Weightlifting is a sport that tests the physical limits of human strength by lifting different weights.
It requires extraordinary strength, a rigorous training regime and diet, and a very strong mindset.
While most people go to the gym to build muscles and stay in good shape, there are others who take it to the next level. They are professional powerlifters who compete in professional competitions.
Some of the biggest weightlifting/ powerlifting competitions are the Arnold Strongman Classic and the World Open Classic Powerlifting Championships.
These competitions bring together some of the strongest men on men who compete with each other, often breaking records in the super heavyweights that they are able to lift.
Below, we will look at some of the heaviest weights ever lifted by human beings in different weightlifting techniques such as squats, clean and jerk, deadlift, and bench press.
What is the heaviest weight ever lifted?
The heaviest weight ever lifted by a human being is 6,270 lbs by Paul Anderson on June 12, 1957.
This record was entered into the Guinness Book of Records stating it as “the greatest weight ever raised by a human being” Greatest Lift.”
Born in 1932, Paul Anderson was an American professional weightlifter, powerlifter, and strongman.
He became a World Champion in the 1955 World Championships and went on to win a gold medal in the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia.
In 1957, Anderson broke the world record in weightlifting by lifting 6,270 lbs (2,840 kg) in a back lift (weight lifted off trestles).
This record was later contested as having not enough witnesses to validate and was stripped of the Guinness Book of Records in 1985.
However, till today no one has been able to lift over 6270 lbs in any professionally known weightlifting competition.
Paul Anderson died in 1994 at the age of 61 from kidney disorder. He may not be as famous as Arnold Schwarzenegger but he holds the record for the heaviest weight ever lifted by a human being.
Snatch / Clean and Jerk Record – 1084 lbs (492kg)
When it comes to the Snatch and Clean & Jerk categories, Georgian Weightlifter, Lasha Talakhadze is truly a superman.
Lasha holds both the Olympic and World records in these weightlifting techniques.
In 2017, at the World Weightlifting Championships in Anaheim, California, Lasha broke the world records in snatch and Clean & Jerk, lifting 485 lbs (220 kg) and 566 lbs (257kg) respectively.
In 2021, he comeback and broke his own record in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, lifting 496 lbs (225kg) in snatch and 588 lbs (267kg) in clean and jerk.
Deadlift Record – 1,104lb (501kg)
The current deadlift record in the world is held by Game of Thrones actor and strongman Hafthor Bjornsson.
In May 2020, the 6″9, 193kg Icelandic giant lifted 1,104lb (501kg) for two seconds, setting a new world record for the heaviest deadlift record in the world.
The previous record was held by British strongman Eddie Hall, who in 2015 deadlifted 1,102 lbs (500kg) at the World Deadlift Championships.
This 1100 lbs deadlift is among the heaviest weight ever lifted by a human.
Bench Press Record – 770 lbs ( 350kg)
Julius Maddox held the current world record for “raw” bench press without a bench shirt, who bench pressed 770 lbs / 350kg.
He first set the record for raw bench press in August 2019 when he lifted 739.6 pounds.
Then in November 2019, he broke his own record by benching 744.1 pounds at the Rob Hall Classic in Austin, Texas.
Squat – 1,306 lbs (592.3 kg)
Brian Carroll holds the record for the heaviest squat by a human being. In October 2020, he competed in the Revolution Powerlifting Syndicate in the 140 kg weight class.
In this competition, he broke the world record squat of 1306 pounds (592.3 kg). He is the first person ever to squat over 1300 pounds.
Conclusion
Weightlifting is certainly not for everybody. While some are terrified of lifting others have found joy in doing it and even taken weight lifting to the next level.
Strongman Paul Anderson till today still holds the record for the heaviest weight ever lifted by a human being at 6,270 lbs.
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