Rhianon Lovelace will not be stopped. The pound-for-pound strongest woman on the planet competed at the 2022 Berkshire’s Strongest contest on July 16, 2022, with the goal of exceeding her deadlift world record of 272.5 kilograms (600.8 pounds) from the 2020 Strength Shop Record Breakers contest.
It was no secret that Lovelace was capable of eclipsing the deadlift world record but seeing happen in competition on camera is still awe-inspiring. She exited the contest with a new deadlift world record, locking out 282.5 kilograms (622.8 pounds). Check out her world record deadlift in the video below, courtesy of her Instagram page. She wore a lifting belt, lifting straps, and deadlifted in socks. She forewent knee sleeves:
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Lovelace’s deadlift was smooth past the knees, where it then resembled a paused lift. She maintained the barbell past her knees and leaned back. Where most athletes’ posterior chains would likely be unable to sustain the weight long enough in that position for the legs to drive through to a lockout, Lovelace is not like most athletes. For reference, this kind of hitch in strongman and strongwoman is a legal maneuver in the deadlift. Athletes with significantly lesser body weight than the loads they’re lifting will often proactively hitch to improve their lifts. Rob Kearney is likely the most notable strongman to implement this strategy.
Lovelace’s bodyweight at the time of her world record pull was 62.5 kilograms (137.8 pounds), which means her lift was officially 4.52 times her body weight. She has countless videos in training and competition pulling four times her body weight, but reaching over the 4.5-times threshold is a unique category she fills alone in the strongwoman space.
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[Related: Strongman Rauno Heinla Exceeds Masters Deadlift World Record by 14 Kilograms in Training]
Even with another world deadlift record tacked onto her resume, Lovelace has already shared her next deadlift goal. Per the caption on her Instagram post, she will train toward a deadlift equivalent to five times her body weight. It would open up the space of what is possible in strength sports if she succeeds. If an athlete is capable of it, it’s Lovelace.
Featured image: @rhianon.lovelace.kaosstrength on Instagram
