Deadlift Max Calculator

Your deadlift 1RM (one-rep max) is the heaviest weight you can lift for a single clean repetition. Estimating it from a submaximal set (for example 100 kg × 5 reps) is safer than loading a true max attempt, especially for beginners — you get a training number without the injury risk and fatigue of maxing out.

No formula is exact; all are approximations within roughly ±5–10%. Epley (weight × (1 + reps/30)) is the most widely used and works well for 3–10 reps. Lombardi (weight × reps^0.10) tends to be conservative at very low reps (1–5), which suits heavy deadlifts where optimism gets punished. Brzycki (weight × 36/(37 − reps)) sits between them. This calculator shows all three so you can see the range — a tight cluster means higher confidence.

Typically within about 5–10% when estimated from sets of 3–10 reps taken close to failure with good form. Accuracy drops sharply above 10–12 reps, and the formulas assume a fresh, well-warmed-up lifter. Treat the number as a starting point for programming, then adjust based on how training weights actually feel.

Rarely. Most lifters retest a true 1RM every 8–12 weeks at most, often at the end of a training block or before a competition. Frequent maxing stalls progress and raises injury risk. Between tests, re-estimate from rep PRs (for example a new 5-rep best) and update your training percentages.

The formulas are stance-agnostic approximations — they only see weight and reps, not technique. In practice your sumo and conventional maxes can differ, so estimate each stance separately from sets performed in that stance, and keep conditions (belt, straps, bar) consistent.

Keep your test conditions consistent with how you plan to train. If you normally deadlift beltless without straps, estimate that way; if you compete with a belt, test with it. Mixing conditions (straps on the test set, no straps in training) makes the estimate misleading.

Divide your estimated 1RM by your bodyweight — that ratio is what most strength-standard charts are built on. As a rough, commonly cited reference for conventional deadlift: around 1× bodyweight is a solid beginner milestone, 1.5× is intermediate, 2× is advanced, and 2.5×+ is elite territory. Standards vary by source, sex, age, and federation, so compare your ratio against a chart that matches your profile rather than treating these bands as official.

Multiply kilograms by 2.20462 to get pounds (100 kg ≈ 220.5 lb), or divide pounds by 2.20462 to get kilograms (225 lb ≈ 102.1 kg). The unit toggle on this calculator converts every result automatically.

Three common reasons: the formulas are deliberately a little conservative for deadlifts; your test set may not have been a true near-maximal effort (stopping with reps in reserve underestimates); or fatigue, poor warm-up, or an off day suppressed the set. If a past single was heavier than the estimate, trust the bar — use the higher number and re-estimate from a harder set.

A common framework: 90–100% for maximal strength (1–3 reps), 80–90% for strength (3–6 reps), 65–80% for hypertrophy (6–12 reps), and 50–65% for technique and endurance work (12+ reps). Most deadlift programs keep the heaviest work in the 75–90% range and rarely program above 95% outside of peaking. The training table on this page maps your estimated 1RM to each percentage automatically.