The Arnold expo happened recently and scrolling through my social media feed I saw several incredible lifts including a few new all-time world records. In my book All About Powerlifting I listed the All-Time World Records for each lift but it has been a few years and some of them have changed. In addition I thought it would be cool to have a resource where the records are listed along with video links so you can see the mighty feat yourself. I want to give a shout out to powerliftingwatch.com, they do a good job of updating records and rankings and that is a site I would encourage any serious lifter to check out.
One problem with powerlifting is that we are not perfectly unified. It would be great for me to simply list the best squat, bench, and deadlift and be done with it (like one might do the for the Olympic Lifts) but alas in powerlifting we have several divisions. Is it a tested lift or not? Was it done in gear? How strict was the federation? As I believe multiply lifting is essentially a different animal I am not going to list the multiply records here, they can be found on powerliftingwatch.com if you are so inclined to check them out.
Here are some All-Time Powerlifting World Records along with a few other videos of contested lifts thrown in for good measure.
Squat
Lift | Lifter | Weight | Link |
All Time Raw Tested* Squat | Ray Williams | 939 lbs | https://youtu.be/TeHMqX9GGjY |
All Time Raw w/wraps Squat | Andrey Malanichev | 1047 lbs | https://youtu.be/NwLbv4rMqw0 |
All Time Single Ply Tested Squat | Blaine Summer | 1102 lbs | https://youtu.be/Z2WAgwkXwmg |
* Ray’s record is also the untested raw squat record as his lift was higher than that lift
Of note Mark Henry still has the highest raw w/wraps tested squat at 953 lbs.
Bench
Lift | Lifter | Weight | Link |
All Time Raw Tested Bench | James Henderson | 710 lbs | No video is available to the best of my knowledge
This was also done in a full meet |
Previous All Time Raw Bench | Eric Spoto | 722 lbs | https://youtu.be/xwzXjry6s6g |
New All Time Raw Bench | Kirill Sarychev | 738 lbs | https://youtu.be/BOeRI6MDyns |
Deadlift
Lift | Lifter | Weight | Link |
All Time Raw Tested Deadlift | K Konstantinovs | 939 lbs | https://youtu.be/wh-ikyBAQr8 |
All Time Raw Deadlift* | Benedikt Magnusson | 1015 lbs | https://youtu.be/5M13EBl_jF0 |
* Note Benedikt’s 1015 pull is also higher than any equipped deadlift
Total Record
Lift | Lifter | Weight | Link |
All Time Raw Tested Total | Ray Williams | 2223 lbs | https://youtu.be/H0MWlCz0eOY
This video is to Ray’s 2205 lb total performance |
All Time Raw w/wraps Tested Total | Mark Henry | 2336 lbs | https://youtu.be/RMPMRKOkmjE
This video is to Mark’s 2313 lb total performance |
All Time Raw w/wraps Total | Andrey Malanichev | 2502 lbs | https://youtu.be/KzZTi5pT6nw |
Strict Curl
Lift | Lifter | Weight | Link |
All Time Tested Strict Curl | Dmitry Golovin | 203 lbs | No link available |
Previous All Time Strict Curl | CT Fletcher | 225 lbs | https://youtu.be/Hb9le4PE5r4 |
New All Time Strict Curl | Denis Cyplenkov | 249 lbs | https://youtu.be/d-xTDSuet1E |
Clean and Press
Lift | Lifter | Weight | Link |
Clean and Press | Vasily Alexeev | 507 lbs | https://youtu.be/7erVblY7aiU |
In my opinion this lift is still the most impressive feat of strength I have seen. I believe it was performed in 1972.
It is exciting to see what the maximum that humans are capable of and it is fun to see the records grow over time. What will be the next all-time record to fall? What will be the biggest squat, bench, and deadlift we see in this century? Is there anyone alive now that clean and press over 500 lbs? Only time will tell.
Here is the video for the all time tested curl:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UM8q_mH6ozs
isacc nesser benched 950, he didnt mention equipment
Wrong Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voOt7aPgyUs
The clean and press video you have is from 1971 world championships.
Alexeev did 521 lbs the next year, I’ve never seen the video though.
Personally I think Serge Redding’s 502 lbs was a better lift, Alexeev probably should have been red lighted for leg drive/push pressing,
Redding’s lift: (from the same comp) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nJrYPVJ88M
You should also include the log lift world record.
Current record is 502lbs by Zydrunas Savickas. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8crALRL8hfI
Hey Tim it’s Michael moore…what is your thought on. EPOC…..I know it’s not a powerlifting question…..how are things going….how is your family…..I miss your class. I had so much fun doing it…..you are a great teacher…..are you still pulling….I’m retired…..I have been using GARCINIA CAMBOGIA…..this stuff really works…..it works best with anaerobic work …I have mainly burned body fat….pretty cool stuff…..I tried some stuff from a doctor…phentermine…..I lost a lot of weight but way to much muscle…….too weak……it was really nice to see you the other day……I hope to see you again up there ……stop in Wal-Mart to see me….I’m in produce…..later tim
Here is a video of Eddie Hall 500kg / 1102lbs wrap deadlift https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9Y4o_BqC0A
Thanks for the post, that is a beastly pull
It is great to see these records but without listing the lifters bodyweight it is very deceptive. For example, CT Fletcher did a 225 lbs strict curl. k. What was his bodyweight? Dennis Cyplenkov did a 249 lbs strict curl but is well over 300 lbs bodyweight. I can’t find CT Fletcher’s bodyweight anywhere on Google. it is hard to compare who was the World’s strongest if the bodyweights are not listed.
Hi Chad,
Thanks for the post. This particular article discusses overall world records only, so bodyweight isn’t a factor for those records, it is just whomever did the most weight wins.
I do agree if one is considering “impressiveness” of a lift or if you want to compare relative strength then absolutely you want to take into account a lifters weight, which is why I have the AS calculator linked right on our home page. There are also issues of drug tested or not on some of these records.
FYI I believe (not certain) that CT Fletcher was 250-275 lbs when he set the curl record.
Hey!
Yor Deadlift record is out of date, it was smashed by Eddie Hall = 500KG ~ 1100lbs
Cheers.
Thanks for the note. Eddie Halls dead lift is not an official Powerlifting a record, it is a strong man record, and not contested under the same rules. So 1015 is still considered the all time best dead lift in a powerlifting competition.
I’m a Senior Citizen Lifter(Over age 65) and would like to see some All-Time Powerlifting Records for the growing number of Masters lifters. It would give lifters something to motivate them to achieve their best.