What an impressive year of training it has been for Yangsu “Deadlift Panda” Ren. The 32-year-old powerlifter began 2020 with a massive 379-kilogram (835-pound) sumo deadlift with straps using a hook grip. His goal then was to improve his technique to pull a 388-kilogram (855-pound) deadlift — he even took off all of 2019 from competition to focus on technique while recovering from lumbar induced sciatica. Little did Ren know at the time that the Coronavirus pandemic would at least double the amount of time he would have to take off from sanctioned competition. He has not let that time go to waste.
Ren hit that colossal 388-kilogram (855-pound) goal weight on Sep. 23, 2020 (again in sumo with straps and a hook grip.) Instead of resting on his laurels, Ren pushed himself further in the final three months of 2020 and broke through the 900-pound milestone. With less than a week before the world welcomes a new year, “Deadlift Panda” pulled an epic 410.5-kilogram (905-pound) deadlift at a bodyweight of 196 pounds. That is equivalent to 4.6 times his bodyweight.
Check out the lift below:
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[Related: Here’s How Powerlifter Yangsu Ren Trained For His 815lb Deadlift]
Ren’s best deadlift at a full meet was a 340-kilogram (749.5-pound) pull in 2017 at the USA Powerlifting (USAPL) Raw National Championships. He placed fifth in the 83-kilogram weight class according to Open Powerlifting. At the time, that lift was 15-kilograms (33 pounds) over the then-current deadlift world record held by Bakkelund Kjell Egil of Norway.
Check out that lift by Ren below courtesy of Alexander Kang’s YouTube Channel:
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That means in three years, Ren has added 70.5 kilograms (155.4 pounds) to his deadlift. Even when considering the 13 pounds of additional bodyweight, adding 50-plus pounds on average to one’s deadlift year-over-year for three years straight is no easy task. Although it is not yet clear when Ren will be able to step back up onto the competitive stage, don’t take your eyes off him during the deadlift when he does.
Feature image via Alexander Kang’s YouTube channel.