Strongman competitor in a black shirt and lifting belt locking out a tire deadlift on a grass field, with a referee kneeling in front and spectators behind

Heaviest Deadlift Ever: The Records and the Rules Behind Them

By Finn Mako

Last updated: October 23, 2026

Short answer: As of October 2026, the heaviest deadlift ever is 511 kg (1,127 lb), pulled by Mexico's Raúl Flores at the World Deadlift Championships in Birmingham, England, on September 5, 2026. That was a strongman lift, where straps and a suit are allowed. The heaviest raw powerlifting deadlift is 492.5 kg, by Colton Engelbrecht in July 2026.

Ask who owns the heaviest deadlift ever and you will get different answers, because strongman and powerlifting run under different rules. Both sports added a new top number in 2026. Here are the records, how they climbed, and how to read a deadlift claim without comparing apples to straps.

What is the heaviest deadlift ever?

Raúl "Tayzon" Flores owns it. At the Giants Live SBD World Deadlift Championships at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham on September 5, 2026, he pulled 511 kg (1,127 lb), one kilo over the previous world record.

  • He was 26. AS reports Flores came over to strongman from powerlifting in 2021.
  • It was not a gimme. Giants Live says the bar stalled at his thighs before he found lockout.
  • A legend gave the down signal. The referee was Magnús Ver Magnússon, a four time World's Strongest Man.
  • The record holder sat it out. Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, who owned the 510 kg record, pulled 480 kg and then withdrew from further deadlift attempts. He still won the overall Strongman Open that weekend, his 10th Giants Live title, while Flores finished 11th overall.
  • He had been close. AS reports Flores pulled 504 kg in training on August 25, 2026, which did not count as a record.

One footnote: when we checked on October 23, 2026, the public Guinness World Records page still listed Björnsson's 510 kg. Guinness notes that records change daily and are not immediately published online, so the page can lag behind the platform.

How did the deadlift record climb past 500 kg?

Five lifts in ten years, all under strongman rules:

  1. 500 kg (1,102 lb), Eddie Hall, July 9, 2016. World Deadlift Championships, First Direct Arena, Leeds, UK. Guinness lists it as the heaviest strongman deadlift, and BBC notes it made Hall the first man to lift 500 kg.
  2. 501 kg (1,104 lb), Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, May 2, 2020. BBC reports he lifted it at his own gym in Iceland, held it for two seconds, and that ESPN streamed it live. Men's Health notes some fans disputed it because it happened outside an official competition, even though it was sanctioned.
  3. 505 kg (1,113 lb), Björnsson, July 26, 2025. Eisenhart Black Deadlift Championships in Bavaria, Germany. Men's Health reports he wore a lifting suit, a belt, and figure eight straps.
  4. 510 kg (1,124 lb), Björnsson, September 6, 2025. World Deadlift Championships, Birmingham, his second world record in six weeks. Giants Live says he won the deadlift by 40 kg in front of about 7,000 fans.
  5. 511 kg (1,127 lb), Raúl Flores, September 5, 2026. Same event, same arena, one year later.

What is the heaviest raw deadlift?

In raw powerlifting, the record is 492.5 kg (about 1,086 lb) by Colton Engelbrecht. OpenPowerlifting shows he pulled it on July 11, 2026 at the WRPF Nikolai Kagansky Memorial Cup in Moscow, competing in the 140 kg class at age 25. He then missed 500 kg on his third attempt.

  • Before Engelbrecht: Danny Grigsby held the top raw pull at 487.5 kg (about 1,075 lb), set at the WRPF American Pro on July 29, 2022.
  • The first 1,000 lb raw pull in a full meet: BarBend credits Grigsby with 465 kg (1,025 lb) on March 26, 2022.
  • The longtime raw benchmark: Benedikt Magnússon's 460.4 kg (1,015 lb) from 2011, pulled at a deadlift only meet.
  • In a deadlift suit: BarBend lists Andy Bolton's 457.5 kg (1,009 lb) from 2009 as the equipped record, set with a suit and no straps.

Engelbrecht has also pulled more outside the record books. FitnessVolt reports he made a 520 kg (1,146 lb) sumo deadlift with straps at a meet in Russia on March 28, 2026, and OpenPowerlifting files it in a separate straps division. Because straps are not allowed in standard powerlifting, it does not count as a raw or equipped record.

What are the heaviest deadlifts by women?

  • Strongwoman: Lucy Underdown pulled 325 kg (717 lb) at the 2024 World Deadlift Championships in Las Vegas on September 28, 2024. FitnessVolt reports she used a belt and straps but no deadlift suit. She is the only woman to pass 700 lb in strongwoman.
  • Raw powerlifting: Samantha Rice pulled 297.5 kg (656 lb) sumo at RPS King and Queen of the Platform 5 in Florida on December 6, 2025, competing at 90 kg. FitnessVolt calls it the heaviest raw deadlift in women's powerlifting, edging Tamara Walcott's 297 kg from earlier in 2025.

Why do strongman and powerlifting deadlift records differ?

The equipment rules change what the body has to hold.

  • Strongman: Guinness says strongman rules allow double loop straps, very tight suits, and unlimited hitching, so grip is less of a limit.
  • Raw powerlifting: belt only, no straps, no suit. Your hands hold the whole load.
  • Equipped powerlifting: a deadlift suit is allowed, but straps still are not.
  • The bar matters too. BarBend notes the Elephant Bar used at the Arnold is 10 feet long compared with a standard 7 foot bar and flexes more. Björnsson pulled 474 kg on it in 2019, and Underdown pulled 318 kg on it at the 2026 Arnold.

How do you compare deadlift records fairly?

  1. Check the rules. Strongman, raw, equipped, and exhibition lifts are separate categories.
  2. Check the gear. Straps, suit, and belt each change the number.
  3. Check the bar. A standard bar and an Elephant Bar are not the same lift.
  4. Check the setting. A training PR is not a competition record, even at 504 kg.
  5. Log your own lifts the same way. Write down gear, bar, and stance next to every PR so you compare like with like.

FAQ

Who holds the deadlift world record? As of October 2026, Raúl Flores of Mexico holds the heaviest deadlift ever at 511 kg (1,127 lb). He pulled it at the Giants Live World Deadlift Championships in Birmingham, England, on September 5, 2026, under strongman rules that allow straps and a deadlift suit.

What is the raw deadlift world record? As of October 2026, the heaviest raw powerlifting deadlift is 492.5 kg (about 1,086 lb) by Colton Engelbrecht at the WRPF Nikolai Kagansky Memorial Cup in Moscow on July 11, 2026. Raw means a belt is allowed, but no straps and no deadlift suit.

Who was the first person to deadlift 500 kg? Eddie Hall. He pulled 500 kg (1,102 lb) at the World Deadlift Championships in Leeds, UK, on July 9, 2016. BBC calls him the first man to lift 500 kg, and Guinness World Records lists it under the heaviest strongman deadlift.

Why are strongman deadlift records heavier than powerlifting records? The rules differ. Guinness notes strongman deadlifts allow double loop straps, very tight suits, and unlimited hitching. Raw powerlifting allows a belt but no straps or suit, so the lifter's grip has to hold every kilo.

Building your own pull? Our 5/3/1 program explainer breaks down one popular way lifters plan deadlift training.

Sources

Cover photo: "Strongman Competition" by Jason Bain, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY 2.0, cropped.

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