What is an average powerlifting total for a 40-year-old?

In raw OpenPowerlifting meet results, the median for an 83 kg man at age 40 is 530 kg (1170 lb), and for a 63 kg woman at age 40 it is 330 kg (730 lb). Bodyweight moves these medians more than a few years of age does — read your own class in the tables above.

At what age is the powerlifting total strongest?

In these tables the 83 kg men's median peaks at age 30 with 582.5 kg (1285 lb). Bodyweight-adjusted, the DOTS median across all classes peaks at age 28 for men and 23 for women and declines roughly 21% and 22% by age 60.

Why do some ages show a dash?

A dash is a cell with fewer than 30 recorded meet results at that exact age and bodyweight class. Publishing a median from a thinner cell would be noise, so the table fails closed instead. n counts meet-result entries, not unique people.

Do these averages describe everyone who trains the powerlifting total?

No. Every number is the median of recorded raw OpenPowerlifting meet results at an exact competition age — people who entered a sanctioned meet. The general training population is weaker on average than meet entrants, so treat these as competition medians, not gym norms.

Average powerlifting total by age

In raw OpenPowerlifting meet results, the median powerlifting total for an 83 kg man is 572.5 kg (1260 lb) at age 25 and 463.5 kg (1020 lb) at age 60. The tables below track the recorded median at twelve competition ages from 18 to 70, per bodyweight class and sex, in kg and lb — 9,532 age-exact meet results in total.

Updated 2026-07-26 · OpenPowerlifting meet-result data

OpenPowerlifting records a median powerlifting total of 572.5 kg (1260 lb) at age 25 versus 463.5 kg (1020 lb) at age 60 for 83 kg men in raw meet results.

Median powerlifting total by age — men raw meet results

Each cell is the median recorded powerlifting total at that exact competition age and bodyweight class, from 6,881 raw meet results across the shown cells. A dash means fewer than 30 meet results at that age and class — the cube refuses to publish a median there. n counts entries, not unique people.

Age	66 kg 146 lb	74 kg 163 lb	83 kg 183 lb	93 kg 205 lb	105 kg 231 lb
18	445980 lb	4951090 lb	517.51140 lb	563.81245 lb	5701255 lb
20	493.81090 lb	508.81120 lb	552.51220 lb	587.51295 lb	6101345 lb
25	4851070 lb	5451200 lb	572.51260 lb	6101345 lb	6351400 lb
30	5001100 lb	531.31170 lb	582.51285 lb	601.31325 lb	6351400 lb
35	—	5201145 lb	5601235 lb	572.51260 lb	622.51370 lb
40	—	457.51010 lb	5301170 lb	6111345 lb	602.51330 lb
45	—	—	507.51120 lb	552.51220 lb	572.51260 lb
50	—	—	474.31045 lb	537.51185 lb	5501215 lb
55	—	—	—	5251155 lb	562.51240 lb
60	—	—	463.51020 lb	494.71090 lb	5501215 lb

Median powerlifting total by age — women raw meet results

The same exact-age medians for five women's classes from 52 to 76 kg, from 2,651 raw meet results. Women's meet participation skews younger, so the honest table is shorter — dashes mark ages the data cannot support.

Age	52 kg 115 lb	57 kg 126 lb	63 kg 139 lb	69 kg 152 lb	76 kg 168 lb
18	280615 lb	287.5635 lb	300.3660 lb	336.6740 lb	342.5755 lb
20	296655 lb	317.5700 lb	320705 lb	340750 lb	347.5765 lb
25	302.5665 lb	320705 lb	350770 lb	340750 lb	371820 lb
30	—	307.5680 lb	337.5745 lb	345760 lb	366.3810 lb
35	267.5590 lb	307.8680 lb	297.5655 lb	331.3730 lb	338.8745 lb
40	—	285630 lb	330730 lb	337.5745 lb	330730 lb
45	—	—	292.5645 lb	340750 lb	318.8705 lb
50	—	—	—	311.3685 lb	302.5665 lb

When is the total strongest? peak age

In the 83 kg men's class the highest median in these tables sits at age 30 (582.5 kg (1285 lb)). Adjusted for bodyweight across every class, the DOTS median over 441,789 exact-age raw full-power meet results peaks at age 28 for men and 23 for women, and by age 60 sits about 21% and 22% below those peaks. Map your own result onto that curve with the strength age calculator.

The total is squat + bench + deadlift from a sanctioned raw full-power meet. Comparing totals across bodyweights isn't apples-to-apples — a heavier lifter totals more in absolute terms — so federations score across weight classes with coefficients (DOTS, IPF GoodLift). The percentile column here already normalises for bodyweight within each class.

FAQ

What is an average powerlifting total for a 40-year-old?: In raw OpenPowerlifting meet results, the median for an 83 kg man at age 40 is 530 kg (1170 lb), and for a 63 kg woman at age 40 it is 330 kg (730 lb). Bodyweight moves these medians more than a few years of age does — read your own class in the tables above.
At what age is the powerlifting total strongest?: In these tables the 83 kg men's median peaks at age 30 with 582.5 kg (1285 lb). Bodyweight-adjusted, the DOTS median across all classes peaks at age 28 for men and 23 for women and declines roughly 21% and 22% by age 60.
Why do some ages show a dash?: A dash is a cell with fewer than 30 recorded meet results at that exact age and bodyweight class. Publishing a median from a thinner cell would be noise, so the table fails closed instead. n counts meet-result entries, not unique people.
Do these averages describe everyone who trains the powerlifting total?: No. Every number is the median of recorded raw OpenPowerlifting meet results at an exact competition age — people who entered a sanctioned meet. The general training population is weaker on average than meet entrants, so treat these as competition medians, not gym norms.

Figures: OpenPowerlifting (public competition meet data (CC0), dataset date 2026-05-10). Cell n is a meet-result count, not a unique-person count. Full method at /method. Check your own lift on the percentile calculator.