Strongman Eddie Hall is known for a lot of things in the strength world, but in recent years, powerlifting hasn’t been first and foremost among them…yet.
In Hall’s most recent video, the British behemoth squats 345kg (759 lb) for six reps with no belt, no sleeves, and in basketball shoes. And to silence any depth critics, he’s also hitting what for him is basically ass to grass.
Hall has a background in powerlifting before he took up strongman full time, and it’s plain to see he’s kept up his squatting skills.
A quick note: The squats were performed on an eight foot wobbly bar, and his hands weren’t packed within a powerlifting bar’s collars, so it wouldn’t necessarily count in a powerlifting competition. Although, if Hall achieved the shoulder mobility and was able to bring his arms in, it makes us wonder – “What if Hall started competing in powerlifting?”
We know Hall has the raw strength to perform at a top-tier level. He has the world record deadlift with a 500kg pull. And yes, this pull was performed with straps and a deadlift suite, but he’s still definitely strong enough to pull heavy weight without them.
In regards to his bench, Hall posted a video a few weeks ago hitting a 265kg (584 lb) bench for six reps, with no spotters and powerlifting-style pauses for each rep.
Like the squat, it was performed on an eight foot wobbly bar. The press had somewhat of a chest rebound, so it may not have qualified in a meet, but again, the raw strength is there.
If Hall took the time to train the paused bench, there’s no question that he’d be able to post big numbers.
While this all hypothetical thinking, we looked at numbers alone. If Hall could perform a raw 900 lb squat, 600 lb bench, and 900 lb deadlift, that would equal a 2,400 lb total, which has never been achieved raw without wraps (in any federation). Obviously, this hasn’t actually happened, nor do we know if Hall has the intentions of competing in powerlifting – but is it that far off of what Hall’s potential could be?
If Hall shifted his focus to achieving the mobility required for powerlifting and began working towards competition lifts, with his raw strength, we believe he could be one of the most dynamic forces in the sport.
What do you think? Do you think Hall could make the shift to powerlifting and become a dominate force? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Feature image from @eddie_hall_strong Instagram page.