Is deadlifting 100kg good? Yes, deadlifting 100kg is good for most people. A 100kg deadlift puts you above average strength levels for beginners and shows you’ve built a solid foundation. For a 75kg person, this means lifting 1.3 times your body weight, which research shows is a respectable milestone for someone who’s trained for 6-12 months.
What does a 100kg deadlift mean for your strength level?
Your training age changes what 100kg means. A beginner who reaches 100kg after six months of consistent training has made excellent progress. An intermediate lifter working toward 150kg views 100kg as a warmup weight. An advanced lifter pulling 200kg+ uses 100kg for high-rep work.
Studies on strength progression show beginners can add 5-10kg to their deadlift every week during their first few months. This means someone starting at 60kg can reach 100kg in about 8 weeks with proper programming. After the beginner phase, progress slows to 2-5kg per month.
How body weight affects deadlift standards
A 100kg deadlift means different things based on your size. A 60kg person deadlifting 100kg moves 1.67 times their body weight, which puts them in the intermediate strength category. A 90kg person pulling 100kg only lifts 1.1 times body weight, placing them in the novice range.
Research from strength training studies shows these body weight ratios for deadlift strength:
For men:
- Beginner: 1.0x body weight
- Novice: 1.25x body weight
- Intermediate: 1.75x body weight
- Advanced: 2.25x body weight
For women:
- Beginner: 0.5x body weight
- Novice: 0.75x body weight
- Intermediate: 1.25x body weight
- Advanced: 1.75x body weight
These numbers come from analyzing thousands of lifters across different experience levels and show 100kg represents solid progress for most people who weigh between 60-80kg.
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Download FreeTraining age matters more than the number
Someone who hits 100kg after three months of training shows different potential than someone who takes two years to get there. The faster progression suggests better genetics for strength training, more effective programming, or both.
Studies on neuromuscular adaptation show beginners make rapid strength gains through neural improvements before muscle growth becomes the main driver. This means your first year of training produces the fastest strength increases you’ll ever see. A lifter who reaches 100kg in six months will probably hit 150kg within another year. Someone taking 18 months to reach 100kg might need two more years to add another 50kg.
Form quality beats the number on the bar
A clean 100kg deadlift with proper technique beats a sloppy 120kg pull every time. Research on injury rates in strength training shows most lower back problems come from form breakdown, not from lifting heavy weights with good technique.
Your deadlift form checklist:
- Bar stays over mid-foot throughout the lift
- Back maintains neutral spine position
- Hips and shoulders rise together
- Bar path stays vertical with no forward drift
- You can control the weight on the way down
Filming your lifts from the side shows these technical points clearly. Many lifters who think they’re pulling 100kg with good form actually have the bar drifting forward or their hips shooting up first, which turns the deadlift into a back-breaking lever instead of a full-body movement.
How to build up to deadlifting 100kg
Starting from zero deadlift training, most people need 3-6 months to reach 100kg safely. This timeline assumes training three times per week with proper programming and adequate recovery.
Your 0-100kg deadlift roadmap:
Weeks 1-4: Learning phase Start with just the 20kg barbell and focus on movement quality. Add 5-10kg each session as long as form stays clean. You’ll probably hit 60kg by week four.
Weeks 5-8: Building phase
Progress slows to adding 2.5-5kg per week. Work in the 5-8 rep range. You should reach 80kg by week eight.
Weeks 9-12: Strength phase Drop to 3-5 reps per set and push for weekly increases. The final 20kg from 80-100kg takes longer than the first 60kg because neural adaptations start maxing out.
Weeks 13-16: Consolidation Hit 100kg for a single rep, then build up your working sets at 90-95kg. Once you can do 3 sets of 5 reps at 95kg, your max single will be around 105-110kg.
Studies on progressive overload show this stepped approach produces better long-term results than trying to max out every week.
When 100kg becomes your warmup weight
A 100kg deadlift stops being impressive once your max reaches 160kg+. At this point, 100kg represents about 60% of your one-rep max, which falls into the warmup and technique work range.
Research on training percentages shows most lifters use 60-70% of their max for warmup sets before working up to their training weights at 75-85%. This means once you’re pulling 150-160kg for your working sets, 100kg becomes a light weight you use to groove your movement pattern and get blood flowing to your muscles.
The transition from 100kg being challenging to 100kg being easy typically takes 12-18 months of consistent training after you first hit the milestone. During this time, you’re building more muscle mass, improving technique efficiency, and strengthening your connective tissues.
Common mistakes that slow progress to 100kg
Training too frequently without enough recovery stops progress. Your body builds strength during rest periods, not during workouts. Research on training frequency shows deadlifting 1-2 times per week produces better results than daily deadlift sessions.
Doing too much volume at high percentages burns you out. One study comparing training volumes found lifters who did 10-15 sets of deadlifts per week made better progress than those doing 20+ sets. More isn’t always better when working with compound movements that tax your whole body.
Neglecting assistance work leaves weak points in your chain. Your deadlift depends on strong hamstrings, glutes, back muscles, and grip. Adding Romanian deadlifts, hip thrusts, rows, and farmer carries builds these supporting muscles and pushes your main deadlift higher.
Poor recovery habits kill gains. Sleep deprivation, inadequate protein intake, and training through illness all impair your body’s ability to adapt to training stress. One metabolic ward study showed subjects who slept 5.5 hours lost 60% more muscle and 55% less fat compared to those sleeping 8.5 hours, even on identical diets.
What comes after 100kg
Once you hit 100kg, your next target should be 120kg. This 20kg jump typically takes 3-6 months of focused training. After 120kg comes 140kg, then 160kg. Each 20kg increment takes progressively longer as you advance.
The path from 100kg to 200kg takes most natural lifters 3-5 years of consistent training. Genetics play a bigger role as weights get heavier. Someone with long arms and a short torso has mechanical advantages for deadlifting that no amount of training can replicate in someone built differently.
Training programs need to change as you advance. Beginner programs add weight every session. Intermediate programs use weekly progression. Advanced programs run in 4-8 week blocks where you build up volume, test a new max, then start another block.
FAQ
Can women deadlift 100kg?
Yes, many women deadlift 100kg and beyond. A 100kg deadlift for a 60kg woman (1.67x body weight) shows the same relative strength as a 135kg deadlift for an 80kg man. Women typically reach 100kg after 12-18 months of consistent training.
How long does it take to deadlift 100kg?
Most people reach 100kg in 3-12 months depending on starting strength, training consistency, and body weight. Heavier individuals and those with previous athletic backgrounds often get there faster. Someone who can already squat 80kg will hit a 100kg deadlift quicker than someone starting from zero strength training experience.
Is 100kg deadlift good for a 70kg person?
Yes, a 100kg deadlift at 70kg body weight (1.43x body weight) puts you in the novice-to-intermediate strength range. This shows you’ve built solid foundational strength and can progress to more advanced programming.
Do you need a belt to deadlift 100kg?
No, you don’t need a belt for 100kg. Most people can deadlift 100kg safely without equipment. Belts become more useful at 120kg+ or when doing higher rep sets where fatigue affects core stability. Learning to brace properly without a belt builds stronger core muscles.
Can you deadlift 100kg with bad form?
You can, but you shouldn’t. Bad form at 100kg creates injury risk and builds poor movement patterns that become harder to fix as weights increase. Video your lifts and fix technical issues before adding more weight.
How many reps should you do at 100kg?
For building strength, do 3-5 reps per set at 100kg. For building muscle size, use 6-12 reps. For testing your max, do singles. Your training goal determines the right rep range.
Is deadlifting once a week enough to reach 100kg?
Yes, deadlifting once per week can build you to 100kg, especially if you’re also doing other lower body work like squats and Romanian deadlifts. Two sessions per week speeds up progress but isn’t required.
What percentage of people can deadlift 100kg?
Research on general population strength shows less than 10% of adults can deadlift 100kg without training. Among people who strength train regularly for 6+ months, roughly 40-50% reach this milestone. The percentage varies significantly by body weight and gender.
Heavy compound lifts like deadlifts pair well with other training methods—explore vibration plates for cellulite reduction. You might also consider whether heavy or light weights suit your goals. Strength training accelerates body recomposition—learn how long to reduce body fat from 20% to 15%.
