On April 16, 2021, Giants Live put out an APB (all-points bulletin) to everyone in the strength sports world on Instagram, looking for the athlete that can deadlift 505 kilograms (1,113 pounds). Currently, the world record belongs to the 2018 World’s Strongest Man and boxer Hafthor Björnsson, who pulled 501 kilograms (1,104 pounds) in May of 2020.
The post was part of the announcement of the 2021 World Deadlift Championships, set to take place on August 14, 2021, at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England. This event is part of the Giants Live World Open taking place that same day. Should someone perform this feat, they’ll be rewarded with the all-time world record and $50,000. Giants Live has also made it clear that anyone who feels that they have a shot should step up to the plate.
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“Giants Live are on the hunt for the next world record deadlifter. We’re offering $50,000 to anyone who can lift 505 kilograms,” the post reads. “Think you can deadlift 505 kilograms? Email [email protected] with a video of your lifts and why you should be invited to Giants Live World Open + World Deadlift Championships.”
500-Kilogram History Lesson
The magical half-ton number was considered impossible until 2016 when Eddie Hall became the first man to pull the massive weight at the Giants Live World Deadlift Championship. He would win the World’s Strongest Man title in 2017 and immediately retire from the sport. Now, Hall has shed an incredible amount of weight preparing for his boxing match with Björnsson in September 2021.
In May 2020, Björnsson pulled one kilogram more than Hall in his gym as a part of the premiere episode of World’s Ultimate Strongman’s “Feats of Strength” series. Even though the weights were confirmed and former WSM winner Magnús Ver Magnússon verified the lift, this feat was criticized by some because it wasn’t performed in a competition. Of course, many of the contests that year had been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, it is the heaviest deadlift of all time.
This isn’t the first time a promotion has put up money in exchange for big lifts. In 2019, Rogue offered $50,000 to anyone who could deadlift 501 kilograms on their Elephant bar. No one did it, but Thor did break his own record on the lift with a 474-kilogram (1,045-pound) deadlift.
Who Can Deadlift 505 Kilograms?
The two men who have pulled past 500 kilograms have since retired from strongman. That begs the question: Who can take the deadlift to a new all-time high? Below, we go over four men who have a shot at potentially inching the 500-kilogram mark higher.
Peiman Maheripourehir
This man may be considered the early favorite to achieve the 505-kilogram pull. On March 25, 2021. he pulled 492 kilograms (1,084 pounds) in training, which is the closest anyone other than Thor and Hall has come to 500 kilograms. In the video of Maheripourehir lifting 492 kilograms, he states, “the 505 record this year will be for me and Iran,” so the milestone is clearly on his mind. With close to four extra months of training, the Iranian would need to add 13 kilograms to that total to make history.
Ivan Makarov
Makarov was the first man to attempt to pull more than 501 kilograms since Björnsson did it. His attempt, also on the “Feats of Strength” series, was unsuccessful. He has pulled as much as 490 kilograms (1,080 pounds) in the past, and he has made it clear that he wants to accept the Giants Live challenge in a comment on their post.
“I really want to take part and lift 505 kg in England. I really like the Giants Live competition, but I don’t know if I can get the documents or not. I will do everything for this to come and win.”
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JF Caron
Caron may be the strongest he has ever been at this point in his career. The third-place finisher at the 2020 World’s Strongest Man pulled 1,202 pounds on the Hummer Tire Deadlift at the 2020 Shaw Classic, and he has pulled over 1,000 pounds on the traditional barbell deadlift on multiple occasions.
Gabriel Peña
Peña is an up and comer in the sport, and he already has people talking, thanks to his rapid progression on the deadlift. He’s pulled a set of five reps with 455.7 kilograms (1,005 pounds) on the trap bar, ripped 454 kilograms (1,000 pounds) on the conventional deadlift, pulled 520-kilograms from blocks, and managed 481 kilograms on an 18-inch axle bar deadlift.
One goal that the “Texas Titan” has set in the sport is to break this record. Keep in mind that the best that Hall pulled before his 500-kilogram lift was 465 kilos (1,025 pounds). On the right day, with the right training and motivation, anything can happen.
Featured image: @giantslivewsm and ivan_makarovstrong on Instagram