• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Breaking Muscle

Breaking Muscle

Breaking Muscle

  • Fitness
  • Workouts
    • Best Shoulder Workouts
    • Best Chest Workouts
    • Best Leg Workouts
    • Best Leg Exercises
    • Best Biceps Exercises
    • Best Kettlebell Exercises
    • Best Back Workouts
    • Best HIIT Workouts
    • Best Triceps Exercises
    • Best Arm Workouts
  • Reviews
    • Supplements
      • Best Pre-Workouts
      • Best Whey Protein
    • Equipment
      • Best Home Gym Machines
    • Certifications
      • ISSA Review
  • News
  • Exercise Guides
    • Legs
      • Back Squat
      • Bulgarian Split Squat
      • Goblet Squat
      • Zercher Squat
      • Standing Calf Raise
      • Hack Squat
    • Chest
      • Bench Press
      • Dumbbell Bench Press
      • Close-Grip Bench Press
      • Incline Bench Press
    • Shoulders
      • Overhead Dumbbell Press
      • Lateral Raise
    • Arms
      • Chin-Up
      • Weighted Pull-Up
      • Triceps Pushdown
    • Back
      • Deadlift
      • Trap Bar Deadlift
      • Lat Pulldown
      • Inverted Row
      • Bent-Over Barbell Row
      • Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
      • Pendlay Row
News

Bodybuilder Joe Mackey Notches 385.5-Kilogram (850-Pound) Deadlift at Iron Wars VI

Mackey opened many eyes, including C.T. Fletcher's, with his deadlift performance.

Written by Robert Zeglinski Last updated on May 24, 2022

After a slight delay from earlier this year, the 2022 Iron Wars VI took place on May 20, 2022, in Signal Hill, California.

This year’s field featured many elite strength athletes of different disciplines and focuses from all over the world. Bodybuilder Joe Mackey — an International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) Pro League Men’s Open competitor — had one of the more impressive showings.

During the competition, Mackey captured a 385.5-kilogram (850-pound) deadlift. In roughly two minutes, he also pulled 21 reps at 226.8 kilograms (500 pounds). Mackey wore a lifting belt and lifting straps for both feats. 

 

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

A post shared by Joe Mackey IFBB Pro (@jmackey33_ifbbpro)

[Related: Ben Thompson Sets Silver Dollar Deadlift World Record With Pull Of 577.2 Kilograms (1,272.5 Pounds)]

Elsewhere in the competition, powerlifter and current bench-press world record holder Julius Maddox gave spectators another taste of his prowess. As Maddox continues his pursuit of the rare 800-pound bench press club, he completed a 317.5-kilogram (700-pound) bench press triple. The powerlifter completed his lift raw without any additional equipment. 

Notably, Maddox completes the triple relatively easily. After all, Maddox has pressed far more — 361 kilograms (796) pounds as of May 10, 2022. Maddox gained the approval of Iron Wars organizer and former powerlifter/bodybuilder C.T. Fletcher — who praised the bench press extraordinaire over social media. 

“The bench king [Julius Maddox] showing why he’s number one in the world by showing up to the greatest show on earth and accepting all the smoke from anybody with the ‘testicular fortitude’ to show the [expletive] up!” wrote Fletcher of Maddox. 

 

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

A post shared by .. (@c.t.ali.fletcher)

[Related: Larry Wheels Crushes A 661-Pound Paused Bench Press]

Mackey’s Feat in Context

As for Mackey, his 385.5-kilogram (850-pound) pull isn’t his heaviest ever. The bodybuilder/strength sports athlete did unofficially join the 900-pound deadlift club in an April 2022 training session. While there’s no way to check for official bodybuilding deadlift marks, at the time of this writing, it may be the unofficial heaviest pull ever by a professional bodybuilder. 

Yet, considering that he logged 21 reps at 226.8 kilograms (500 pounds) afterward, the one-rep pull is worthy of acclaim. Per a caption from the bodybuilder’s Instagram, this figure was Mackey’s long-running goal for the 2022 Iron Wars VI while he prepares for other competitions.

It comes on the heels of an apparent rapid change in his body composition. 

“I made it up in my mind that I’d do 850 pounds prior to the event regardless of how lean I am for prep,” Mackey wrote. “I knew that my weight had dropped 20 pounds since the last time I did 900 pounds. However, that didn’t stop me from knowing what I could still do to show up and show out.”

 

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

A post shared by Joe Mackey IFBB Pro (@jmackey33_ifbbpro)

[Related: Powerlifter Krzysztof Wierzbicki Records 502.5-Kilogram Deadlift (1,107 Pounds), The Heaviest Deadlift In History]

What Lies Ahead

With the 2022 Iron Wars VI in the rearview mirror, Mackey and Maddox can return to their usual focuses.

Mackey hasn’t confirmed his next competition at the time of publishing, but he may try to compete in the 2022 Mr. Olympia, which will occur on December 16-18, 2022, in Las Vegas, NV. Though, Mackey needs a few top-notch results to qualify for that first. 

Meanwhile, Maddox also hasn’t set a date for his next competition. The strength sports world could finally see him join the 800-pound bench press club whenever that happens. 

Featured image: jmackey33_ifbbpro

About Robert Zeglinski

Robert is a seasoned and adept editor and writer with a keen, passionate penchant for the writing craft. He's been a leader in newsrooms such as SB Nation, USA TODAY, and WBBM Newsradio, with various other content and art production teams, and first made a name for himself in his hometown of Chicago. When not knee-deep in research or lost in a stream of consciousness for a thorough piece, you can find Robert inhaling yet another novel, journaling his heart out, or playing with his Shiba Inu, Maximus (Max, for short).

View All Articles

Recommended Articles

Joe Mackey Deadlift 910-Pound PR, Iron Wars VII January 2023
Joe Mackey Crushes a 412.8-Kilogram (910-Pound) Deadlift PR at Iron Wars VII
John Haack 915-pound deadlift PR January 2023
Powerlifter John Haack Deadlifts an Astonishing 415 Kilograms (915 Pounds) for a PR and Unofficial World Record
Powerlifter Jordan Mica 185-Pound Beltless Deadlift January 2023
10-Year-Old Powerlifter Jordan Mica Scores a Beltless 83.9-Kilogram (185-Pound) Deadlift
Powerlifter Joseph Tumbarello 620-Pound Larsen Press Bench Press PR January 2023
Powerlifter Joseph Tumbarello Logs a Ridiculous 281.2-Kilogram (620-Pound) Larsen Press PR

Primary Sidebar

Latest Articles

Strongman Legend Hafthor Björnsson Receives International Sports Hall of Fame Induction

Iain Valliere Believes the 212 Division Should No Longer Exist in Bodybuilding

Ryan Terry Diagrams His Ambitious 1,874-Calorie Mass-Building Protein Shake

Andrew Jacked’s Trainer Thinks His “Best” Will Come at 2023 Arnold Classic

Latest Reviews

ISSA Personal Trainer Certification Review

ISSA Personal Trainer Certification Review

Best Whey Proteins for Packing on Muscle, Shredding Down, Meal Replacement, and More

Best Pre-Workouts for Building Muscle, Running, Taste, and More

Best Home Gym Machines

Best Home Gym Machines

woman lifting barbell

Be the smartest person in your gym

The Breaking Muscle newsletter is everything you need to know about strength in a 3 minute read.

I WANT IN!

Breaking Muscle is the fitness world’s preeminent destination for timely, high-quality information on exercise, fitness, health, and nutrition. Our audience encompasses the entire spectrum of the fitness community: consumers, aficionados, fitness professionals, and business owners. We seek to inform, educate and advocate for this community.

  • Reviews
  • Healthy Eating
  • Workouts
  • Fitness
  • News

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS Feed

© 2023 · Breaking Muscle · Terms of Use · Privacy Policy · Affiliate Disclaimer · Accessibility · About