Only two people have ever deadlifted at least 500 kilograms (1,102.3 pounds) — 2017 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) Eddie Hall and 2018 WSM Hafthor Björnsson. But there soon may be a third person joining the elite club.
On March 25, 2021, Iranian strongman Peiman Maheripourehir successfully deadlifted a monstrous 492 kilograms (1,084.7 pounds) in training — just nine kilos shy of Björnsson’s 501-kilogram (1,104.5-pound) deadlift; the heaviest of all time. Maheripourehir pulled the weight in a conventional stance, wearing a lifting suit, a lifting belt, and lifting straps. Noticeably, he locked out the lift without wearing knee sleeves.
Check out what may be the third heaviest deadlift ever performed on camera below, courtesy of Maheripourehir’s Instagram page:
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The 505 record this year will be for me and Iran.
As is routine before Maheripourehir’s massive lifts, he has a teammate slap his face to pump him up, cinches his lifting belt so he can brace the pull, and then powers the barbell off the floor. In the video, Maheripourehir hitches the weight up to the lockout, which is a legal move in the sport of strongman. It would not be legal in a powerlifting competition, but in strongman, athletes can hitch if they need to.
According to Maheripourehir’s caption, he weighed 160 kilograms (352.7 pounds) at the time of this lift. That means that this lift was just over three times his bodyweight.
Maheripourehir also called his shot in his caption, stating that his target for 2021 is to score a new all-time world record deadlift of 505 kilograms (1,113.3 pounds). It’s a goal that Hall, who was the first person ever to deadlift 500 kilograms (1,102.3 pounds), supports. In an Instagram direct message to Maheripourehir, Hall said:
“Hey buddy, you’re looking super strong and ready for 505 kilograms. Wish you all the strength, brother, be great, get you over to Giants Live to make it 100 percent and make it go viral.”
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Heaviest Deadlift of All Time
Maheripourehir has been training to challenge for the heaviest deadlift ever for quite some time. Back in December 2019, he deadlifted 422.5 kilograms (931.5 pounds) raw. Two months before that, he managed to hit 432 kilograms (952.4 pounds) with straps. A year later, in December 2020, he smoked a 435-kilogram (959-pound) deadlift double. Flash forward five months, and he is within nine kilos of Björnsson’s record.
It seems as though there is only one other strongman legitimately training to race Maheripourehir to the world record deadlift. Ivan Makarov of Russia has hit a 490-kilogram (1,080.3-pound) pull and even attempted 502 kilograms (1,106.7 pounds) on the World’s Ultimate Strongman (WUS) “Feats of Strength” series but came up short.
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Where Maheripourehir plans to attempt the 505-kilogram (1,113.3-pound) deadlift seems to be up in the air at the moment. The six-foot-two, 33-year old was the 2018 Iran’s Strongest Man champion, and he has competed at the WSM contest twice. He failed to qualify for the finals in both his appearances in 2017 and 2018. The 2021 WSM roster has yet to be finalized, so there is a chance that he could make his return if he were to enter and win a qualifying event or receive a special invitation.
Regardless of which event gets to host the attempt, expect Maheripourehir to load a world-record weight on the barbell and potentially make history in 2021.
Feature image from Peiman Maheripourehir’s Instagram page: @peiman.maheri.wsm