Stan Efferding built his strength sports career on a versatility. The 54-year-old athlete is a competitive powerlifter and is a member of the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) as a professional bodybuilder. It’s the former powerlifting niche where Efferding recently demonstrated his power.
On Oct. 3, 2022, Efferding posted a video to his Instagram page where he captured a raw 328.8-kilogram (725-pound) deadlift. The feat might be especially notable because Efferding used a speed pull, where the objective is to get the loaded barbell off the ground as fast as possible. For his deadlift, the athlete positioned his feet in a narrow stance, used a mixed grip, and did not have on any other equipment, though there may have been a lifting belt under his shirt.
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As a notable figure in the strength sports community, Efferding’s speed pull deadlift at 54 years old drew the attention of a few esteemed peers. The comments of his Instagram post feature varying complimentary words from 100-kilogram squat World Record holder Joe Sullivan, powerlifter Ernie Lillibridge Jr, and strongman/powerlifting legend Nick Best.
Efferding’s power shouldn’t be surprising to anyone who’s paid attention to his exploits over the years.
According to Open Powerlifting, Efferding started competing on sanctioned lifting platforms in some capacity in May 1995. Though the athlete hasn’t competed since the 2013 Southern Powerlifting Federation (SPF) March Madness, he can still boast eight wins in nine official powerlifting appearances. He is also the current Men’s 125-kilogram weight class and Masters 40-44 raw bench press and total World Record holder. Efferding notched that record press of 275 kilograms (606.3 pounds) and that record total of 1,010 kilograms (2,226.6 pounds) at the 2011 SPF California State Championships.
Here are the best raw lifts of Efferding’s powerlifting career:
Stan Efferding | All-Time Raw Competition Bests
- Squat — 388.3 kilograms (854.3 pounds)
- Bench Press — 275 kilograms (606.3 pounds)
- Deadlift — 380 kilograms (837.8 pounds)
- Total — 1,012 kilograms (2,226.6 pounds)
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As a bodybuilder, Efferding was no slouch either.
The early highlight of the Portland, OR native’s career might have been a win in the 1991 Mr. Oregon. He eventually followed that performance with back-to-back second-place results at the 1996-1997 Emerald Cup. After an almost 10-year hiatus, a 38-year-old Efferding would return to bodybuilding in 2006, when he won the 2006 Seattle Emerald Cup in the Superheavyweight class (over 225 pounds).
Efferding would finally earn his IFBB Pro Card in 2009, which he parlayed into a first-place performance in the Superheavyweight class at the 2009 Masters Nationals Bodybuilding Championships. The following year, in 2010, he earned the title of 2010 World’s Strongest Bodybuilder when he bench-pressed 285.4 kilograms (628 pounds) and deadlifted 363.6 kilograms (800 pounds) for a 649-kilogram (1,428-pound) push and pull total.
Efferding’s last competitive bodybuilding appearance was when he took 12th place in the Men’s Open division at the 2012 IFBB Flex Pro.
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These days, without competitions in the picture, Efferding spends much of his time on his personal strength training, as his social media is rife with clips of heavy lifts. He’s also the founder of “The Vertical Diet,” a book and nutrition approach he co-founded/co-wrote with Dr. Damon McCune in 2021.
Even in unofficial competitive retirement, Efferding, one of strength sports’ more prominent figures, has found a way to continue to make an impact.
Featured image: @stanefferding on Instagram