deadlift 1RM calculator
Your deadlift 1RM is your one-rep maximum on the deadlift. Enter the heaviest set you can do — load × reps × RPE — and LiftGauge runs seven formulas (Epley, Brzycki, Lombardi, O'Conner, Wathan, Lander, Mayhew) in parallel, reports the mean and spread, and ranks your result against real OpenPowerlifting meet data. No signup, no ads, offline PWA.
Keep your deadlift variation consistent. Cholewa et al. (2019, study abstract) found no significant difference between group-average conventional and sumo 1RM in 47 deadlift-naïve adults. That does not make the variations interchangeable for an individual. A separate study of 11 trained women compared conventional, sumo and hex-bar 3RM biomechanics (Gundersen et al. 2025); these are different lifts, not a fixed conversion rule.
estimated 1RM
Formula range and all 7 estimates
what is your deadlift 1RM
Your deadlift 1RM is the heaviest weight you can lift from the floor to lockout — knees straight, shoulders behind the bar — under your own control, without hitching or a downward motion of the bar (IPF Technical Rules 2026, rule 6.6). Sumo and conventional are both 1RMs; they're different ratios. The deadlift is where 1RM testing is most defensible because there's no eccentric to absorb — either the bar comes up or it doesn't.
Because true 1RM deadlifts cost more in fatigue per attempt than squat or bench, every formula on this page estimates the 1RM from a sub-maximal set. The cleanest input is 2–4 reps at RPE 8–9, with each rep reset on the floor (no touch-and-go bounce). Touch-and-go deadlifts project a higher 1RM than the same load done dead-stop, because the stretch reflex and bounce help — but the actual 1RM is a dead-stop pull off the floor.
why seven formulas, not one
Single-formula 1RM calculators hide disagreement between estimators. LeSuer, McCormick, Mayhew, Wasserstein & Arnold (1997, J Strength Cond Res 11:211–213) compared common equations against direct 1RM tests across squat, bench, and deadlift and found no single formula uniformly best. In LiftGauge's seven implemented equations, the scale-invariant full low-to-high range is about 5.6 % at 5 reps, 6.2 % at 8 reps, and 11.8 % at 12 reps. Picking one formula still means picking one estimator; the page therefore shows all seven.
LiftGauge runs all seven (Epley, Brzycki, Lombardi, O'Conner, Wathan, Lander, Mayhew) and shows the mean ± spread. RPE-anchoring follows Tuchscherer's Reactive Training Manual (RTS Press, 2008): a reps-and-RPE %1RM table. The RPE-adjusted estimate divides the load by the table percentage. The seven other formulas use load and reps only; their spread is disagreement between equations, not a statistical confidence interval or a measurement of technique.
deadlift-specific notes
Use dead-stop reps and record your stance and grip. A set with straps or touch-and-go reps represents that setup; the calculator cannot convert it to a strapless competition pull. There is no fixed technique adjustment built into the estimate.
deadlift percentile context
Reference cohort below is a neutral cell (raw, male, ~83 kg, all ages) for a head-line read. The full per-user cell — your sex, your bodyweight class, your age, your equipment — lives on /rankings. Source: OpenPowerlifting public meet data (CC0 source dump dated 2026-05-16; latest included meet 2026-05-10; 615,721 qualifying lift observations from 186,218 contributing rows in the trailing window beginning 2025-05-10; repeat competitors may contribute more than one observation).
RPE → load for deadlift
common rep ranges for deadlift
NPL = number of prescribed lifts per session in this intensity zone. Range is the productive band; below it is too little volume, above it is too much. Prilepin's zones are powerlifting-anchored — they apply to the deadlift with the same shape.
how to use this page
- Pick your bar weight (15 kg, 20 kg, or 45 lb) and your unit (kg or lb) using the chips above.
- Enter the load as the total weight on the bar (bar included — or flip the "Load counts" chip to plates-only), reps you completed, and the RPE you'd call honestly (6 = easy, 10 = max effort).
- Read the headline mean ± spread band, the seven individual formula estimates, the RPE → load chart for your training percentages, and your percentile vs OpenPowerlifting meet data.
- For the full meet-card workflow (plate-load visual, warmup ramp, RPE → load grid), open /calculator. For percentile against your sex, bodyweight class, age, and equipment, open /rankings.
FAQ
- How accurate is a deadlift 1RM calculator?
- Across the seven formulas the spread on a 3-rep set is typically 6–10 % for the deadlift — narrower than bench or squat, because the deadlift has no eccentric (LeSuer et al. 1997, J Strength Cond Res 11:211–213). Either the bar comes up or it doesn't, and that's a cleaner signal than a grinding press or a high squat.
- Touch-and-go or dead-stop reps for the input?
- For a meet-relevant 1RM, anchor from dead-stop reps. Record the technique used; a touch-and-go set does not establish a dead-stop 1RM, and no fixed percentage correction is applied.
- Sumo or conventional for the input?
- Either, but they're different 1RMs — the same lifter usually pulls a few percent apart between the two stances depending on leverages. Pick one and stay with it for projection consistency.
- What RPE should I input on deadlift?
- RPE 8–9 is the sweet spot. The deadlift fatigues central-nervous-system more per rep than bench or squat, so RPE 10 sets are best avoided as input — your judgment of "one in the tank" is less reliable when the bar takes 5 seconds to lock out.
- Should I use straps for the input set?
- No, if you want a meet-relevant projection. Use the grip you'd compete with — mixed or hook, no straps. Strap-pulls project a higher 1RM than your meet pull, because the meet has a 60-second clock with double-overhand-to-mixed transitions.
- How often should I test my deadlift 1RM?
- Less often than squat or bench — every 8–12 weeks for peaking blocks; the deadlift recovers slower. Daily projection from training sets (this page) replaces frequent maxing, which is especially valuable on the deadlift because of its recovery cost.