One of the strongest heavy dumbbell lifters on the planet is 2020 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) Oleksii Novikov. He is one of the 10 strongmen on the roster vying for the biggest prize purse in the sport’s history ($132,309 to first place) at the 2021 Rogue Invitational is set for Oct. 29-31, 2021, at the Dell Diamond stadium in Round Rock, TX.
One of his final training sessions before flying to the US from Ukraine involved an attempt at lifting more than the Cyr Dumbbell world record of 150 kilograms (330.7 pounds) held by Mateusz Kieliszkowski from the 2018 World’s Ultimate Strongman (WUS) Finals. Novikov tacked 153.2 kilograms (337.8 pounds) onto his heavy dumbbell, performed a smooth clean, and locked it out overhead with apparent ease for an unofficial world record. Check it out in the video below, courtesy of Novikov’s YouTube channel:
Note: the would-be world record lift takes place at 10:40 of the video.
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The 2021 Rogue Invitational features a strongman contest between 10 of the world’s elite strongmen for the first time in the competition’s history. It features five events spread over two days. One of those events is a Cyr Dumbbell ladder, where competitors must lift a series of Cyr Dumbbells of ascending weight in the fastest time possible.
Novikov currently holds the heavy dumbbell for reps world record. He lifted a 100-kilogram (220.5-pound) dumbbell for 11 reps in 75 seconds on the WUS “Feats of Strength” series in May 2020. He is so proficient with a heavy dumbbell that 2019 WSM champion Martins Licis invited him to Licis’ Wreck-It Gym in El Segundo, CA, to help train him in the event. Despite that, Novikov felt he could still improve upon his heavy dumbbell technique.
In recent months, Novikov has upped the frequency of his heavy dumbbell training. Before crushing more than the Cyr Dumbbell world record weight in training, he built up to it with a 140-kilogram (308.6-pound) lift. Novikov expects the heaviest dumbbell at the end of the Cyr Dumbbell ladder at the Rogue invitational to be 145 kilograms (319.7 pounds) or the world record 150 kilograms (330.7 pounds). Novikov believes the best way to prepare for that is by training his maximal dumbbell press, which led him to seek a world record lift in training.
I have lots of weaknesses. They require training and time. It turned out I needed to train [heavy dumbbell] and I’m excited to beat the world record.
The lift Novikov performed in the gym would have been a world record if not for the caveats that it was not done in competition or a sanctioned event with an official referee.
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Novikov’s strength in the heavy dumbbell has improved beyond the weight his current heavy dumbbell can support. He will strive to lockout a staggering 170 kilograms (374.8 pounds) and has already placed the order for a custom heavy dumbbell capable of supporting that much weight to be sent to his gym.
2021 Rogue Invitational
The 2021 Rogue Invitational will be live-streamed on the Rogue Fitness YouTube channel. Novikov is undoubtedly a contender for the top spot on the podium. Still, he will have to be the likes of Kieliszkowski, four-time WSM champion Brian Shaw, 2021 WSM champion Tom Stoltman, and 2021 Europe’s Strongest Man Luke Stoltman to get there.
Featured image via Oleksii Novikov’s YouTube channel.