There are a lot of reasons for why a powerlifter might stack additional plates on the barbell to challenge themselves with a new 1-RM.
Some athletes are chasing records. Some athletes are pulling big in the gym so they can prove their superiority in competition. And some athletes are just continuing their day-to-day training in preparation for a their next big meet when their coach lets them loose to have “some fun”.
Hunter Henderson was looking for a good time in the gym when she clipped in 242kg/534lb and pulled a massive new deadlift PR. Check it out below in the post from her Instagram page:
First off, it might not have seemed like this was a new one rep max for Henderson because of how easy that lift looked. The motion was smooth from start to finish and judging from the look on her face when she locked it out at the top, it was a big accomplishment.
Second off, this new PR is over three times her 75kg/165lb competition bodyweight. And it came a full twelve weeks ahead of the 5th Annual World Raw Powerlifting Federation (WRPF) Kern U.S. Open in Del Mar, California on April 25th and 26th, where Henderson plans to compete next.
If you are curious about the 24 year old Henderson’s previous competition results, they can be summed up pretty easily. She has competed three times and has three first place finishes.
Her most recent win came at the WRPF Apeman Elite Open this past October in San Diego, California where she competed in the +67kg/+148lb division (there were only two women’s divisions at this meet: -67kg and +67kg.) Her winning total was 24kg/52.5lb more than the runner up.
We will have to wait and see if Henderson will continue her string of competitive victories at the Kern U.S. Open, but if she continues to have fun in training, it is almost assured that she will post some huge lifts.
Feature image from Hunter Henderson’s Instagram page: @hunter_marie24