Powerlifting is a strength sport that consists of three attempts at maximal weight on three lifts: squat, bench press, and deadlift. As in the sport of Olympic weightlifting, it involves the athlete attempting a maximal weight single-lift effort of a barbell loaded with weight plates. Powerlifting evolved from a sport known as "odd lifts", which followed the same three-attempt format but used a wider variety of events, akin to strongman competition. Eventually, odd lifts became standardized to the current three.
William Kazmaier is an American former world champion powerlifter, world champion strongman and professional wrestler. During the 1970s and 1980s, he set numerous powerlifting and strongman world records, and won two International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Championships and three World's Strongest Man titles. In the 1980s, Kazmaier became famous for his claim to be "the strongest man who ever lived" by equaling and surpassing spectacular and versatile feats of strength of famous strongmen of the 20th century. He is widely considered to be one of the all-time greatest competitors in strength competitions and was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame in 2017.
Donald C. Reinhoudt was an American powerlifter and strongman. He won the IPF World Powerlifting Superheavyweight Championship four consecutive times (1973–1976), and won the World's Strongest Man in 1979.
Bench press world records are the international records in bench press across the years, regardless of weight class or governing organization, for bench pressing on the back without using a bridge technique.
Edward Coan is an American powerlifter. He is widely regarded throughout the powerlifting world as the greatest powerlifter of all time. Coan has set over 71 world records in powerlifting.
Konstantīns Konstantinovs was a Latvian powerlifter of Russian descent. His raw deadlift of 426 kg (939.2 lb), set in 2009, was formerly the heaviest raw deadlift, and was the world record for the 140 kg (308 lb) weight class until 2022.
Brad Gillingham is an American world champion powerlifter and strongman competitor from Minnesota, United States.
Blaine Sumner is an American world champion powerlifter from Conifer, Colorado, currently residing in Gillette, Wyoming, United States.
John Haack is an American powerlifter and chemist. Haack is considered one of the greatest powerlifters of all time, arguably better than Ed Coan, along with being the greatest pound-for-pound powerlifter of the modern age. Haack is a multiple all-time world record-holder in multiple weight classes, and is considered the best in the world. He is the current world record holder in the raw 90 and 100 kilogram weight class.
Brett Gibbs is a New Zealand powerlifter, competing in the 83 kilogram weight class. He is a 3-time open world champion and 1-time junior world champion in the classic division.
Michael Hall is a retired American powerlifter, who is perhaps best known for being a pioneer of the drug-free movement in powerlifting. Hall is considered the first African American Super Heavyweight powerlifter to win a World Powerlifting Championship.
Listed below are the progressions of 7 deadlift world records across powerlifting, strongman and armlifting.
Ana Rosa Castellain is a Brazilian powerlifter, seven-time world champion. She became the main Brazilian athlete active in the country after originally being inducted into the IPF Hall of Fame. She currently resides and trains in the city of Garopaba on the coast of Santa Catarina.
Jesus Olivares is an American powerlifter. He is the reigning world champion at the IPF Classic Powerlifting Championships in the 120+ kilogram weight class, winning four competitions.
Strength Sports Australia, previously known as the Australian Powerlifting Union or APU, is the Australian national World Drug-Free Powerlifting Federation affiliate. The APU was the Australian national International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) affiliate for the sport of Powerlifting between the years of 2018 and 2023. Formed in 2018 after Powerlifting Australia was removed from the IPF after Robert Wilks was not re-elected to the IPF Executive Committee, the APU hosted local-, state-, national- and international-level competitions under the IPF ruleset and banner.
Heather Connor is an American powerlifter, competing in the 47 kilogram weight class. She is a 2-time IPF world champion and 6-time national champion.
Russel Orhii is an American powerlifter, competing in the 83 kilogram weight class. He is a 2-time IPF World Champion and 6-time National champion.
Taylor Atwood is an American powerlifter. He is a 3-time IPF World Champion and has held multiple world records in the 74 kilogram weight class.
Bonica Brown is an American powerlifter competing in the IPF. She is a World Games champion, a 4-time Equipped World Champion, a 2-time Sub-Junior Equipped World Champion, and a 7-time Classic World Champion, and she has held multiple world records in each division.
