67.5-kilogram powerlifter Nabil Lahlou was coming off the 2022 Good Guys UN Invitational meet, where he deadlifted a world record 318 kilograms (701 pounds) when he ventured to the Quad Strength System gym in Woodbury, NJ. Many might suggest that it would be challenging to top himself so soon after upending the record books, but Lahlou did not share that sentiment.
Lahlou deadlifted nearly 100 pounds more than he did in the meet. On Oct. 21, 2022, the “French Phenom” pulled 362.8 kilograms (800 pounds) in training. The massive lift can be seen in the Instagram reel below:
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Lahlou reported that he weighed 73.9 kilograms (163 pounds) at the time of the lift. He was shirtless and wore a weightlifting belt when he approached the barbell. He did use lifting straps for the deadlift, which wouldn’t be allowed in raw competition. Nonetheless, the barbell was loaded with eight 45-pound weight plates on each side as well as 10-pound, five-pound, and 2.5-pound plates.
Lahlou took his traditional sumo stance, secured his grip on the bar, and made the pull. He initially struggled to break ground, but the bar went straight up to the lockout once he did. He fell to the ground after lowering the bar, but he wasn’t injured.
Based on the post’s caption, this was a long-term goal for Lahlou, but it wasn’t planned when he began the session that day.
800 finally happened! I wasn’t even supposed to deadlift, but as I was feeling the warm-ups I knew I had something decent in me.
The lift was 4.9 times his body weight, which is a remarkable feat considering he pulled 4.7 times his body weight in competition less than two weeks earlier. If he were to compete in the 75-kilogram division in a meet, that is the weight he would have to pull without straps if he wanted to break the world record. The current record for the 75-kilogram division is held by Adlet Moldagaliev, who pulled 362.4 kilograms (799.1 pounds) at the 2022 WRPF Asian Championships in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
As of this writing, there is no official word on when Lahlou will compete again.
Featured Image: @kinng_67 on Instagram