About 150 lb (67.5 kg) for one rep. That is the start of the Intermediate level for a 120 lb woman: 1.25 times bodyweight, where most people land after a year or so of steady training. A beginner deadlifts about 60 lb, and an elite lifter at the same bodyweight deadlifts 300 lb.
Deadlift standards for a 120 lb woman
| Level | × bodyweight | 1 rep | kg | 5 reps | 10 reps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 0.5× | 60 lb | 27.5 kg | 50 lb | 45 lb |
| Novice | 1× | 120 lb | 55 kg | 105 lb | 90 lb |
| Intermediate | 1.25× | 150 lb | 67.5 kg | 130 lb | 115 lb |
| Advanced | 1.75× | 210 lb | 95 kg | 180 lb | 160 lb |
| Elite | 2.5× | 300 lb | 135 kg | 255 lb | 225 lb |
The 5- and 10-rep columns are what each one-rep max lets you lift for that many reps, so you can check your level from a normal working set. Hitting 130 lb for 5 clean reps puts you at about 150 lb for one.
Work out your own level from a set
Say you deadlift 125 lb for 6 reps. The Epley formula, 125 × (1 + 6 ÷ 30), puts your max at about 150 lb — Intermediate for a 120 lb woman. Put your own set into the one-rep max calculator, or check every lift at once with the strength standards calculator, already set to 120 lb.
How 120 lb compares to nearby bodyweights
| Bodyweight | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 lb | 50 | 100 | 125 | 175 | 250 |
| 110 lb | 55 | 110 | 140 | 195 | 275 |
| 120 lb | 60 | 120 | 150 | 210 | 300 |
| 130 lb | 65 | 130 | 165 | 230 | 325 |
| 140 lb | 70 | 140 | 175 | 245 | 350 |
Every 10 lb of bodyweight moves the intermediate mark by about 12.5 lb. Standards scale with bodyweight because a heavier lifter usually carries more muscle, but a lighter lifter at the same ratio is just as strong for their size.
What it takes to reach the next level
| From → to | Add | At 10 lb a month | Loaded on the bar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner → Novice | 60 lb | 6 months | 1 × 35 + 1 × 2.5 lb on each side of a 45 lb bar |
| Novice → Intermediate | 30 lb | 3 months | 1 × 45 + 1 × 5 + 1 × 2.5 lb on each side of a 45 lb bar |
| Intermediate → Advanced | 60 lb | 6 months | 1 × 45 + 1 × 35 + 1 × 2.5 lb on each side of a 45 lb bar |
| Advanced → Elite | 90 lb | 9 months | 2 × 45 + 1 × 35 + 1 × 2.5 lb on each side of a 45 lb bar |
The months column assumes you keep adding 10 lb a month, which is a fair pace for a steady lifter past the novice stage; beginners usually move much faster and advanced lifters slower. To train toward 210 lb (Advanced), most of your work sits around 70–85% of it: sets of 5 to 8 at 145–170 lb and heavy triples near 180 lb. Start with the bar over mid-foot, pull the slack out before it leaves the floor, and keep it dragging up your legs.
What the levels mean
Beginner: 60 lb
Can do the lift with good form and has trained it for a few weeks. Most people reach this in their first month.
Novice: 120 lb
Has trained it regularly for several months and still adds weight most sessions or most weeks.
Intermediate: 150 lb
A year or more of consistent training. Progress has slowed to weekly or monthly jumps, and a plan starts to matter.
Advanced: 210 lb
Several years of focused training. Stronger than almost everyone in a typical gym, and every extra pound takes a block of work.
Elite: 300 lb
Competitive strength: what people who train for meets reach after many years. Few lifters ever get here.
Questions
How much should a 120 lb woman deadlift?
A 120 lb woman should deadlift about 150 lb (67.5 kg) for one rep to count as intermediate — 1.25× bodyweight. A beginner lifts about 60 lb, a novice 120 lb, an advanced lifter 210 lb and an elite one 300 lb.
Is a 225 lb deadlift good for a 120 lb woman?
Yes — 225 lb is Advanced for a 120 lb woman (1.88× bodyweight). The next level, Elite, starts at 300 lb.
What is an elite deadlift for a 120 lb woman?
300 lb (135 kg), which is 2.5× bodyweight. Advanced starts at 210 lb, so the last step is 90 lb on its own.
How do I find my deadlift max without testing a single?
Lift a weight you can move for 3 to 8 clean reps and put it through the Epley formula. 125 lb for 6 reps works out to a 150 lb max, which is Intermediate at 120 lb.
Keep going
- Deadlift standards for every bodyweight, men and women
- How much should a 120 lb woman bench?
- How much should a 120 lb woman squat?
- How much should a 120 lb woman overhead press?
- How to do the deadlift, step by step
- Barbell back workouts
- Pull day workout
- Upper/lower split or push pull legs to build a week around it
- Plates for 150 lb · Warm-up sets calculator
- How competitive powerlifters compare: real meet results by bodyweight
Splyt logs every set, estimates your max from it automatically and shows where each lift sits for your bodyweight: get it free on the App Store.
Standards are one-rep-max-to-bodyweight ratios that published tables (Strength Level, ExRx, Symmetric Strength) cluster around for adults. A guide to where you sit, not a verdict. Kilograms are rounded to 2.5 kg, pounds to 5 lb.