Average Squat & Deadlift Standards 2026

How much should you squat and deadlift? Across millions of logged lifts, the average adult male squats 287 lb and deadlifts 336 lb; for women the averages are 161 lb squat and 193 lb deadlift, per Strength Level data. A common intermediate standard is a 1.5x bodyweight squat and 2x bodyweight deadlift, while advanced lifters reach roughly 2x-2.25x squat and 2.5x deadlift. The deadlift is usually the heaviest of the big three, and a double-bodyweight pull is widely treated as the line between intermediate and advanced. These figures rest on tens of millions of real entries.

The squat and deadlift are the two heaviest barbell lifts and the truest tests of total-body strength. Lifters obsess over both - and the most common question is whether their numbers are good for their size.

This post collects the most-cited squat and deadlift standards for 2026, drawn from Strength Level's logged-lift database, ExRx norms, and the latest ACSM guidance. It breaks both lifts down by bodyweight, experience, age, and sex - and shows where the bodyweight-multiplier milestones fall.

1. The average male squat is 287 lb

The average adult male back squat one-rep max is 287 lb, based on roughly 24.8 million logged lifts, according to Strength Level. The average adult female squat is 161 lb.

Squat numbers run high in absolute terms because the legs are the body's largest, strongest muscle group. For most trained lifters, the squat sits between the bench and the deadlift in load.

Because the database is built from people who log their training, the average skews more serious than the general gym population. An untrained adult man squats closer to 145 lb, as the bodyweight standards below show.

Source: Strength Level - Squat Standards

2. The average male deadlift is 336 lb

The average adult male deadlift one-rep max is 336 lb, drawn from about 22.9 million logged lifts, per Strength Level. The average adult female deadlift is 193 lb.

The deadlift is the heaviest of the three main lifts because it recruits nearly the entire posterior chain - hamstrings, glutes, back, and grip - and allows the greatest absolute load. For most lifters, it is the strongest of the big three.

As with the squat, the logged average sits above a true beginner number. An untrained man pulls closer to 155-165 lb, while the standards climb steeply from there with consistent training.

Source: Strength Level - Deadlift Standards

3. A 1.5x bodyweight squat is the intermediate benchmark

A widely used intermediate squat standard is 1.5x bodyweight, climbing to roughly 2x-2.25x for advanced lifters and 2.75x for elite, according to strength benchmarks compiled by Fitness Volt. Beginners typically start around 0.75x bodyweight.

The multiplier framing is the most practical way to judge a squat because it scales automatically. A 1.5x squat means 225 lb for a 150 lb lifter or 300 lb for a 200 lb lifter - both equally "intermediate" for their size.

The progression is steep at the top. Moving from an intermediate 1.5x to an advanced 2.25x squat can take years of dedicated training, which is exactly when tracking each session's load becomes essential. Our strength standards guide covers the full beginner-to-elite ladder across all three lifts.

Source: Fitness Volt - Average Squat by Weight

4. A double-bodyweight deadlift marks the advanced line

A 2x bodyweight deadlift is widely treated as the threshold for an advanced lifter, while a competent recreational lifter typically pulls about 1.5x bodyweight, according to deadlift-standard analysis from Marathon Handbook. Elite pulls reach 2.5x or more.

The double-bodyweight pull is one of strength training's most recognized milestones. For a 200 lb lifter, that means a 400 lb deadlift - a number that commands respect in any gym.

Because the deadlift allows the heaviest loads, its bodyweight ratios run higher than the squat or bench. A lifter might bench 1.25x, squat 1.5x, and still deadlift 2x bodyweight at the same intermediate stage.

Source: Marathon Handbook - Good Deadlift Weight Standards

5. A 180 lb male intermediate squats ~292 lb and deadlifts ~340 lb

For a 180 lb male, Strength Level lists an intermediate squat near 292 lb and an intermediate deadlift near 340 lb. Beginner thresholds are about 162 lb (squat) and 195 lb (deadlift); advanced reaches roughly 373 lb and 430 lb.

These bodyweight-specific numbers answer the "is it good?" question precisely. A 180 lb lifter squatting 290 lb and pulling 340 lb is solidly intermediate; the same lifts from a 140 lb lifter would rank higher.

The climb is substantial. Taking a 180 lb lifter's squat from a beginner 162 lb to an intermediate 292 lb is a 130 lb gain - months or years of tracked progressive overload, not a quick jump.

Source: Strength Level - Squat Standards

6. A 200 lb male elite squats ~499 lb and deadlifts ~567 lb

At 200 lb bodyweight, Strength Level's elite thresholds are roughly a 499 lb squat and a 567 lb deadlift - a squat near 2.5x and a deadlift near 2.8x bodyweight. Advanced for the same size is about 408 lb and 467 lb.

Elite standards represent the practical ceiling most natural lifters can approach only after many years of focused training. A 567 lb deadlift at 200 lb bodyweight is rarefied territory in any commercial gym.

The compression near the top is the point. Each additional pound at the elite level takes far longer to add than early gains, which is why advanced lifters track every working set and estimated max with precision.

Source: Strength Level - Deadlift Standards

7. The deadlift is usually the heaviest of the big three

For most lifters, the deadlift is the strongest lift, followed by the squat, with the bench press the lightest of the three. The average logged figures - 336 lb deadlift, 287 lb squat, 217 lb bench for men - reflect this hierarchy.

The order follows muscle recruitment. The deadlift uses the most total muscle mass, the squat slightly less, and the bench isolates the upper-body pressing muscles without leg or back contribution.

Knowing the typical hierarchy helps lifters spot weak points. A deadlift that lags the squat, or a bench far ahead of both, can signal an imbalance worth addressing - something only visible if all three lifts are tracked over time.

Source: Strength Level - Weightlifting Strength Standards

8. Squat and deadlift standards rest on ~47 million logged lifts

Strength Level's squat and deadlift standards together draw on roughly 47 million logged lifts - about 24.8 million squats and 22.9 million deadlifts - part of a platform tracking over 153 million lifts overall.

This scale is what makes the percentile rankings trustworthy. The beginner-to-elite thresholds reflect what real lifters at each bodyweight actually lift, updated continuously rather than set by a single authority.

The data density ensures accuracy at nearly every bodyweight. With tens of millions of entries per lift, even the extreme beginner and elite thresholds carry statistical weight.

Source: Strength Level - Weightlifting Strength Standards

9. Female squat and deadlift standards scale the same way

For women, Strength Level reports average one-rep maxes of 161 lb squat and 193 lb deadlift, with the same beginner-to-elite tiers scaled by bodyweight. Women's squat standards run from about 0.5x bodyweight (beginner) to 2x (elite).

The multiplier logic applies equally across sexes. A strong female deadlift of 1.5-2x bodyweight represents the same achievement level as a strong male pull at the same ratio, even though absolute loads differ.

As women's participation in strength sports surges, women-specific standards have become essential. Treating female strength as its own scale - not a discount on men's - matches how the lifting population is actually evolving.

Source: Strength Level - Squat Standards (Female)

10. Squat and deadlift strength peak in your 20s, then decline

Squat and deadlift strength typically peaks in the 20s and early 30s, then declines with age as muscle mass naturally decreases. ExRx publishes separate, lower standards for lifters aged 40-49, 50-59, and beyond.

The decline mirrors sarcopenia, the age-related loss of muscle that begins around 30 and accelerates later. A "good" squat or deadlift at 55 is appropriately lower than the same classification at 25.

The age curve is also an argument for never stopping. Lifters who keep training hold their numbers far longer than sedentary peers, so maintaining an intermediate squat into your 50s reflects years of consistent work against natural decline.

Source: ExRx.net - Squat Strength Standards (Ages 18-39)

11. ExRx classifies squat and deadlift from "untrained" to "elite"

ExRx.net groups both squat and deadlift strength into five tiers - Untrained, Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, and Elite - scaled by bodyweight for ages 18-39. These academically grounded norms remain a core reference.

The five-tier framework underpins most modern strength calculators. It assigns each lift a percentile-style ranking so a raw number gains meaning relative to the lifter's size, sex, and age.

A recognized classification matters because "good" is meaningless without a scale. ExRx provides separate, complete tables for men and women across multiple age bands, making it one of the most authoritative public references for both lifts.

Source: ExRx.net - Deadlift Strength Standards (Ages 18-39)

12. The ACSM recommends ~80% of 1RM to build squat and deadlift strength

To build maximal strength on the squat and deadlift, the 2026 ACSM guidelines recommend training at roughly 80% of one-rep max for 2-3 sets, working all major muscle groups at least twice a week. The recommendation rests on 137 systematic reviews.

This links the standards to practice. Climbing the squat and deadlift ladder means training near your max - which requires knowing your one-rep max, or a reliable estimate, to set the right working loads.

The 80% rule is why estimated 1RM is so valuable for the big lifts. Heavy squats and deadlifts are taxing to max-test often, so rep-based formulas let lifters track strength and progress toward the next standard without frequent all-out attempts.

Source: ACSM - 2026 Resistance Training Guidelines

13. Most lifters never track their squat and deadlift progress

Despite intense interest in squat and deadlift standards, most gym-goers train without a running log of their working weights or estimated maxes on either lift. The curiosity rarely becomes consistent measurement.

This is the gap between wanting to rank and actually knowing. Without a session-by-session record across both lifts, a lifter cannot tell whether the squat is climbing while the deadlift stalls, or spot an imbalance between them.

The fix is straightforward. Logging every squat and deadlift - weight, reps, and estimated 1RM - turns the abstract standards into personal, moving targets, and reveals exactly which lift needs attention next. Our average bench press breakdown applies the same logged-data approach to the third of the big three.

Source: Strength Level - Deadlift Standards

What the Squat & Deadlift Data Reveals

The numbers settle the gym's two heaviest debates. The average logged male squats 287 lb and deadlifts 336 lb; the averages for women are 161 lb and 193 lb. But the more useful answer is the bodyweight multiplier - a 1.5x squat and 2x deadlift mark the intermediate tier, while advanced lifters push toward 2.25x squat and 2.5x deadlift.

The most practical insight is the hierarchy and the milestones. The deadlift is usually the heaviest lift, the squat next, the bench lightest - and a double-bodyweight deadlift is the most recognized line between intermediate and advanced. The same absolute number can rank very differently depending on bodyweight, age, and sex, so the only fair comparison is you against your own trajectory. Our strength standards guide ties all three lifts into one beginner-to-elite framework.

The trajectory points toward more lifters benchmarking both lifts against growing databases - but the benchmarks only mean something against real, logged numbers. The lifters who climb the squat and deadlift ladders are the ones who record every set and watch their estimated maxes rise.

The average squat and deadlift are just numbers on a chart until you track your own - then they become targets you can beat, one tracked session at a time.

Track Your Squat & Deadlift Against Real Standards

Knowing the average squat and deadlift is only useful if you know your own numbers. That is exactly what Gainwise is built for. It turns your iPhone into a fast, private workout tracker that logs every squat and deadlift set and estimates your one-rep max, so you can see whether you sit at beginner, intermediate, or advanced for your bodyweight - and watch yourself climb toward a double-bodyweight pull.

With progressive-overload tracking, estimated 1RM, and ready-to-import routines like 5x5 and push-pull-legs, every heavy session has a clear target tied to the next standard. Hands-free voice logging keeps it effortless - say "five sets of five at 315" and keep lifting - so your squat and deadlift data builds itself, set after set.

Join the Gainwise waitlist and track your squat and deadlift against real strength standards.

Gainwise is launching soon - the reliable workout tracker for iPhone with an AI coach, hands-free voice logging, and a training history that is always yours.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average squat and deadlift?

Across Strength Level's logged lifts, the average adult male squats 287 lb and deadlifts 336 lb. For women, the averages are 161 lb squat and 193 lb deadlift. These figures pool lifters of all ages and experience levels who track their training.

What is a good squat and deadlift for my bodyweight?

A common intermediate standard is a 1.5x bodyweight squat and 2x bodyweight deadlift. Advanced lifters reach roughly 2x-2.25x bodyweight on the squat and 2.5x on the deadlift, while a double-bodyweight deadlift is widely treated as the line between intermediate and advanced.

Should I deadlift more than I squat?

For most lifters, yes - the deadlift is typically the heaviest of the big three because it recruits the most total muscle mass, followed by the squat, then the bench press. The average logged figures (336 lb deadlift, 287 lb squat, 217 lb bench for men) reflect that order.

How do squat and deadlift standards change with age?

Both lifts peak in the 20s and early 30s, then decline with age as muscle mass decreases. ExRx publishes separate, lower standards for lifters aged 40-49, 50-59, and beyond, and consistent resistance training slows that decline considerably.

Join the Gainwise Waitlist

AI coach + voice logging · Your data is yours · Launching soon on iOS