On roughly April 20, 2022, the Polish powerlifter pulled an incredible 490-kilogram deadlift (1,080 pounds) during a training session. Notably, Wierzbicki appeared to pull the weight without a lifting belt — though he could potentially have worn one under his shirt — and from a sumo stance while wearing only wrist wraps.
Check out the lift below, captured from one of Wierzbicki’s Instagram stories, which was then reposted by Julian Howard (@worldstrongestfan) on Instagram.
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Wierzbicki did not disclose how much he weighed when he completed the lift. According to Open Powerlifting, he has competed professionally in the 110-kilogram weight class since the spring of 2021. In any event, this deadlift was well over four and a half times Wierzbicki’s recent usual competition body weight.
Paving a Road
Wierzbicki has been open on social media in his pursuit of a hallowed mark in strength sports — the 500-kilogram deadlift (1,102 pounds). The only two people to ever deadlift that much weight are 2017 World’s Strongest Man Champion (WSM) Eddie Hall and 2018 WSM Champion Hafthor Björnsson. Notably, both achieved their legendary pulls from a conventional stance while wearing deadlift suits and lifting straps — which is allowed in a strongman competition.
Given his quick progress of late, Wierzbicki’s entry into the 500-kilogram deadlift club seems inevitable.
During the 2020 National Association of Powerlifting (NAP) Siberian Championships, while competing in the 100-kilogram weight class, Wierzbicki logged the current all-time world record deadlift — a staggering 433.5-kilogram pull (955.7-pound). Roughly eight months later, in November 2020, while wearing wrist straps and a lifting belt, the Polish athlete deadlifted 456 kilograms (1,005.3 pounds) in training, breaking the 1,000-pound barrier for the first time.
The ensuing year, in early November 2021 while competing in the 110-kilogram weight class, Wierzbicki broke the all-time world record for a non-full power meet with a 447.5-kilogram pull (986.6-pound) during the 2021 WRPF-POL Mistrzostwa Polski.
Finally, in what is increasingly becoming a typical deadlift step up for Wierzbicki, he recently pulled 461 kilograms (1,016 pounds) during another workout.
All four of Wierzbicki’s mentioned pulls were from a sumo stance. His latest 490-kilogram deadlift (1,080 pounds) training feat is another massive step toward that lofty 500-kilogram (1,102-pound) goal.
Back and Forth
The 110-kilogram powerlifting weight class appears to have a two-person deadlift tug of war for the record books. While Wierzbicki continues to charge along toward astonishing, seldom-seen numbers, American powerlifter Jamal Browner has generally kept up with the meteoric pace.
Over the approximate past month, Browner has seen rapid advancements in his conventional deadlift. On March 23, 2022, he pulled 432.5 kilograms (953.5 pounds) while wearing only a lifting belt. An approximate month later, on April 20, 2022, Browner locked out 409.6 kilograms (903 pounds) for two reps.
In the 110-kilogram weight class, Browner also possesses an all-time deadlift world record — a 440.4-kilogram pull (971-pound) from the 2020 World Raw Powerlifting Federation (WRPF) Hybrid Showdown II. Notably, like Wierzbicki, Browner has also previously crossed the 1,000-pound barrier with a 476.3-kilogram deadlift (1,050-pound) during a training session in July 2020. Browner wore a lifting belt and lifting straps for that pull.
While the 500-kilogram mark is still a ways off, the deadlift world record for strictly powerlifters is within shouting distance for Wierzbicki and Browner. The 2003-2004 Iceland’s Strongest Man Champion (ISM) Benedikt Magnùsson holds the current record with a 460.4-kilogram pull (1,015-pound) captured at the deadlift-only 2011 Hardcore Clash of the Titans IV. Magnùsson competed in the super heavyweight class (319+ pounds; unrestricted weight).
Wierzbicki still has to make progress with his conventional deadlift (at least in public), but whenever he decides to compete again, he might beat Browner to the punch and break Magnùsson’s record. Membership to the 500-kilogram club likely won’t follow long after. Talk about killing two significant strength-sports birds with one stone.
Featured Image: @worldsstrongestfan on Instagram