Compiled and contributed by Howard Gutnick One of accepted pieces of conventional wisdom in powerlifting is that lighter-weight lifters deadlift more than they squat, while heavier lifters squat more than they deadlift . The data that is graphed here were collected from a group of powerlifters of varying experience who responded to a poll that was posted on two powerlifting forums. Thirty-two people responded, 29 men and 3 women of varying lifting experience. The average weight of the respondents was 202.2 lbs, ranging from 144 lbs to 310 lbs. Their average age was 34.3 years old, ranging from 15 to 59. The average deadlift was 498.8 lbs with a range of 235 lbs to 800 lbs and the average squat was 481.7 lbs with a range of 210 lbs to 805 lbs.

There is a general monotonically increasing trend that heavier athletes lift heavier weights, although there are some notable exceptions. For instance, the 233 lb lifter had both the best deadlift and the best squat. A 198 lb'er had lifts that were almost as good as the heaviest lifter in the data base.

The black line with triangular points shows the deadlift minus squat for each lifter, with positive values indicating that the deadlift was better than the squat. Negative numbers show the opposite. The average difference between deadlift and squat was 17.1 lbs with a range of +164 lbs to -125 lbs. The gold line is a linear trend that was computed by Microsoft Excel. This line crosses the "0 lb" difference at about 215 lbs. Based on these data, we could expect lifters who weigh more than 215 lbs to squat more than they deadlift while lifters lighter than 215 lbs would be expected to deadlift more. There are exceptions to this rule of thumb even in this database. Three of the 21 lifters who weigh less than 215 lbs were better squatters and four of the 11 lifter who weighed more than 215 lbs were better deadlifters.

The crossover point of the trend line (215 lbs) probably was affected by several factors:

1. The heterogeneity of the experience of the the lifters who responded. It might be expected that powerlifters with extensive experience would have a lesser difference between their squat and deadlift.

2. The number of lifters at higher weights who responded. In general, this sample was biased toward a greater number of lighter lifters. Nineteen of the 32 lifters were 198 lbs or less. We had only two lifters who are 275 lbs or more.

3. The use of gear. While most lifters reported that they used suits and wraps while squatting and suits while deadlifting, it is generally accepted that the gear is more effective in the squat than in the deadlift.

This data does not address the question as to why lighter lifters generally are better at deadlifting while heavier lifters are the opposite. It could be that more mid-body girth that would be expected on the heavier lifter provides a greater rebound out of the hole of the squat. The grip that is required for the deadlift could be one of its limiting factors in that the grip fails on the deadlift before the strength level fails. Lighter lifters may be more affected by having a bar on narrower shoulders exerting more pressure per square inch of contact than heavier lifters with wider shoulders. Another factor, and certainly not the last one, may be the better leverage that is afforded the heavier lifter when performing the squat.

As data from more lifters are added to the data sample, especially from heavier lifters, the crossover point probably will change

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