When all is said and done, strongman Ivan Makarov might be remembered as one of the most prolific deadlifters in strength sports history. As the winner of the Giants Live World Deadlift Championships (WDC) in 2021 and an athlete who makes it a point to mainly focus on heavy pulls in competition and in his training — his resume probably speaks for itself. Makarov’s latest feat might soon set him up for all-time history.
On Dec. 3, 2022, Makarov successfully deadlifted 483 kilograms (1,064.3 pounds) during the 2022 Eisenhart Black Competition (EBC) in Bavaria, Germany. The pull — which Makarov completed while wearing a deadlift suit, a lifting belt, and utilizing lifting straps — is the athlete’s heaviest-ever deadlift in a sanctioned competition. To date, Makarov’s heaviest-ever deadlift was a 490-kilogram (1,080.2-pound) pull during a September 2020 training session. As has often been the case for the deadlift-focused strongman, Makarov’s massive pull also won him said portion of the contest.
In the caption of his Instagram post, Makarov beamed with pride and joy at his accomplishment. The emotion in his text matched the elation on his face the moment he successfully locked out the lift before roaring with enthusiasm to the crowd.
This was the best day of my life. Emotions were overwhelming.
What might be the most essential aspect of Makarov’s reflection is that he confirmed he would soon try to eclipse Hafthor Björnsson’s all-time deadlift World Record of 501 kilograms (1,104.5 pounds). In the post’s caption, Makarov inferred that he was ready to pull 505 kilograms at the 2022 EBC but ultimately decided to save his energy and strength for the 2023 WDC. At the time of this writing, there are limited concrete details about the future contest. All that is known is that the event will likely again occur as a part of the 2023 Giants Live World Open sometime in early September 2023.
With that competition and coinciding record-breaking deadlift attempt still a ways away, it seemed as if Makarov — who recently moved to live in Germany — wanted to properly appreciate the moment of his heaviest-ever competition pull for now.
“I moved to a place where I always wanted to live,” Makarov started to write. “I changed my attitude to my life and health, I began to appreciate every day of my life, love my wife more, and I dedicated myself to my favorite job — coaching people. I found an inner freedom that gave me unlimited power.”
The comments of Makarov’s appreciative post feature a who’s who of strongman figures.
Daniel Zamani, who owns the heaviest-ever filmed bench press (365 kilograms/804.7 pounds), replied with a slew of fire emojis. Three-time World’s Strongest Man (WSM) finalist Travis Ortmayer had a simple “absolutely incredible” message. Meanwhile, one of Makarov’s friendly deadlift rivals, Peiman Maheri, shared a heartfelt note about how his peer’s competitive milestone gave him “good motivation.”
With the 2022 calendar year running down and Makarov’s long-term ambitions for a World Record still many months away, it’s unclear what his near-term plans will center around. What seems inevitable is that he’ll be found deadlifting, probably quite often, and there will likely be another mind-blowing pull sprinkled in now and then.
Featured image: @ivan_makarovstrong on Instagram
