On April 1, 2022, bodybuilder and powerlifter Stan Efferding was in the gym training legs. The creator of the vertical diet does not limit his leg day solely to hack squats, leg presses, or light deadlifts. The 54-year-old loaded 288 kilograms (635 pounds) on a stiff bar, stepped onto a lifting platform in green Converse sneakers, and locked it out with a hook grip in a conventional stance twice. The lift was performed raw; Efferding also forewent wearing a lifting belt.
Check out Efferding’s massive deadlift double in the videos below, courtesy of his Instagram page. The first video was filmed from his backside, where both reps are shown. The second video captures Efferding performing what appears to be the first rep from the front:
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Effering’s Powerlifting and Bodybuilding Career
According to Open Powerlifting, Efferding last competed in a sanctioned powerlifting meet at age 45 in 2013 at the Southern Powerlifting Federation (SPF) March Madness Powerlifting Meet in the 125-kilogram weight class. It was one of his eight career wins in his nine competitive appearances. Two years prior, at the 2011 SPF California State Championships, Efferding locked out the current bench press world record in the Masters 40-44 division — 275 kilograms (606.2 pounds) — and the current total world record 1,010 kilograms (2,226.6 pounds).
Efferding’s career-best raw lifts are as follows:
- Squat — 387.5 kilograms (854.3 pounds)
- Bench Press — 275 kilograms (606.3 pounds)
- Deadlift — 380 kilograms (837.8 pounds)
- Total — 1,010 kilograms (2,226.6 pounds)
While competing in sanctioned powerlifting meets, Efferding was also competing as an Open division bodybuilder. His most recent finish was a 12th-place rank at the 2012 IFBB Flex Pro. Below are his competitive results:
- 2008 NPC Emerald Cup — First place
- 2009 NPC Masters, Teen & Collegiate National Championship — First place
- 2010 IFBB Phoenix Pro — 16th place
- 2010 IFBB Orlando Europa Pro — 14th place
- 2010 Mr. Olympia World’s Strongest Pro Bodybuilder — First place
- 2011 IFBB Flex Pro — Ninth place
- 2012 IFBB Flex Pro — 12th place
Aside from his competitive accolades, Efferding is a renowned coach who created the vertical diet that emphasizes digestion. It was the diet that fueled Hafthor “The Mountain” Björnsson during his strongman career.
Featured image: @stanefferding on Instagram