Apparently, taking a two-handed grip on a barbell for deadlifts is redundant nowadays. On Apr. 18, 2024, recreational powerlifter Yousef Eddessa posted a social media spectacle to Instagram. Eddessa single-handedly pulled a 500-pound (226.7-kilogram) deadlift for three repetitions.
That’s a solid pull for any gym rat, but here’s the kicker: We mean it literally, as in, Eddessa did it using only one hand. Check it out:
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Perhaps even more impressive is the fact that Eddessa performed this feat without the assistance of lifting straps to support his grip strength. Instead, Eddessa opted to grab the bar’s center knurling with a hook grip, wearing a lifting belt and specialty deadlift slippers.
Speaking to BarBend over social media, Eddessa, who is 22 years old, notes that he weighed around 225 pounds (102 kilograms) on the day.
Is This the Heaviest 1-Hand Deadlift Set Ever?
No, but it’s up there. One-handed deadlifts are a novelty feat in strength training more than a legitimate deadlift accessory exercise. As such, keeping track of the “record” for a movement like this is a tall order.
Powerlifter Chris Duffin has pulled five plates (495 pounds) for five reps; Larry Wheels deadlifted 585 pounds; strongman Ivan Makarov reportedly pulled 595 pounds on video, reported by Lifter’s Club on YouTube. Notably, many of these athletes strap up for their single-arm deadlifts, while Eddessa did not.
According to Guinness World Records, on Oct. 8, 1920, a German performer named Hermann Goerner “unofficially” set the record for the “right-hand bar deadlift” at 330 kilograms, or 727.5 pounds. Later that month, Goerner was “officially” recorded deadlifting 301 kilos, or 663.5 pounds, with one hand.
Despite his extraordinary grip and core strength (using your abdominal muscles to stabilize your body while holding onto a barbell with one hand is extremely difficult), Eddessa’s true 1-rep-max deadlift falls at 785 pounds (356 kilograms).
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Could Yousef Eddessa Deadlift 1,000 Pounds?
It’s possible, but lifting 500 pounds with one hand doesn’t directly correlate to lifting twice as much with two. The deadlift is a unique compound exercise that relies more on leverage and technique than muscular strength alone.
Deadlifting with one hand challenges Eddessa’s grip, shoulder stability, and core strength greatly, but the demand on his posterior chain remains mostly the same regardless of using one hand or two.
“I’ve never competed in powerlifting, and I don’t train one-handed deadlifts much. They’re just for fun,” Eddessa tells BarBend.
Interestingly, there’s also a phenomenon in Exercise Science known as the bilateral deficit (1) — in essence, athletes can sometimes produce more cumulative force using one limb at a time than if they used both arms or legs simultaneously.
While this may contradict what many gymgoers experience anecdotally — lifting 200 pounds in the barbell bench press is typically easier than benching 100-pound dumbbells — it does indicate a lot of variability in single-limb performance between individuals.
More Powerlifting News
- Interview: Hunter Henderson Wants to Set 2 Powerlifting World Records and Qualify for the Olympia in 2024
- Dave Richardson (125KG) Deadlifts 430 Kilograms in Training
- British Powerlifter Phil Richard Passes Away at 52 Years Old
References
- Whitcomb, E., Ortiz, O., Toner, J. et al. The bilateral limb deficit (BLD) phenomenon during leg press: a preliminary investigation into central and peripheral factors. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil 13, 89 (2021).
Featured Image: @pumpsbyeddessa / Instagram
