In a Facebook post on May 21st, pro strongman Eddie Hall made a bold claim: At a new, heavier bodyweight and with the aid of a deadlift suit (which he’d previously never used), he would become the first human to pull 500kg in a strongman-style deadlift (with a normal length bar, straps and hitching allowed, off the ground and at standard height).
It’s a bold claim, especially since the heaviest we’ve seen Hall pull in competition was 465kg/1,025lbs at the 2016 Arnold Strongman Classic.
That lift, of course, was on Rogue’s special Elephant Bar, longer than the standard deadlift bar — which theoretically gives lifters an advantage, as the bar remains in contact with the ground for longer due to exaggerated bend. However, some fans argue the longer bar actually made it tougher for Hall, who tends to pull off the floor quickly and has a sticking point pretty high up on his thigh.
Hall has been chipping away at his own strongman-style deadlift records for years, and if anyone is positioned to close the gap between 465kg and 500kg, it’s Hall (though other pullers like Jerry Pritchett and Brain Shaw don’t look all that far behind).
We doubt we’ll see Hall make a real run at 500kg in 2016, but assuming he stays healthy for more than a year, it’s not out of the question to think he’ll get it off the ground in 2017 or beyond. But as far as full lockout, in competition? That’s the big question, though Hall insists he’s good for it (eventually).
It’s worth noting Hall’s strongman record pull is currently only 10 pounds above Benedikt Magnusson’s raw record of 1,015, set back in 2011. Magnusson pulled his unbelievable lift without the aid of a deadlift suit, straps, or hitching, and his record is actually above the equipped record set by Andy Bolton in the mid-2000s.
Magnusson’s lift is embedded below, because we just can’t get enough videos of Icelandic giants picking up heavy things.
