Deadlift standards for a 120 kg (265 lb) man
Among OpenPowerlifting raw meet results at this bodyweight, the median recorded deadlift is 250 kg (550 lb), the top 10% reach 307.5 kg (680 lb), and the top 1% 357.5 kg (790 lb). This cell contains 10,996 meet results; n is not a unique-person count.
OpenPowerlifting records a median deadlift of 250 kg (550 lb) across 10,996 raw male meet results in the 120 kg class.
How a 120 kg man ranks in raw meet results
This field contains 10,996 raw meet results in the 105–120 kg / 231–265 lb class. Percentiles describe recorded entries, not the general population, and repeat competitors may contribute more than one result.
| Percentile | man (raw) | in lb |
|---|---|---|
| Median meet resultmiddle of recorded meet results | 250 kg | 550 lb |
| Top 25%upper quarter of recorded results | 280 kg | 615 lb |
| Top 10%top decile of recorded results | 307.5 kg | 680 lb |
| Top 5%top twentieth of recorded results | 325 kg | 715 lb |
| Top 1%top recorded percentile | 357.5 kg | 790 lb |
At 120 kg (265 lb), Within the recorded meet results the top 10% reach 307.5 kg (680 lb), 57.5 kg (125 lb) above the median 250 kg (550 lb); the top 1% reach 357.5 kg (790 lb), a further 50 kg (110 lb) on top. Based on 10,996 raw meet results in this class.
The 120 kg class in the data
Of the 96,871 raw men's deadlift entries behind these standards, 10,996 — about 11% — come from the 120 kg class.
Stepping up from the 105 kg class raises the median deadlift by 10 kg (20 lb) (+4%); the next step to 140 kg+ adds another 0 kg (0 lb) (+0%).
In relative terms the median works out to 2.08× bodyweight, down from the field's per-kilo peak of 2.80× at 66 kg — the sub-linear scaling that makes the percentile, not the raw kilos, the honest comparison.
The median 120 kg man in this dataset squats 230 kg, benches 152.5 kg, and deadlifts 250 kg — a bench-to-squat ratio of 0.66 and a squat-to-deadlift ratio of 0.92. If your own ratios sit far from that, the outlier lift is usually the one with the most room to grow.
The classic milestones read differently in every class: here a 585 lb deadlift sits at roughly the 63rd percentile (stronger than 63% of meet-result entries), and a 250 kg deadlift sits at roughly the 50th percentile (stronger than 50% of meet-result entries).
These are dead-stop pulls; raw competition allows both conventional and sumo stance on the same scoreboard, so the standard pools them. Dead-stop is the meet standard — touch-and-go reps use the stretch reflex off the floor and read higher than a competition pull. Vanderburgh & Batterham 1999 is why the deadlift standard climbs with bodyweight while strength-per-kilo falls (PMID 10613442).
FAQ
- What is a good raw deadlift for a 120 kg (265 lb) man?
- In raw meet results at this bodyweight the median recorded deadlift is 250 kg (550 lb), the top 10% reach 307.5 kg (680 lb), and the top 1% 357.5 kg (790 lb). Source: OpenPowerlifting public competition meet data (CC0), dataset date 2026-05-10; this cell contains 10,996 meet results.
- What deadlift puts me in the top 1% at 120 kg?
- The 99th-percentile raw meet result for a 120 kg (265 lb) man is 357.5 kg (790 lb). The top-5% threshold starts at 325 kg (715 lb).
- Where does this data come from?
- Every figure is computed from OpenPowerlifting meet results (CC0 public dataset, dataset date 2026-05-10) for raw entries at this exact sex and bodyweight class. This cell contains 10,996 meet results; n is an entry count, not a unique-person count.
- How much more do 140 kg+ men deadlift than 120 kg men?
- At the median, 0 kg (0 lb) more — 250 kg (550 lb) versus 250 kg (550 lb). At the top-10% mark the gap is 7.5 kg (15 lb) (315 kg (695 lb) versus 307.5 kg (680 lb)). Per kilo of bodyweight the lighter class is the stronger one — which is why cross-class comparison uses percentiles or coefficients, not raw kilos.
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.