Some people say the squat is the king of the lifts, but we’re not sure it deserves the title outright. There’s something just damn impressive — and impressively simple — about picking up really heavy weight off the ground.
The deadlift is one of the most straightforward, measurable tests of strength. While the lift has some significant variations (more on that below), it culminates with the athlete picking up the heaviest possible barbell. A weak pull will set an athlete back from the competition, whether a powerlifter, strongman, weightlifter, bodybuilder, or CrossFitter.
Below are the heaviest deadlifts ever locked out in competition, including raw, equipped, strongman, “long bar,” partial, and tire variations. Also outlined are how standards and rules varied for each. No matter the specifics, these are the most impressive pulls in history.
[Related: Everything You Need to Know to Build Your First Workout Program]
The BarBend Deadlift Cheat Sheet
In all of deadlifting styles, a weightlifting belt is permitted.
Raw Deadlift
Raw means that the lifter only wore a belt during the lift—no straps, no suit. Typically, any record in this category was set in a powerlifting meet.
Equipped Deadlift
Also common in powerlifting meets, lifters in the equipped division can wear a deadlift suit, but they don’t wear straps.
Strongman Deadlift
Strongman and strongwoman competitions usually allow lifters to wear whatever they want, so you typically see the heaviest deadlifts pulled in strongman competitions. Lifters can wear a soft belt, a standard belt, a lifting suit, and, most notably, lifting straps to help grip the bar.
Long Bar Deadlift
A standard deadlift bar is seven feet long, while a long bar, such as Rogue’s Elephant bar, is 10 feet long. The extra length creates a lot of flex, meaning the barbell bends as the lifter pulls on it. This flex lowers the bar’s center of gravity, making the deadlift harder to lock out.
Partial Deadlift
Only seen in strongman competitions, the partial deadlift involves the lifter pulling weight from 18 inches off the floor. Because the lifter pulls from a higher starting point, they can move more weight. This lift is also known as the silver dollar deadlift and the 18-inch deadlift.
Tire Deadlift
A long bar is loaded with Hummer tires instead of traditional weight plates, which is quite the visual spectacle. The lifter stands on a podium centered under the bar to lift the weight. This deadlift is usually seen in strongman and strongwoman shows.
Men’s Deadlift Records
Here are the top deadlifts by men, verified in competition.
Raw Deadlift
On March 26, 2022, Danny Grigsby became the first athlete to pull over 1,000 pounds, raw, in a full powerlifting meet. At the USPA Virginia Beach Classic 2, Grigsby pulled 465 kilograms (1,025.2 pounds) in the 125-kilogram weight class.
A few months later, Grigsby pulled 487.5 kilograms (or 1,074.5 pounds) in a full powerlifting meet to further his record.
Prior to Grigsby, the heaviest raw pull was 460.4 kilograms (1,015 pounds), achieved by Icelandic strongman and powerlifter Benedikt Magnusson in a deadlift-only meet.
Equipped Deadlift
British powerlifter Andy Bolton 457.5 kilograms (1,009 pounds) at the 2009 BPC South East Qualifier and Novice Bash in England. He performed the lift with a deadlift suit (hence “equipped”) but without the use of lifting straps or hitching.
Strongman Deadlift
On May 5, 2020, Strongman Hafthor Björnsson deadlifted 501 kilograms (1,104 pounds) in his native country of Iceland. There is controversy surrounding Björnsson’s deadlift. A judge officiated the lift, which was streamed on ESPN in the United States, and globally on CoreSports.world. However, some consider Eddie Hall’s 500-kilogram (1,102-pound) deadlift, which he pulled at the 2016 World Deadlift Championships to still count as the world record.
Long Bar Strongman Deadlift
At the 2019 Arnold Strongman Classic, Hafthor Björnsson deadlifted 474 kilograms (1,046 pounds) on Rogue’s Elephant Bar, which made its debut at the ASC in 2016. This was also the year that Rogue offered $50,000 to anyone who could pull 501 or more kilograms on the Elephant Bar.
Partial Deadlift (a.k.a. 18-inch or Silver Dollar Deadlift)
Rauno Heinla broke the previous 18-inch deadlift (aka silver dollar deadlift) record by 20 kilograms with a 580-kilogram (1,278-pound) lift. The deadlift took place June 4, 2022, at the 2022 Silver Dollar Deadlift Estonian Championships in Viljandi, Estonia.
Tire Deadlift
At the Shaw Classic in the Summer of 2022, Oleksii Novikov of Ukraine set a new Hummer tire deadlift record at 548 kilograms (1,210 pounds). The record was held by Canadian JF Caron, who lifted 545 kilograms. Prior to Caron, Lithuanian strongman legend Žydrūnas Savickas lifted 524 kilograms (1,155 pounds) at the 2014 Arnold Classic Strongman.
Women’s Deadlift Records
Here are the top deadlifts by women, verified in competition.
Raw Deadlift
In July 2022, at the World Raw Powerlifting Federation American Pro, Tamara Walcott pulled 290 kilograms (639.4 pounds) raw to extend her own deadlift world record. Walcott previously set the record at the 2021 World Raw Powerlifting Federation (WRPF) The Showdown in Kansas City, where the lift was 288.5 kilograms (636 pounds).
Equipped Deadlift
According to Open Powerlifting, Becca Swanson pulled 315 kilograms (694.5 pounds) at the 2005 WPC WPO European Semi Finals.
Strongwoman Deadlift
Lucy Underdown was invited to contend for the strongwoman deadlift record at the 2021 Ultimate Strongman UK’s Strongest Man competition, which took place from May 29-31. She pulled an incredible 300 kilograms (661.4 pounds), besting Andrea Thompson’s previous record by 10 kilograms.
Long Bar Deadlift
At the 2023 Arnold Strongwoman Classic, Victoria Long pulled 295 kilograms (651 pounds) during event three to set a new Elephant Bar Deadlift world record. The record was previously owned by Walcott, who matched Long’s record. (Because Long lifted the weight first, the record belongs solely to her.)
Yeah, Thompson owns this record, too. At the 2020 Arnold Pro Strongwoman contest, both Andrea Thompson and Kristin Rhodes broke through the 600-pound barrier on the Elephant bar. Rhodes first pulled 279 kilograms (616 pounds). Shortly after, Thompson, a four-time Britain’s Strongest Woman winner, managed to set the current world record at 281 kilograms (621 pounds).
Partial Deadlift
To the best of BarBend’s knowledge, Swedish strongwoman Anna Harjapää set the silver dollar deadlift record with a 335-kilogram (738-pound) deadlift. Harjapää completed the pull at an Official Strongman event in 2016. Harjapää’s deadlift was done without a suit but with a belt and straps.
Rhianon Lovelace has pulled a partial deadlift of 365 kilograms (800 pounds) in the gym. She wore a deadlift suit for her substantial partial deadlift.
Featured image: @roguefitness on Instagram
