What is a good DOTS score?

For male 83 kg raw lifters at age 30 (OpenPowerlifting 2026-04 snapshot, n = 326), the 50th percentile DOTS is approximately 395, the 75th percentile is 439, and the 95th percentile is 498. A DOTS around 395 reads as intermediate raw; above 500 is national-class. Values are computed with the Konertz / BVDK 2019 polynomial.

What dataset does the percentile ranking use?

Three pools, reported side by side. The competition pool is the OpenPowerlifting public dataset (CC0, snapshot 2026-04, ~141,000 raw-lifter records), segmented by sex, per-year age 15–80, IPF bodyweight class, and equipment. The recreational pool is StrengthLevel's self-reported gym-logger data, 153M+ entries. The general-population pool uses the ACFT 3-rep hex-bar deadlift converted to a conventional barbell 1RM, with an age curve from NHANES 2011–2014 grip strength.

How is the hex bar deadlift converted to barbell?

ACFT hex-bar 3-rep deadlift values are converted to conventional barbell 1RM via a 0.92 factor (Swinton, Lloyd, Keogh, Agouris 2011, PMID 21659894), then projected to a 1RM with Epley. The 0.92 reflects the mechanical advantage of the hex bar's centered load path versus the front-of-body barbell load path.

What 1RM formulas does the tool implement?

Seven formulas computed in parallel: Epley, Brzycki, Mayhew (PMID 1614532), Lombardi, O'Conner, Wathan, and Lander. The min-vs-max spread is surfaced as a confidence band (typically ±8–12% at 5+ reps, narrower at low reps) so the uncertainty is visible rather than hidden behind a single false-precision number. The Prilepin volume table is the Charniga translation of A. S. Medvedyev, A System of Multi-Year Training in Weightlifting (Sportivny Press, 1986).

ACFT deadlift standards

The US Army Maximum Deadlift, decoded — score table, barbell-1RM equivalent, and why it isn't a civilian baseline.

Published 2026-05-20 · LiftGauge research

What is the ACFT MDL? 3-rep hex-bar, US Army Combat Fitness Test

The Maximum Deadlift (MDL) is a 3-repetition test using a hexagonal (trap) bar with bumper plates. It is one of six events in the US Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT), codified in FM 7-22 (October 2020) and ATP 7-22.01. The ACFT replaced the older APFT push-up / sit-up / 2-mile-run battery in 2022 after several years of field testing.

Equipment: a 60-lb hex bar with 5 lb / 10 lb / 25 lb / 35 lb / 45 lb plates. The lift is performed from the floor to a standing-tall lockout; the bar is returned to the floor under control between reps. The hex bar places the load directly under the lifter's center of mass, which differs biomechanically from a conventional barbell deadlift.

Scoring scale 60-point pass · 100-point maximum · MOS-tiered

The MDL is scored on a 0-to-100-point scale. The pass threshold varies by MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) category:

Heavy combat (CMF Heavy) — infantry, armor, combat engineers, special-operations support. Highest standard.
Significant physical — most combat-support specialties (signal, MP, ordnance).
Moderate physical — administrative and technical MOS (medical records, finance, IT).

Two anchor points in the MDL score table are well-documented across Army publications. Intermediate point values vary by edition and are best read directly from the current FM 7-22 lookup.

Score	MDL (lb)	MDL (kg)	Notes
100 (maximum)	340	154	Score cap across all MOS categories
60 (combat-arms pass)	140	64	CMF Heavy minimum to pass the event

Full per-point lookup is published in Army Publications (FM 7-22, ATP 7-22.01). Per-MOS aggregate pass thresholds across all six events vary; the MDL event-score scale itself is uniform.

Hex bar → conventional barbell apply 0.92 factor

Most powerlifters and recreational lifters track conventional barbell deadlift, not hex-bar. The two are not interchangeable: the hex bar reduces shear stress on the lumbar spine and allows greater quadriceps recruitment, producing higher absolute loads at the same effort.

Swinton et al. 2011 (Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 25:2000-2009, PMID 21659894) measured 19 trained males performing both lifts. Mean ± SD load was 234.8 ± 38.0 kg on the hex bar versus 215.4 ± 33.0 kg on the conventional barbell — a ratio of approximately 1.09.

LiftGauge applies the inverse: conventional-barbell 1RM ≈ hex-bar 1RM × 0.92. The ACFT is a 3-rep test, not a 1RM, so first estimate the 1RM from the 3RM (Epley: 1RM ≈ 3RM × 1.10) and then apply the 0.92 factor.

Hex-bar load (kg)	Barbell equivalent (kg)	Hex-bar (lb)	Barbell (lb)
100	92	220	202
120	110	265	243
140	129	309	284
160	147	353	325
180	166	397	365
200	184	441	406
220	202	485	446
240	221	529	487

Applies to 1RM values. For an ACFT 3RM, first convert 3RM → 1RM (multiply by ~1.10) then apply 0.92.

Age adjustment NHANES 2011-2014 grip-strength curve

To compare lifters across ages, LiftGauge applies an age multiplier derived from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2014 grip-strength dynamometry on ~5,000 adults sampled to represent the US population. Grip strength correlates 0.70-0.85 with multi-joint strength measures, making it a defensible proxy when direct barbell testing is unavailable (Strand et al. 2018, PMID 29653890).

The fitted curve peaks at age 25-35, declines roughly 1% per decade through the 60s, and steepens after age 70. This is applied to the ACFT baseline cohort cells to produce an age-adjusted comparison.

Why ACFT is a military baseline, not a civilian one 75% of 17-24-year-olds are non-recruitable

It is tempting to treat the ACFT MDL as a "general population strength standard." Don't. The US Army is not the general population — it is a self-selected, pre-screened subset that excludes the bottom of the civilian fitness distribution before any soldier ever lifts a hex bar.

The Mission: Readiness 2009 report (NBK202010) found that 75% of US 17-to-24-year-olds do not meet current Army recruitment standards, primarily for medical, educational, or fitness reasons. Subsequent work (Knapik 2017, PMID 28403029; Bopp 2023, PMC9885292) places the civilian-to-Army strength gap at roughly 0.6-0.7 — meaning the typical civilian's deadlift is 60-70% of the typical soldier's at the same age and bodyweight.

For a civilian or recreational baseline, LiftGauge offers two alternatives in the rankings view:

Active gym-loggers — 153 million+ self-reported lifts from StrengthLevel users. Closer to "typical lifter who has been training for 6+ months."
Powerlifting cohort — ~143,000 raw-lifter records from OpenPowerlifting public meet data. People who trained specifically to peak at a sanctioned meet.

Compute your ACFT-equivalent score /rankings → ACFT baseline mode

To get your equivalent ACFT MDL score from a conventional barbell 1RM:

Take your barbell deadlift 1RM (or estimate it from /calculator).
Divide by 0.92 to estimate the hex-bar 1RM equivalent.
Multiply by 0.91 to estimate a 3RM (the inverse of Epley 1RM ≈ 3RM × 1.10).
Compare to the ACFT score table for your MOS category.

LiftGauge automates this: select ACFT baseline as the comparison group on /rankings, enter your barbell deadlift and bodyweight, and the system returns the age-adjusted percentile against the ACFT cohort.

Citations primary sources, all linked

FM 7-22 / ATP 7-22.01: Army Holistic Health and Fitness, US Army 2020. armypubs.army.mil
Swinton, Lloyd, Keogh, Agouris 2011: "A biomechanical analysis of straight and hexagonal barbell deadlifts using submaximal loads." J Strength Cond Res 25:2000-2009. PMID 21659894
Strand et al. 2018: Grip strength and its determinants in healthy adults. PMID 29653890
NHANES 2011-2014: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, CDC. cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes
Mission: Readiness 2009: "Ready, Willing, and Unable to Serve." NBK202010
Knapik 2017: "Discharges During US Army Basic Training: Injury Rates and Risk Factors." PMID 28403029
Bopp 2023: Strength and fitness in civilian populations. PMC9885292

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