225 lb deadlift — what bodyweight makes it impressive?

Read down the bodyweight column: the lighter you are, the higher the percentile a fixed 225 lb deadlift represents, because Strength scales sub-linearly with bodyweight — heavier lifters lift more in absolute terms but less per kilo of bodyweight (Vanderburgh & Batterham 1999, PMID 10613442). The same bar is a top-tier lift at one bodyweight and a working set at another.

What population does this comparison represent?

OpenPowerlifting raw meet results, separated by sex and bodyweight class. It describes recorded competition entries rather than population prevalence, and n is a meet-result count rather than a unique-person count.

How rare is a 225 lb deadlift?

Among 96,871 raw male OpenPowerlifting meet-result entries, roughly 93% record 225 lb or more after bodyweight-class weighting. Among 53,248 female entries, roughly 83% do. The denominator is competition entries, not the general population — prevalence among all gym-goers is lower than either figure.

Is deadlifting 225 lb impressive?

It depends on bodyweight. In raw male meet results 225 lb reads around the 47th percentile in the 53 kg class and the 6th in the 140 kg+ class. The tables above give every class in between, for men and women.

How many plates is 225 lb?

On a standard 45 lb barbell, 225 lb is two 45 lb plates per side — "two plates" in gym shorthand. The total includes the bar: 2 × 45 lb × 2 + 45 lb = 225 lb.

What percentage of meet results record 225 lb?

Weighted across 96,871 raw male meet results, roughly 93% record 225 lb or more. Weighted across 53,248 raw female meet results, roughly 83% record 225 lb or more. The share is computed from per-bodyweight-class percentiles weighted by each class's meet-result count in the OpenPowerlifting raw dataset. n counts entries, not unique people, and the result is not a population survey estimate.

Is a 225 lb deadlift good?

Weighted across 96,871 OpenPowerlifting raw male meet results, roughly 93% record 225 lb (102 kg) or more. This is not a population-prevalence estimate: the denominator is competition entries, n is not a unique-person count, and repeat competitors may contribute more than one result. Bodyweight changes the percentile sharply, so the tables below keep each men's and women's class separate, flag loads beyond the cube's highest breakpoint, and show kilograms beside pounds. Use your class as the answer, then open the percentile calculator for age, equipment, and exact-bodyweight controls.

Updated 2026-08-06 · OpenPowerlifting meet-result data

In OpenPowerlifting, roughly 93% of 96,871 raw male meet results record 225 lb or more after bodyweight-class percentiles are weighted by entry count.

225 lb deadlift for men percentile by bodyweight

OpenPowerlifting raw meet-result percentile by bodyweight class:

Bodyweight	Percentile	Reads as
53 kg 117 lb	47th	stronger than 47% of raw meet results
59 kg 130 lb	10th	stronger than 10% of raw meet results
66 kg 146 lb	8th	stronger than 8% of raw meet results
74 kg 163 lb	7th	stronger than 7% of raw meet results
83 kg 183 lb	6th	stronger than 6% of raw meet results
93 kg 205 lb	6th	stronger than 6% of raw meet results
105 kg 231 lb	6th	stronger than 6% of raw meet results
120 kg 265 lb	6th	stronger than 6% of raw meet results
140 kg+ 309 lb	6th	stronger than 6% of raw meet results

225 lb deadlift for women percentile by bodyweight

OpenPowerlifting raw meet-result percentile by bodyweight class:

Bodyweight	Percentile	Reads as
43 kg 95 lb	82nd	top 18% of raw meet results
47 kg 104 lb	47th	stronger than 47% of raw meet results
52 kg 115 lb	35th	stronger than 35% of raw meet results
57 kg 126 lb	23rd	stronger than 23% of raw meet results
63 kg 139 lb	18th	stronger than 18% of raw meet results
69 kg 152 lb	12th	stronger than 12% of raw meet results
76 kg 168 lb	12th	stronger than 12% of raw meet results
84 kg 185 lb	10th	stronger than 10% of raw meet results
120 kg+ 265 lb	10th	stronger than 10% of raw meet results

Where 225 lb stands in the field crossover read

For men, a 225 lb deadlift is at or below the field median from 53 kg up.

For women, a 225 lb deadlift is top-quartile through 43 kg, at or below the field median from 47 kg up.

Weighted across 96,871 raw male meet results, roughly 93% record 225 lb or more. Weighted across 53,248 raw female meet results, roughly 83% record 225 lb or more.

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

Is a 225 lb deadlift good?: It depends on bodyweight. A 225 lb deadlift ranks much higher in lighter classes than heavier classes. The tables on this page give the percentile at every qualifying bodyweight class in OpenPowerlifting raw meet results.
225 lb deadlift — what bodyweight makes it impressive?: Read down the bodyweight column: the lighter you are, the higher the percentile a fixed 225 lb deadlift represents, because Strength scales sub-linearly with bodyweight — heavier lifters lift more in absolute terms but less per kilo of bodyweight (Vanderburgh & Batterham 1999, PMID 10613442). The same bar is a top-tier lift at one bodyweight and a working set at another.
What population does this comparison represent?: OpenPowerlifting raw meet results, separated by sex and bodyweight class. It describes recorded competition entries rather than population prevalence, and n is a meet-result count rather than a unique-person count.
How rare is a 225 lb deadlift?: Among 96,871 raw male OpenPowerlifting meet-result entries, roughly 93% record 225 lb or more after bodyweight-class weighting. Among 53,248 female entries, roughly 83% do. The denominator is competition entries, not the general population — prevalence among all gym-goers is lower than either figure.
Is deadlifting 225 lb impressive?: It depends on bodyweight. In raw male meet results 225 lb reads around the 47th percentile in the 53 kg class and the 6th in the 140 kg+ class. The tables above give every class in between, for men and women.
How many plates is 225 lb?: On a standard 45 lb barbell, 225 lb is two 45 lb plates per side — "two plates" in gym shorthand. The total includes the bar: 2 × 45 lb × 2 + 45 lb = 225 lb.
What percentage of meet results record 225 lb?: Weighted across 96,871 raw male meet results, roughly 93% record 225 lb or more. Weighted across 53,248 raw female meet results, roughly 83% record 225 lb or more. The share is computed from per-bodyweight-class percentiles weighted by each class's meet-result count in the OpenPowerlifting raw dataset. n counts entries, not unique people, and the result is not a population survey estimate.

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.