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.
The International Powerlifting Federation is an international governing body for the sport of powerlifting as recognized by the General Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF).
Brad Gillingham is an American world champion powerlifter and strongman competitor from Minnesota, United States.
John Haack is an American powerlifter. Haack is considered one of the greatest powerlifters of all time 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. 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.
Matthew Yap Zhe Ren, 叶哲仁 is a Singaporean Powerlifter & Coach, a 4-time Asian Champion and a World Silver medallist. He has broken 4 World records, 13 Asian records and 44 National records. He has also coached his team to several victories on the international stage.
Marcus Yap Zhe Mian, is a Singaporean Powerlifting coach and powerlifter. He became the first Singaporean to break a powerlifting world record and win a medal at a world championship. In his career, he has broken two world records and six Asian records. He led the Singapore team to victory in several Asian Championships as well as coaching his younger brother, Matthew Yap, to break a total of four world records.
Farhanna Farid is a Singaporean powerlifter. She is a 2-time Asian champion and a 4-time national champion. As of 2022, she has broken 6 Asian records and a world record and is also the first Singaporean to win an overall gold medal in an international competition for the female's open category. She made her international competition debut in the 2018 Asian Classic Powerlifting Championships winning three golds.
Listed below are the progressions of 7 deadlift world records across powerlifting, strongman and armlifting.
Amanda Lawrence is an American powerlifter who won four gold medals at the IPF World Classic Powerlifting Championships in the 84 kg category. During the championship, she set three world records. In 2019, she tied with second-placed Daniella Melo, but won due to lower body weight.
Jessica Buettner (born 1995 is a Canadian powerlifter, who won the gold medal in the 2022 IPF 76 kg open powerlifting classic and who won the silver medal in the 72 kg - Raw class at 2019 IPF World Championship in Helsingborg. She also broke three junior powerlifting records at 2018 World Championship, and she previously competed in shot put.
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.
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.
Agata Sitko is a Polish heavyweight powerlifter, competing in the IPF. Despite being a junior, she has won the World Games in 2022 as a Heavyweight, the 2024 SBD Sheffield Powerlifting Championships, and has won the IPF World Equipped Championships in 2021, as well as the World Classic Championships in 2024.
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.
United States 
