To achieve this massive two-rep deadlift PR, Makarov was wore a lifting suit and lifting belt, and utilized lifting straps to help lift his loaded barbell. This equipment is entirely legal under the context of strongman rules. The Russian strongman completed his pull from a conventional stance with a double-overhand grip.

While Makarov has displayed versatility with his strength in the past — a 190-kilogram (418.9-pound) overhead press from November 2022 comes to mind — the athlete is primarily known for his deadlift prowess, and especially of late. Even a quick perusal of Makarov’s events resume on Strongman Archives will lend credence to this fact: most of the athlete’s recent competitive appearances have featured him solely attempting a Max Deadlift.

The same sentiment applies to Makarov’s Instagram profile where, in most any recent instance, a training update is likely of the athlete deadlifting a monstrous amount of weight. That performance is likely expected, as Makarov captured the 2021 WDC title with a 475-kilogram (1,047.2-pound) deadlift. The mark continues to inch higher each year.

“New knowledge, I got new opportunities to stay healthy and very strong.”

In his most recent attempt at the all-time deadlift World Record, Makarov fell short at the 2022 WDC. Thanks to a 453.5-kilogram max pull, the competitor finished tied for second place with three other competitors — the 2023 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) champion Mitchell Hooper, the 2023 Europe’s Strongest Man (ESM) victor Pavlo Nakonechnyy, and Graham Hicks. Estonia’s Rauno Heinla captured the eventual title en route to a Masters World Record deadlift of 476 kilograms (1,049.4 pounds), a weight that Makarov has now shown he can pull twice.

At the time of this writing, the 2023 WDC roster features notable returning competitors like the defending champion Heinla, 2020 WSM winner Oleksii Novikov, and even powerlifter Jamal Browner. Giants Live embeds the prestigious annual WDC (or Max Deadlift) into the overall annual Giants Live World Open.

Regardless of a stacked field, Makarov figures to be one of the top contenders for the pursuit of one of strength sports’ more hallowed accomplishments. Should Makarov or any of the other participating athletes achieve it, they’ll be $55,000 richer as a result. One gets the sense the fame of scoring such a mark is worth just as much as any prize money.

Featured image: @ivan_makarovstrong on Instagram

The post Ivan Makarov Deadlifts 476 Kilograms (1,049.4 Pounds) For 2-Rep PR as World Record Attempt Nears appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

A June 2022 soccer charity appearance where Stoltman helped raise $18.8 million was one of his final major public appearances. While he didn’t compete, Stoltman still trained hard to build his strength. On Dec. 4, 2022, in a video on his YouTube channel, Stoltman revealed he intends to break the all-time deadlift World Record.

The current heaviest-ever deadlift of 501 kilograms (1,104.5 pounds) belongs to 2018 WSM winner Hafthor Björnsson. Stoltman calls his deadlift preparation the “Road to 505” series in reference to his eventual 505-kilogram (1,113.3-pound) World Record attempt. Check out the video below:

This first “Road to 505” video featured Stoltman working toward an eventual beltless 300-kilogram (661.4-pound) deadlift for four reps. After warming up, Stoltman began with five sets of 250-kilogram (551.2-pound) deadlift triples with lifting straps and no belt. Stoltman’s older brother Luke — the 2021 Europe’s Strongest Man (ESM) — and their novice strongman younger brother, Harry, got some sets of their own in while Tom rested.

The middle Stoltman brother was fighting through a cold during the session, and his fatigue was evident after his respective sets. Tom didn’t let his affliction slow him down, as he successfully completed all 15 beltless reps of the 250-kilogram (551.2-pound) deadlift over his five sets.

Tom Stoltman will make his World Record deadlift attempt sometime in 2024, though he did not provide specifics as to when or where that attempt will occur.

By the time Stoltman attempts 505 kilograms (1,113.3 pounds), that figure might not be the deadlift record anymore.

After deadlifting his all-time competition best of 483 kilograms (1,064.3 pounds) at the 2022 Eisenhart Black Competition (EBC), fellow strongman Ivan Makarov revealed he would attempt the World Record. Makarov’s personal timeline is for his own 505-kilogram record attempt at the 2023 World Deadlift Championships (WDC), currently scheduled for some time in early September 2023. That means Makarov — the 2021 WDC champion — could potentially set a new deadlift high mark roughly four months, at minimum, before Stoltman attempts it for himself.

Stoltman and Makarov might find themselves in a tense race to alter the record books.

Featured image: Stoltman Brothers on YouTube

The post Tom Stoltman Plans to Deadlift 505 Kilograms (1,113.3 Pounds) in 2024 appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

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

The post Ivan Makarov Deadlifts 483 Kilograms (1,064.3 Pounds), Puts Himself on Doorstep of History appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

On Nov. 9, 2022, Makarov shared footage of himself successfully locking out a 190-kilogram (418.9-pound) strict overhead press with a barbell. According to the strongman’s post, the lift is a personal record (PR). Makarov wore wrist wraps, elbow sleeves, and a lifting belt to help notch the personal milestone.

This overhead press PR isn’t the first instance of Makarov challenging his upper body roughly once a week this fall. The training focus appears to be part of a pursuit for the overhead press reps World Record. (Note: At the time of this writing, it is unclear when and where Makarov intends to break the current mark, or where the rep figure currently stands.)

For example, with the same wrist and elbow wraps set-up, Makarov showcased himself completing a 140-kilogram (308.6-pound) overhead press for eight reps in mid-October 2022. An approximate week later, Makarov overhead pressed 170 kilograms (374.8 pounds) for two reps. Two weeks ago, he managed to finish 160 kilograms (352.7 pounds) for six reps. Now, in large part due to his hard work, he has a new single-rep PR.

According to Strongman Archives, the 31-year-old Makarov has participated in seven strongman competitions since the 2017 Strongman Champions League (SCL) World Overhead Lift Championships. While he used to compete in the full slate of a competition’s events, of late the athlete has almost exclusively centered on his energy on ensuring his max deadlift is up to a top standard.

That sort of commitment has paid off in Makarov putting himself within striking distance of elite company. The competitor’s all-time highest raw deadlift PR captured on camera is a 490-kilogram (1,080.2-pound) pull from a September 2020 training session. He has made numerous attempts at deadlifting 500 kilograms (1,102.3 pounds). Should he ever be successful lifting at least that much weight during a sanctioned competition, Makarov would become just the third strongman to deadlift 500 kilograms. The only other strongmen to deadlift at least 500 kilograms are former World’s Strongest Man (WSM) champions Eddie Hall (2017) and Hafhor Björnsson (2018).

Notably, Makarov has attempted to officially surpass Björnsson’s all-time World Record deadlift of 501 kilograms (1,104.5 pounds) from the May 2020 edition of the World’s Ultimate Strongman (WUS) “Feats of Strength” series. Makarov made an attempt at deadlifting 502 kilograms (1,106.7 pounds) at the October 2020 iteration of the WUS Feats of Strength series, but fell just short. Makarov more recently made an unsuccessful attempt pulling 505 kilograms (1,113.3 pounds) at the 2021 Giants Live World Open.

Makarov is at a point where many eyes will turn toward him and his loaded barbell any time he deadlifts. It appears he’s setting up a future where he, soon enough, will also be famous for his overhead prowess.

Featured image: ivan_makarovstrong on Instagram

The post Watch Ivan Makarov Lift a Milestone 190-Kilogram (418.9-Pound) Overhead Press appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

On July 18, 2022, Makarov shared footage of himself capturing a 470-kilogram (1,036.1-pound) deadlift during a training session. Julian Howard (@worldsstrongestfan) shared the clip on his Instagram profile. The strongman wore a lifting suit and completed his massive pull in his socks. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Julian Howard (@worldsstrongestfan)

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Makarov’s strength mark is only five kilograms (11 pounds) less than his top lift of 475 kilograms (1,047.2 pounds) from the 2021 WDC. Makarov’s all-time deadlift PR on camera is 490 kilograms (1,080.2 pounds), which came during a September 2021 training session.

Makarov’s staggering deadlift training is undoubtedly part of his preparation for the 2022 WDC. That contest is a part of the broader 2022 Giants Live World Open & World Deadlift Championships, taking place on Aug. 6, 2022, at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff, Wales. 

Here’s the list of expected competitors who will try to prevent a Makarov repeat victory:

2022 World Deadlift Championships Roster

• Ivan Makarov (Russia) — Reigning WDC Champion
• Evan Singleton (United States)
• Oleksii Novikov (Ukraine)
• Mitchell Hooper (Canada)
• Gabriel Peña (Mexico)
• Rauno Heinla (Estonia)
• Gavin Bilton (United Kingdom)
• Asko Karu (Estonia)
• Pavlo Nakonechnyy (Ukraine)
• Peiman Maheripourehir (Iran)
• Wild card — Announced at a later date
• *Vacated slot — Announced at a later date

*Note: Adam Bishop was previously on the 2022 WDC roster, but after suffering a triceps injury in early July 2022, he withdrew. At the time of this writing, Giants Live has not yet announced Bishop’s replacement. 

The Giants Live organization has presented a fascinating challenge to Makarov and each of his 2022 WDC peers. Should any of the athletes lift 505 kilograms (1,113 pounds) during the contest, Giants Live will reward them with a $55,000 cash prize. That lift would eclipse the current all-time world record held by 2018 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) champion Hafthor Björnsson, who pulled 501 kilograms (1,104.5 pounds) in the World’s Ultimate Strongman “Feats of Strength” series in May 2020.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Ivan Makarov | Online Coach (@ivan_makarovstrong)

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Over the past couple of years, Makarov has made a variety of training attempts at both the world record and 500-kilogram deadlifts. If Makarov deadlifts at least 500 kilograms (1,102.3 pounds), he would become the third strongman to join that exclusive club. Only Björnsson, 2017 WSM champ Eddie Hall, and powerlifter Krzysztof Wierzbicki have ever pulled at least 500 kilograms.

Wierzbicki notably surpassed Björnsson’s World Record with a 502.5-kilogram (1,107-pound) deadlift during a late April 2022 training session. However, the figure would not count in an official strongman competition because Wierzbicki used a sumo stance. While not a record, it remains the heaviest filmed deadlift in history. 

Makarov and some of the world’s elite deadlifters will compete at the 2022 WDC on August 6, 2022, in Cardiff, Wales. 

Featured image: @worldsstrongestfan on Instagram

The post Watch Strongman Ivan Makarov Make a Deadlift Over 1,000 Pounds Look Casual appeared first on Breaking Muscle.