Powerlifter Kevin Oak just hit a sumo deadlift PR with an impressive 815 lbs! Oak pulled this massive personal milestone during a training session this week.
Oak has been a big name in the powerlifting world for quite some time. Last year, he set the all-time raw world record squat in the 242 lb weight class after hitting a massive 832 lbs. Oak set this world record back in April 2018 at the USPA Connecticut Spring Classic in Derby, Connecticut.
Check out his sumo deadlift PR below. He wrote, “815 lbs for a new sumo PR. Deadlifting gets a lot easier when you’re not overly bloated.”
Now, Oak is weighing in around 233 lbs and is crushing new PRs. BarBend got the chance to catch up with Oak and hear about his current training routine, what’s next, and what went into hitting that big sumo deadlift.
His caption ties into some changes he’s recently made in his diet and training routine.
“Training is going well at the moment. I just started prep for the Tribute Meet in August. After pulling out of the US Open, I made some key diet and lifestyle changes which included losing 27 lbs (going from 253 lbs down to 226 lbs.) The last two weeks I’ve been around 233,” Oak told BarBend.
As for how he dropped 27 pounds? Oak said it’s been a compilation of increasing his activity and key diet changes.
“Generally I’ve been a lot more active. I cut out dairy, I cut out candy, and sugary things in general. I’m taking a more anti-inflammatory approach to my diet.”
All across the board, whether it be deadlifts, sumo deadlifts, or other lifts, Oak can pull his weight, and then some. His last competition to date was USPA The Tribute in August, 2018. Oak finished in first place in the raw -242 lb weight class, weighing in at 240 lbs. At The Tribute he squatted 804.7 lbs, benched 534.6 lbs, and deadlifted 804.7 lbs for a 2,144 lb total.
Oak will be competing at The Tribute this year at 220 lbs (raw with no knee wraps.) He mentioned how this isn’t something he’s done in a few years, but has big expectations for himself.
“I’m looking to beat my all-time total world record and hopefully the squat world record,” Oak said. “Just gotta stay [in] one piece and have a productive training cycle.”
Oak’s sumo deadlift pr wasn’t something that he was expecting to hit, but he did say training sumo is a regular lift in his routine (something he does two to three times a week before a competition.)
“I pull more conventional, but sumo helps me attack my weaknesses like tight hips and relatively weak glutes. The PR wasn’t really planned I just felt like getting some pulls in after paused front squats and kept putting weight on the bar.”
Feature image from @oakstrong Instagram page.
