Larry Williams — or Larry “Wheels” Williams as many know him — has been making waves in powerlifting since his teenage years. Now, 21, Williams from Bronx, NY, made a big statement this past weekend, going nine for nine with his lifts at the SPF Record Breakers event held in Dublin, California. At the weight of 240 lbs, Williams totaled an amazing 985 kg, or 2,171 lbs.
Williams set a new WRPA All Time World Record with his 985 kg total in the 242 Raw Division. His lifts were a record breaking 771 lb squat, 573 lb bench, and 826 lb deadlift. The 826 lb deadlift was just enough to give Williams an edge over Kevin Oak by a fraction of a point in the Schwartz/Malone formula, and earn him the Best Lifter award.
Earlier in August of this year, Williams set the All Time World Record with a 2,090 lb total, recording a 766 lb squat, 546 bench, and 778 deadlift. This redcord took place at the Boss of Bosses 3 meet, but later taken by Andrew Herbert with a two kilo gap. This past event left Oak and Williams battling head to head for the world record. Although, Oak missed his third deadlift attempt, which left the floor open for Williams to seal the win and record with his 826 lb deadlift.
In a recent interview, Williams discussed his record breaking performance with John Gaglione, strength coach and owner of Gaglione Strength in Farmingdale, New York. Throughout the video Williams and Gaglione talk about how the day went and about a few complications – such as cramping and tendonitis – Williams had to overcome.
Another video posted last week by Gaglione Strength on YouTube discusses Williams’ past lifting experiences and how they helped develop and change his current lifting methods. This video really highlights and dives into the shift of Williams focuses and training mantra.
Williams earned himself the nickname “Wheels” at a young age after consistently programming two heavy squat workouts in a row, a feat most would struggle with. It’s safe to say those heavy squat workouts have paid off — especially judging by this past weekend.
For the time being, we wait to see what the next step is for Larry “Wheels” Williams. With such an amazing performance this past weekend, it would appear the sky’s the limit for this young powerlifter.
Feature image from @larrywheels Instagram page
