199

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

Strength Level	Weight (kg)	Weight (pounds)	Bodyweight Ratio
Beginner	38 kg	84 lb	0.50x
Novice	60 kg	132 lb	1.00x
Intermediate	87 kg	193 lb	1.25x
Advanced	120 kg	265 lb	1.75x
Elite	157 kg	345 lb	2.50x

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.

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.

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.