Somebody should hand Taylor Atwood a chill pill because he can’t seem to slow down. Last week, on Oct. 18, 2020, Atwood totaled 11-times his body weight at 163 pounds and set three new American records at the 38th Annual USA Powerlifting Florida State Championships. Epic, right? Apparently, it wasn’t enough of an accomplishment for Atwood, who, just five days later, pulled 770 pounds (349 kilograms) or 65 more pounds than his freshly minted American deadlift record. The lift was done in a gym with a pair of lifting straps.
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770lb/349.2kg…Some will say fake weights… #TheStrengthGuys #SBDApparel #BetterThanYesterday
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As impressive as the lift itself is the ease with which Atwood deadlifted the weight, which is 4.75 times his bodyweight of 163 pounds (or 74 kilograms). At the Florida State Championships, Atwood clearly had gas left in the tank during his 705-pound (320-kilogram) deadlift. As he dropped his hips and pulled, the bar moved faster toward the top of the lift. That said, for Atwood to have 65 more pounds (and possibly then some) left in him is simply freaky. Atwood clearly knows how improbable this lift is because he made a point to address that “some will say fake weights” on his Instagram.
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At 31-years-old, Atwood has created quite the powerlifting legacy for himself. He’s the first 74-kilogram powerlifter to total more than 800 kilograms (he totaled 812), he’s ranked second in International Powerlifting Federation (behind Jesse Norris), he’s won two IPF World Championships (at 74 kilograms). He has also won USAPL Raw Nationals six times in a row since 2014 (74 kilograms).
Despite his extraordinary resume, Atwood continues to train like a man on a mission. While we’re not sure how much more there is for him to achieve, one thing is for certain: Atwood has definitely earned a rest day.
Featured Image: Taylor Atwood’s Instagram page @t_atwood