You know you’re at the tippy-top of your sport when an unplanned PR during training can also lead to an unofficial world record. That’s the situation strongwoman Lucy Underdown found herself in when she took part in a heavy deadlift day at the gym, which she posted to Instagram on August 2, 2022.
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Underdown — who holds the current official strongwoman deadlift world record of 300 kilograms (661.4 pounds) — said she was “feeling in good form” about her training day and decided to keep increasing the weight.
She followed her planned 265-kilogram (584 pounds) deadlift with a 280-kilogram (617 pounds) pull. Then Underdown decided to go for a personal best with a 302.5-kilogram (667 pounds) lift, unofficially breaking her own record by 2.5 kilograms (5.5 pounds) in the process.
Underdown utilized lifting straps, a lifting belt, and a hitch to complete the move, all of which are legal in strongman/strongwoman. Still, despite the staggering feat of strength, her previous 300-kilogram mark remains the official one to beat. She achieved that lift during the 2021 UK’s Strongest Man competition after receiving a special invitation to break the previous strongwoman record held by Andrea Thompson. You can watch her hit it in the video below:
This latest newsworthy deadlift comes just days after strongwoman Gabi Dixson posted a video of herself hitting a 272.2-kilogram (600 pounds) raw deadlift. Other women in the 600-pound deadlift club include Kristin Rhodes, Crystal Tate, and Tamara Walcott, who currently holds the women’s raw deadlift record at 290 kilograms (639.4 pounds).
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What’s Next for Lucy Underdown
According to Strongman Archives, Underdown placed third at the 2021 and 2022 UK’s Strongest Woman competition. Before that, she placed seventh at the 2020 Arnold Amateur Strongwoman World Championships.
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She’s currently training for the upcoming Britain’s Strongest Woman competition, which takes place on August 14, 2022, in Doncaster, England.
Featured Image: @lucyunders_strongwoman on Instagram