The deadlift is truly the ultimate standard by which human strength is measured
We know this because it’s one of the big three, main compound lifts (makes that four if we count the overhead press)
A heaviest deadlift countdown consisting of world records and inhuman feats in general
You more than likely know most if not all of these beasts if you follow strength sports religiously (we can’t get much past you can we)?
But for those not so familiar with deadlift history, today we’re sharing the 11 hardest deadlifts of all time
Heaviest Deadlift of All Time:
The 4x World’s Strongest Man champion pulled a massive 464kg/10208lbs at the 2016 Arnold Strongman Classic using an Elephant Beam
Of course, Brian Shaw doesn’t have much else to prove at this point
But the Colorado native is coming into the 2020 World’s Strongest Man competition (if the competition still takes place on the scheduled date) more ready than ever
Brian Shaw Deadlifts
He recently posted a YouTube video showing how he trains and prepares for the car death push event and it is possible that he may surpass this feat sometime in the near future
The American Jerry Pritchett is known for his incredible deadlift talent
At the 2016 Giants Live event, he deadlifted a whopping 465kg/1023lbs with a standard deadlift bar
Pritchett also placed 8th at the recent Arnold Strongman Classic just a few weeks ago
Although this feat technically does not count towards the countdown, based on overall weight lifted
Lamar Grant was able to achieve an astronomical feat by deadlifting 305 kg/672 pounds at 132 pounds!
Lamar Gant set a deadlift world record that still stands today despite being 5’2″ and having scoliosis!
In December 2019, the Russian Ivan Makarov attempted the deadlift of 501 kg, of which he was unsuccessful
But he still managed an insane 470 kg/1036 lb deadlift with a standard bar
Although, he is definitely a threat to the deadlift record
Zydrunas “Big Z” Savickas of Lithuania is considered by many to be the greatest Strongman athlete who ever lived
In fact, he has won every single major Strongman competition and is the only modern competitor ever to do so
Savickas is a 4-time World’s Strongest Man champion, 8-time Arnold Classic winner, and the list goes onand onand on
Zydrunas Savickas Deadlift
He achieved a 524 kg/1,155 lb hummer tire deadlift at the 2014 Arnold Strongman Classic in Columbus, Ohio
Special guest – Ronnie Coleman
Special guest – Ronnie Coleman
Ronnie Coleman is not part of the numerical countdown, but he is the special guest due to the fact that he was an absolute beast!
But what many people may not know about Coleman is that he also competed in powerlifting in the mid-90s
Ronnie Coleman Deadlift
Ronnie Coleman was also known to squat 800 pounds and of course he could dead count a ridiculous 900 pounds x 2 reps that he did just a few weeks from the Arnold Classic
The most successful Strongman competitor currently, Hafthor Bjornsson of Iceland, was the 2018 World’s Strongest Man Champion and 2020 Arnold Classic winner who won his third straight in Columbus, Ohio
Hafthor Julius Bjornsson
Bjornsson deadlifted 474 kg/10428 pounds at the 2019 Arnold Classic on an Elephant Bar, making him the world record holder with that bar
He is coming for the all-time 501kg deadlift record soon and we are confident that he will get it soon after missing it last year
Bjornsson also shares great training updates and videos via his YouTube channel
Eddie Hall from England is one of the freakiest creatures to ever walk the planet
The World’s Strongest Man 2016 was an event he probably would have won had he not been injured
But he went on to win the 2017 World’s Strongest Man competition
He also boasts a few world records and has a very impressive Strongman resume
At the 2016 World’s Strongest Man competition, Hall pulled 4725 kg/10395 lbs on the Elephant beam
What makes powerlifter Andy Bolton’s 1000lb deadlift so impressive is that he was the first man to ever officially lift that much weight off the ground
Now, of course, his deadlift has since been surpassed, but he is still the current World Powerlifting Organization (WPO) world record holder in the total (1273 kg/2806 lb) and squat (5505 kg/1213 lb)
Benedikt Magnusson holds the current raw (no bands or pack) deadlift record of 460 kg/1015 pounds which he did in 2011 on a standard deadlift
in 2014 Magnusson set the heaviest strongman deadlift of 461 kg (1,016 lb) which was surpassed the following year by Eddie Hall 462 kg/1,019 lbs
We’re sure you saw this one coming and yes, Eddie Hall made the list again
Hall holds the all-time deadlift record of 500 kg/1,102 pounds, 79th which he accomplished in 2016
He also became the first man to ever lift 1100 pounds and even walked out after his world record performance
Eddie Hall Deadlift
Eddie Hall Deadlift
Eddie Hall did end up with this feat, but still surprisingly impressive
On May 2, 2020, Hafthor “The Mountain” Bjornsson deadlifted 501 kg and set the all-time world record
The 30-year-old Arnold Strongman Classic champion also set an unofficial elephant bar world record (480kg/1058lbs) in February and then smoked 470kg/1036lbs live on Twitch last month, marking his last heavy session was before the world record breaking day
A post shared by Fitness Volt (@fitnessvoltnetwork)
The lift made history and now he is the new king of the deadlift
Now, the next guy isn’t in the video and he didn’t even perform a conventional deadlift
However, he does hold the all-time ‘seated’ deadlift world record, which is why we included him in the list
Martin Tye is a disabled veteran who successfully lifted 550 kg/1,212 pounds off the ground while sitting at the 2020 Arnold Classic, Ohio
Martin Tye’s Guinness World Record
This achievement put him in the Guinness Book of World Records and the British Strongman has big ambitions looking ahead
Here are the 10 hardest video death punches of all time if you want to check it out…
We hope you enjoyed this top 10 list of world record deadlift performances and some special guests too
These feats are truly incredible and we can’t wait to see if someone breaks Eddie Hall’s all-time record soon
Although, we think Hafthor Bjornsson currently has the best chance
Who has the world record for deadlifts? Hafthor Julius Bjornsson!
On May 2, 2020, The Mountain deadlifted 501 kg, setting the all-time world record
The previous world record holder was Eddie Hall who deadlifted a massive 500kg/1102lbs at Europe’s Strongest Man in 2016
Who lifted 500 kg? Hafthor Bjornsson (501 kg) and Eddie Hall (500 kg) are the only two men who have ever lifted 500 kg
Has anyone beaten Eddie Hall’s 500kg deadlift? Hafthor Bjornsson deadlifted 501 kg and set the all-time world record on May 2, 2020
What is the most weight lifted by a human being? The most weight lifted by a human was 501 kg/110452 lbs achieved by Strongman Hafthor Bjornsson on May 2, 2020
What is the world record squat? The world record squat is 5775 kg/12732 lbs achieved by Dave Hoff at the WPO Super Finals on October 28, 2019
His record was equipped with a multi-layer squat suit and knee wrap
What is the heaviest squat? The heaviest squat is 5775 kg/12732 lbs achieved by Dave Hoff at the WPO Super Finals on October 28, 2019
How many did Thor kill? Hafthor ‘Thor’ Bjornsson deadlifted 501 kg/1,104 pounds and set the all-time world record on May 2, 2020
Previously, he lifted 474 kg/1,045 pounds at the 2019 Arnold Strongman Classic in Columbus, Ohio
He also won first place at this competition
Also Check: 10 Strongest Men in Modern History
You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and
Powerlifting Sterkman Videos