There are athletes who seem to possess a natural knack for strength. This can resonate in the form of raw power through every lift they perform, and then sometimes it’s with a specific lift. Cailer Woolam, 22, could definitely be considered one of these athletes.
All of his lifts are good, but Woolam possesses something special when it comes to the deadlift. To give you context, this past weekend he pulled 881 lbs at a weight of 194 lbs to set a new world record in the 198 weight class. Woolam totaled 1,895 lbs on the day and recorded a 555 Wilks score.
This deadlift is 4.5 times Woolam’s bodyweight, which is a strength feat very few athletes ever complete. The previous record in the 198 weight class was 870 lbs and was set by Andrey Belyaev in 2014.
What may be the most impressive part of this lift – besides how heavy it is – was the fact that Woolam set it after performing eight other lifts. This wasn’t a first or second attempt when he was fresh. He had to dig deep to claim what he’s been working towards. His first two recorded deadlifts were 804 and 848 lbs. Below is a side view of the world record lift.
Woolam pulls sumo style with a double overhand hook grip, which we’ve asked him about before. At the meet he received three white lights and a down signal, but there were still critics in regards to his lockout and the lift itself. From the video above, a few comments pointed out that the lift looked iffy from the side, so Woolam responded giving his two cents.
Woolam agreed with the comments and then stated, “I’m going to have to agree with you guys. I’m not happy at all with how this lift was. Not my call. But you better believe I’ll be back for this one again.”
Powerlifting is a sport that’s subject to criticism due to every judge having different views/opinions, but I don’t think there’s a doubt in anyone’s mind about this young powerlifter’s strength.
Woolam is only 22 and his powerlifting career seems to be gaining steam with every passing month. Now the question is, when will we see a 900 lb deadlift in competition?
Feature image from @cailerc40 Instagram page.
