German powerlifter Denise Herber is training for the ABS Pro V in Dublin on Aug. 19, 2023. It will be the fifth edition of that contest and the second time Herber has competed on its roster.
She has made a name for herself at Pro invitational meets in recent years, winning her class at the 2023 Ghost Clash 2 in Florida in February and winning the ABS Pro IV and the 2022 Irish Pro.
On July 25, 2023, Herber shared a video on her Instagram page wherein she deadlifted a 270-kilogram (595-pound) raw for a pair of singles. She performed the lifts without the aid of a lifting belt, an unusual strategy for a conventional deadlift. Check out the lifts below:
Herber set up in a conventional stance, with her hands gripping the barbell outside her foot placement. She rocked back and forth from her heels to the balls of her feet a few times, raised her head, and pulled. It’s slow to break from the floor but then moves steadily to lockout.
The second lift is from a rearview, suggesting how consistent Herber’s lifts are. The second repetition was virtually indistinguishable from the first.
Astonishingly, 270 kilograms (595 pounds) is not a PR for Herber. Although this was the first time she has pulled that weight twice in the same session. Herber matched this weight in competition at the 2023 Ghost Clash and has previously pulled heavier in training. Check out her 275-kilogram (606-pound) deadlift from March 11, 2023, which looked sub-max:
The all-time world record deadlift in the women’s 75KG 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. Herber seems within reach of the 280 kilograms (617 pounds) needed to take the record.
Although her deadlift training is going well, Herber suffered a calf tear a few weeks ago, and her squat has been impacted. She is recovering but has yet to return to squatting in knee wraps, so it’s possible she will hold back on her squat to save her energy for an all-time world record deadlift attempt.
The ABS Pro V is part of a larger powerlifting event that runs for three days and includes a tested division and an amateur division. The Pro competition takes place on Aug. 19, 2023, and will be live-streamed for free on ABS POWERLIFTING YouTube channel.
Featured image: @deniseherber_
