75-kilogram German powerlifter Denise Herber is on a roll. She won the 2023 Ghost Clash 2 in February, followed by her second ABS Pro title in Dublin, Ireland, in August. Herber is best known for her massive deadlift — she hit a PR deadlift of 272.5 kilograms (601 pounds) at the ABS Pro but missed an all-time raw w/wraps world record attempt of 280 kilograms (617 pounds).
Since then, Herber’s training, especially on the deadlift, has soared. On Oct. 10, 2023, she shared a video of a massive raw 285-kilogram (628-pound) PR. Check it out below, courtesy of her Instagram page:
Herber deadlifted with a conventional stance; legs about hip-width apart, with a grip on the barbell outside the legs. She used a lifting belt to assist her bracing but no other supportive equipment.
Herber screwed her feet into the floor to set her stance and bent her knees to grip the bar. She dropped her hips, lifted her chest, and raised her head to begin the pull. The bar was slow to leave the ground, but once it started its ascent, it did not stop until lockout, which was solid.
Herber held the weight at the top for a moment before returning the bar to the platform. She smiled and nodded before walking, seemingly pleased with the lift. The clip then displayed the same lift again from the back, a feature Herber often includes in her lifting videos to aid technical analysis.
This isn’t Herber’s only recent deadlift PR. Take a look at her 275 kilogram (606-pound) double from two weeks prior in the video below:
According to Open Powerlifting, the all-time world record deadlift in the women’s 75-kilogram raw w/wraps class currently belongs to Kristy Hawkins at 277.5 Kilograms (612 pounds). Hawkins set the record at the World Raw Powerlifting Federation (WRPF) American Pro in July 2022. Hawkins has not yet competed in 2023.
Herber and Hawkins will meet in competition for the first time in Manassas, Virginia, at the 2023 WRPF American Pro, and both look set to attempt all-time world record deadlifts in the 75-kilogram class. They will lift in the non-tested prime time session on Oct. 29, 2023, which promises to be a deadlift battle to remember.
Featured image: @deniseherber_
