Kristof De Coninck is an accomplished powerlifter from Belgium who competes in deadlift-only events in the -125kg weight class. The 34-year-old made his competitive debut at the Global Powerlifting Committee (GPC) 2018 European Championships and placed first with a 330kg/727.5lb deadlift. He has competed an additional three times since taking home a silver medal at the GPC 2018 World Championships and then a gold medal at that same event a year later — both of those medals were secured with a 345kg/760.5kg deadlift.
In training, De Coninck has made gigantic strides. Most recently, he shared a video of himself pulling an absolutely massive 363kg/800lb deadlift without a belt. Check it out via his Instagram page below:
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[Related: Check out Cailer Woolam deadlift 415kg/915lb beltless.]
This lift is just shy of three times his competition bodyweight and is 8kg/17lb above the current European Powerlifting Federation (EPF) record of 355kg/783lb held by both Ivaylo Hristov and Paul-Johannes Heddrich.
If we assume that De Coninck is not at competition bodyweight, this lift is also 3kg/6.6lb above the current European record in the -140kg class — a 360kg/794lb pull by Cenk Kocak.
De Coninck’s gigantic beltless lift comes right on the heels of two new personal records. Just over a week ago, he shared a video of himself hitting a 337.5kg/744lb paused double PR as well as a 375kg/827lb block PR. See both for yourself below from De Coninck’s Instagram page:
Note: the block PR is first. Slide left for the paused double PR.
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[Related: Learn how to find your 1-rep max.]
De Coninck only competed once in 2019 and it is not certain when he will be able to take the stage again in 2020. But when he does, it is very possible that he hits a new European deadlift record.
Feature image from Kristof De Coninck’s Instagram page: @kristofdc85
