The weekend before Thanksgiving is when it’s time to pull heavy in the gym. At least, that is what 53-year-old bodybuilder Kevin Malone apparently gets after it. On Nov. 21, 2021, Malone shared a video on his Instagram page wherein he deadlifted a titanic 317.5 kilograms (700 pounds), raw, in a conventional stance while employing a hook grip. The grind was real when Malone quickly got the barbell past his knees and then slowly but surely lifted it to a clean lockout.
Lifting 700 pounds is relatively commonplace for Malon. He regularly posts a video of himself scoring a 700-pound pull every few months. Even his Instagram handle touts the lift — @BigKev700. Check out his most recent successful lift below, where he wore a lifting belt, wrist wraps, lifting shoes, and used a lot of chalk:
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Bodybuilder Kevin Malone
According to NPC News Online, Malone made his professional bodybuilding debut in 2014 at the NPC Teen Collegiate & Masters National Championships where he ranked seventh overall. He competed in that same competition in 2015 but fell nine ranks to 16th. He took three years off from the competition stage, returning in 2018 with a string of strong finishes:
- 2018 NPC Phil Heath Classic | Men’s Heavyweight — Third place
- 2018 NPC Northcoast Championships | Men’s Masters Over 50 and Men’s Masters Over 40 — First place
- 2018 NPC North American Championships | Men’s Masters Over 50 Heavyweight — Fifth place
Despite consistently posting gigantic deadlifts as well as some vascular front double biceps poses on his Instagram page, Malone does not have any sanctioned powerlifting competitions under his belt*. However, his preference for a conventional stance with a hook grip is effective for him into his 50s.
A few weeks before Christmas in 2020, Malone deadlifted 342.5 kilograms (755 pounds). That pull looked identical to the one above, with his barbell speed bursting past his knees and then slow and steady to the lockout. Check out that lift below, courtesy of World Raw Powerlifting Federation’s (WRPF) Facebook page:
*Note: Kevin Malone is not recorded in any sanctioned competition on Open Powerlifting’s database.
[Related: Powerlifter Yangsu Ren (83KG) Deadlifts 7.5 Kilograms Over IPF World Record In Training]
For context as to how heavy 342.5 kilograms (755 pounds) is, it is the current Masters Men 50-54 world record in the 110-kilogram weight class. Don Demetrakeas scored the lift at the 2020 United Powerlifting Association (UPA) Winter Warfare. Malone did not share his body weight at the time of his record-tying deadlift in the gym, but it’s clear he has the ability to contend with the best in the world.
Malone is capable of 700-plus pound pulls consistently. How heavy he is capable of going is an open-ended question. Will he program his training to attempt the world record in sanctioned competition? Judging by the muscle density on his frame and his tight form with a hook grip, it certainly seems possible.
Featured image: @bigkev700