Krzysztof Wierzbicki is going to deadlift 500 kilograms (1,102 pounds) someday. At least, that’s what the 29-year-old Polish powerlifter says on his Instagram profile. If and when Wierzbicki pulls it off, he’ll be the third person ever to pull the milestone weight successfully. Only two humans have ever hit that weight — the 2017 World Strongest Man (WSM) champion Eddie Hall and the 2018 WSM champion Hafthor Bjornsson.
The two strongmen lifted 500 kilograms (1,102 pounds) and 501 kilograms (1,104 pounds), respectively, in lifting suits. Hall was the first person to hit 500-kilograms (1,102 pounds), and Bjornsson’s deadlift currently stands as the heaviest of all time. Even with the extreme weight difference between Wierzbicki and the two strongmen turned boxers, he has inched his way closer to the 500-kilogram (1,102-pound) milestone in a recent training lift. Check out Wierzbicki pull, with lifting straps, an astounding 456-kilogram (1,005-pound) deadlift below courtesy of King of the Lifts’ Instagram page:
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[Related: Krzysztof Wierzbicki Just Made The Heaviest Deadlift In The History Of The IPF]
Wierzbicki, who currently holds the all-time deadlift world record in the 100-kilogram (220-pound) class, does not compete in strongman competitions. He usually competes in either the 93-kilogram (205-pound), 100-kilogram (220-pound), or 105-kilogram (231-pound) weight class as a powerlifter. Early in his powerlifting career, nearly a decade ago, he competed in the 82.5-kilogram weight class.
The heaviest Wierzbicki has ever weighed in competition was at the 2017 International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Games when he competed in the 120-kilogram (264-pound) weight class. He placed fifth according to Open Powerlifting. Both Hall and Bjornsson weighed over 181 kilograms (400 pounds) during their record lifts.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=mcZYnk9R4AU
Per the Instagram post, Wierzbicki’s weight at the time of this lift was 93 kilograms (205 pounds). That means this lift was just shy of five times his bodyweight. Additionally, it is heavier than any competition deadlift he has ever hit in any weight class. For reference, his heaviest competition deadlift is a 433.5-kilogram (955.7-pound) deadlift in the 100-kilogram (220-pound) class at the National Association of Powerlifting (NAP) Siberian Championships on March 8, 2020, in Russia. He won that event with a 941-kilogram (2,074.6-pound) total.
With his most recent feat of strength, Wierzbicki has deadlifted 45 kilograms (99 pounds) less than Bjornsson’s all-time world record weighing at least half as much. (Though it should be noted that Wierzbicki pulls from a sumo stance, and both Thor and Hall’s lifts were done in a conventional stance. Strongmen don’t pull sumo.) Will Wierzbicki complete the “Road to 500-kilos”? It seems safe to assume that the answer is yes, but only time will tell.
Featured image: @kingofthelifts on Instagram