Top 10 Heaviest Elevated Deadlifts of All Time
The heaviest elevated/partial deadlifts (18-inch and Hummer Tire) ever recorded in strongman competition.
Top 10 Heaviest Elevated Deadlifts of All Time is topped by Oleksii Novikov with 549 kg at the 2022 Shaw Classic.
The elevated deadlift, performed from 18-inch blocks or using the Hummer Tire, allows athletes to handle loads far beyond what is possible from the floor. By reducing the range of motion, the elevated pull shifts the demands toward lockout strength and pure spinal erector power, producing the heaviest individual pulls in all of strength sport.
These partial-range deadlifts have become signature events at marquee competitions like the Arnold Strongman Classic, where the Hummer Tire Deadlift has produced some of the most jaw-dropping displays of pulling power ever witnessed. The reduced range of motion is deceptive: the weights involved are so extreme that the lift remains brutally demanding despite the mechanical advantage.
| # | Athlete | Country | Result | Contest | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oleksii Novikov |
Ukraine
|
549 kg | 2022 Shaw Classic | 2022 | Hummer Tire Deadlift - Set at 2022 Shaw Classic |
| 2 | Jean-François Caron |
Canada
|
545 kg | 2020 Shaw Classic | 2020 | Hummer Tire Deadlift - Set at 2020 Shaw Classic |
| 3 | Oleksii Novikov |
Ukraine
|
537.5 kg | 2020 WSM Final | 2020 | 18-inch Deadlift - Set at 2020 WSM Final |
| 4 | Tom Magee |
Canada
|
535 kg | 1983 World's Strongest Man | 1983 | 18-inch Deadlift - Set at 1983 World's Strongest Man |
| 5 | Jerry Pritchett |
United States
|
526 kg | 2020 Shaw Classic | 2020 | Hummer Tire Deadlift - Set at 2020 Shaw Classic |
| 6 | Jón Páll Sigmarsson |
Iceland
|
525 kg | 1983 World's Strongest Man | 1983 | 18-inch Deadlift - Set at 1983 World's Strongest Man |
| 7 | Hjalti Árnason |
Iceland
|
525 kg | 1989 Aflraunameistari Íslands | 1989 | 18-inch Deadlift - Set at 1989 Aflraunameistari |
| 8 | Jean-François Caron |
Canada
|
524 kg | 2021 Shaw Classic | 2021 | Hummer Tire Deadlift - Set at 2021 Shaw Classic |
| 9 | Žydrūnas Savickas |
Lithuania
|
524 kg | 2014 Arnold Strongman Classic | 2014 | Hummer Tire Deadlift - Set at 2014 Arnold Strongman Classic |
| 10 | Adam Bishop |
United Kingdom
|
524 kg | 2021 Shaw Classic | 2021 | Hummer Tire Deadlift - Set at 2021 Shaw Classic |
The Elevated Deadlift: Strongman's Heaviest Pulls
The 18-inch deadlift occupies a unique place in strongman. While purists may argue that a full-range pull from the floor is the truest test of deadlift strength, the elevated variation has its own distinct appeal. The loads involved routinely exceed 500 kg (1,102 lbs), entering a realm of weight that simply cannot be moved through a full range of motion by any human being. This makes the elevated deadlift less about conventional pulling technique and more about the ability to withstand and lock out crushing axial loads.
The Hummer Tire Deadlift, a staple of the Arnold Strongman Classic, uses large industrial tires stacked on each side of a specialized barbell. The flex in the bar and the height of the tires create a starting position roughly 18 inches above the ground. Athletes must contend with the whip of the bar under extreme loading, timing their pull to coincide with the bar's flex pattern. Mistiming the pull by even a fraction of a second can mean the difference between a successful lift and a missed attempt.
Training for the elevated deadlift requires specific rack pull and block pull work at various heights, combined with heavy isometric holds at the sticking point. Athletes must also develop exceptional upper back and trap strength to maintain position as the bar bends and settles under massive loads. The competitors who top this list have mastered these demands, producing single pulls that represent the absolute limit of human pulling capacity.