Vedad is a journalist specializing in strength sports, with three years of experience covering powerlifting, Olympic weightlifting, strongman, armwrestling and bodybuilding. He is a lifelong fitness...
The United States of America had its fair share of representatives at the 2023 IPF World Equipped Championships, taking place on November 13-19, in Vilnius, Lithuania. However, one that stood out was Ian Bell, a competitor in the 105-kilogram weight class. Ian had an amazing performance throughout, but his time to shine came on the deadlift event. So, after three attempts, Ian managed to deadlift 388.5 kilograms (856.5 pounds) and set a brand new IPF Equipped World Record.
Ian Bell opened up with a 357.5-kilogram (788.2-pound) deadlift for his first attempt, and locked it out with ease. Interestingly, his first deadlift was heavier than what others could do across their three attempts. However, while no other athlete was capable of deadlifting that much weight, Ian had a lot of room to improve. So, he scored a smooth deadlift of 370 kilograms (815.7 pounds) for his second attempt, while still being capable of more.
Ian Bell had no choice but to go for the IPF World Record on his third deadlift attempt. So, he loaded 388.5 kilograms (856.5 pounds) on the barbell, and prepared for a record-breaking lift. He put on a deadlift suit and a lifting belt, set up a sumo stance, and grabbed the barbell with a mixed grip. As Ian began pulling, the bar started moving with surprising speed. So, he soon reached lockout but still held a stone-cold look on his face.
Bryce Krawczyk was the previous U105KG Equipped Deadlift IPF World Record, as he locked out 388 kilograms (855.4 pounds) at the 2017 IPF World Powerlifting Championships.
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Ian Bell only missed one out of nine attempts and it happened to be his third and heaviest squat. However, it didn’t cost him much, as he ended up winning his weight class in the end. It was not easy though, since Ian edged out Sergii Bilyi by just 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) in the end. So, Ian’s Deadlift World Record was also crucial in his title charge.
Squat
372.5 kilograms (821.2 pounds)
392.5 kilograms (865.3 pounds)
Unsuccessful — 397.5 kilograms (876.3 pounds)
Bench Press
255 kilograms (562.2 pounds)
262.5 kilograms (578.7 pounds)
265 kilograms (584.2 pounds)
Deadlift
357.5 kilograms (788.2 pounds)
370 kilograms (815.7 pounds)
388.5 kilograms (856.5 pounds) — U105KG IPF Equipped World Record
Texas State Powerlifting & Bench Press Championships
M-Y2
837.8
363.96
Competition
Texas State Powerlifting & Bench Press Championships
Division
M-Y2
Location
USA-TX
Equipment
Single-ply
Class
114.6
Weight
114.6
Squat
-
-
-
303.1
Bench
-
-
-
154.3
Deadlift
-
-
-
380.3
Data source: OpenPowerlifting. Data through August 8, 2026.
Ian Bell’s career in powerlifting is mind-blowingly long, as he has been competing since 2004 when he was just around 11-years-old. His passion has always been the Equipped division, as he only participated in raw competitions a couple of times. Overall, Ian took part in 66 sanctioned powerlifting competitions and came out victorious in over 50 of them. Now he also officially holds the Deadlift Equipped World Record and is the closest man in his division to reach the 400-kilogram (881.8-pound) milestone.
If you have any questions or need further clarification about this news, please leave a comment below, and Vedad will get back to you as soon as possible.
Vedad is a journalist specializing in strength sports, with three years of experience covering powerlifting, Olympic weightlifting, strongman, armwrestling and bodybuilding. He is a lifelong fitness enthusiast, passionate about all aspects of strength training. Vedad's in-depth knowledge of training methodologies and dedication to constant research fuel his insightful and engaging reporting. He works hard to deliver accurate content while continuously seeking to improve his craft.
