As a powerlifter, Daria Rusanenko first made her hay in her native Ukraine, winning several contests of the Sub-Juniors and Teen variety in the mid-2010s. Years later, as a seasoned competitor and if her ... Continue Reading
Watch Ivan Makarov Lift a Milestone 190-Kilogram (418.9-Pound) Overhead Press
Throughout his extended strongman career, Ivan Makarov has risen in acclaim for his ability to do one thing at a rare, high level — deadlift staggering amounts of weight. As the 2021 World Deadlift ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Dumbbell Deadlift for Size and Strength
The barbell deadlift is the king of the jungle when it comes to pulling exercises. It's a primary movement with the potential to move the most weight. Plus, it’s a competition lift in powerlifting, along ... Continue Reading
Powerlifter Sonja Stefanie Krüger (76KG) Squats World Record 280.5 Kilograms (618.4 Pounds) at 2022 IPF Equipped Worlds
Some powerlifters seemingly have a great passion and energy for displaying their strength under a big spotlight. German athlete Sonja Stefanie Krüger might be one of them. Krüger is just 22 years old, but ... Continue Reading
Powerlifter Gregory Johnson (93KG) Deadlifts World Record 371.5 Kilograms (819 Pounds) at 2022 IPF Equipped Worlds
Gregory Johnson has been a relative mainstay at the annual International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Equipped Open Powerlifting Championships for a little while now. Since 2015, the powerlifter has ... Continue Reading
Heather Connor Deadlifts More Than 20 Pounds Over Her Own World Record in Training
With two International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World titles (2017, 2019), Heather Connor has a diverse powerlifting resume outside of her usual prolific deadlifting. Even still, this superstar has ... Continue Reading
Powerlifter Kristy Hawkins (75KG) Squats 600 Pounds for Unofficial World Record
Some strength athletes are seemingly just born to lift incredible amounts of weight. In the sport of powerlifting, superstar Kristy Hawkins might be one of them. This multifaceted competitor, who also owns ... Continue Reading
Powerlifter Blake Lehew (82.5KG) Scores a Massive 518-Pound Bench Press for a New Milestone
A glance at Blake Lehew's resume will show that this athlete doesn't shy away from competition. In over a decade-plus of pulling, pressing, and squatting massive weights on sanctioned lifting platforms, ... Continue Reading
6 Deadlift Benefits Everyone Should Know About
You might know the deadlift as a member of the “big three” powerlifting movements, along with the squat and bench press. As the least complex of the competition exercises, the deadlift typically allows ... Continue Reading
Hafthor Björnsson Deadlifts 793 Pounds for 2 Reps as He Preps Powerlifting Return
In October 2022, Hafthor Björnsson announced he would hang up the boxing gloves to return to professional strongman. In the same month, the former 2018 World's Strongest Man (WSM) champion revealed he ... Continue Reading
Deadlift vs. Sumo Deadlift: Know How to Pull
The classic barbell deadlift might be the most primal and instinctive movement around. “See that weight on the ground? Betcha can’t pick it up. Go try.” While there’s something to be said for brute-forcing ... Continue Reading
Powerlifter Seun Jubril (82.5KG) Deadlifts 788 Pounds for American Record
Seun Jubril has featured as a powerlifter in just three contests in his competitive career. That likely puts his reputation in a place where he's still relatively unknown in the strength sports realm. With ... Continue Reading
Rapper Method Man, Showing the Method to His Strength Madness, Deadlifts 500 Pounds at Age 51
An artist in the music industry doesn't need to be strong and fit, per se. They've got their talents as writers, they've got the golden pipes as rhymers and singers, and everything else is superfluous. ... Continue Reading
Nick Best Crushes a 600-Pound Deadlift for 16 Reps at Almost 54-Years-Old
A year and a half ago, Nick Best was on the mend. After tearing a lat muscle in April 2021, it was unclear when the athlete would again go full throttle in training and competition. With less than two ... Continue Reading
The 12 Best Hamstring Exercises for Muscle Mass, Strength, and More
“Don’t skip leg day” has almost become a meme in the gym, warning dedicated lifters to give lower body training as much emphasis, intensity, and attention as their upper body. That’s all well and good, ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Trap Bar Deadlift — Variations, Benefits, and Common Mistakes
In growing numbers, most commercial gyms are adding at least one trap bar to their arsenal of available equipment. As a gym member, you should be counting your blessings. With all of the unique benefits ... Continue Reading
Powerlifter Yangsu Ren (83KG) Deadlifts 60 Pounds Over IPF World Record
Yangsu Ren started powerlifting competitively at 28 years old, and the strength athlete appears to be making up for any perceived lost time in the form of absurd training lifts. On Oct. 26, 2022, Ren ... Continue Reading
Powerlifter Kristy Hawkins Cruises Through a Massive 551-Pound, 3-Rep Squat PR
Kristy Hawkins is at a stage in her powerlifting career where the baseline expectation might be that she'll lift something incredible whenever she gets a barbell in her hands. The athlete didn't disappoint ... Continue Reading
Powerlifter Nabil Lahlou Crushes a Deadlift Nearly 5 Times His Body Weight in Training
One need only see Nabil Lahlou lift once to verify why he's the so-called "French Phenom," per his Instagram bio. The 23-year-old powerlifter is a prolific competitor, and his latest demonstration of ... Continue Reading
Hafthor Björnsson Plans to Make His Competitive Powerlifting Return
After almost three years away from competitive strength sports, Hafthor Björnsson is ready to go full throttle again and dial up the unique power that helps him live up to the nickname of "The ... Continue Reading
20-Year-Old Powerlifter Max Shethar (+140KG) Scores 755-Pound Squat, 463-Pound Bench Press PRs
Max Shethar is no typical 20-year-old. Whereas many young people his age might focus on fitting general exercise into their otherwise packed schedules, the powerlifter spends much of his time training and ... Continue Reading
22-Year-Old Powerlifter Zen McCollum Destroys an 860-Pound Squat Double PR
By a relative timeline, Zen McCollum is only at the start of his powerlifting career. However, with the way the 22-year-old has pushed full steam ahead to this point, it might be hard not to view the ... Continue Reading
Powerlifter Jen Thompson (67.5KG) Bench Presses 148.5 Kilograms (327.5 Pounds)
On Oct. 15, 2022, during the 2022 USA Powerlifting (USAPL) Carolina Primetime contest, powerlifter Jen Thompson set an American Record in the 67.5-kilogram weight class when she scored a 148.5-kilogram ... Continue Reading
19-Year-Old Powerlifter Sam Sikora (105KG) Scores 4 Personal Competition Records
Sam Sikora started competitive powerlifting roughly a year ago, in March 2021. With a mix of learning experiences and great flourishes, it seems the 19-year-old athlete is only improving. His latest ... Continue Reading
