For a long time, it seemed that Hafthor Bjornsson was the only active Strongman who was capable of deadlifting over half a ton, as he was extremely dominant compared to other athletes. However, a 26-year-old lifter from Mexico, Raul Flores, has been climbing the rankings steadily throughout recent years. As a result of his constant improvement, Raul recently locked out his heaviest deadlift in training, which came out to a mind-blowing 504.04 kilograms (1,111.2 pounds).
Raul Flores is currently preparing for the 2026 World Deadlift Championships, which are set to take place on September 5th at the Utilita Arena, Birmingham. There he will be among the athletes aiming to break Hafthor Bjornsson’s 510-kilogram (1,124.4-pound) Deadlift World Record, which he set at the 2025 World Deadlift Championships.
With approximately two weeks left until the competition, Raul Flores decided to go for a heavy deadlift single in training. He put on a deadlift suit, a lifting belt, and lifting straps, all of which are allowed in Strongman. As for the lift itself, Raul made the pull off the floor look smooth, with the lockout being his main sticking point. However, many noted that Raul could potentially lift more, making him one of the favorites for the 2026 World Deadlift Championships.
Watch Raul Flores’ deadlift here:
Related: Hafthor Bjornsson Fails 511-kg (1,126.6-lb) Deadlift World Record Attempt
Only two men in the history of Strongman have managed to deadlift half a ton or more in a sanctioned competition. Eddie Hall was the first, having pulled exactly 500 kilograms (1,102.3 pounds) back in 2016, thus achieving one of the most epic feats of strength in history. Hafthor Bjornsson ended up breaking that record nearly half a decade later, exceeding it by 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) in what many found to be a controversial event. After a couple of years passed, Hafthor decided to come out of retirement with the goal of advancing his record and clearing his name. He was successful in doing so, having managed to push the record to 510 kilograms (1,124.4 pounds).
On the other hand, Raul Flores was introduced to strength training via powerlifting, where he made one sanctioned appearance in the Juniors category at the 2020 USPA North Louisiana Shootout. However, he quickly moved over to Strongman, where he is now becoming one of the most notable deadlifters.
Raul Flores’ most notable Strongman appearance came at the 2025 World Deadlift Championships, where he finally got the chance to demonstrate his strength against some of the greatest athletes in the world. His limit on the competition day proved to be 453.5 kilograms (1,000 pounds). However, a year has passed since then, and Raul is now even stronger.
Related: 2026 North America’s Strongest Man & Woman Results
Seeing that he has already exceeded the 500-kilogram (1,102.3-pound) milestone in training, it now remains to be seen how well Raul can taper for the competition, as that could be the crucial element when it comes to breaking the world record. Regardless of what happens, he will only continue getting stronger in the upcoming years, making him the perfect successor to Hafthor Bjornsson.
