Makarov is coming for the ultimate deadlift crown.
Written by Robert Zeglinski
On June 18, 2023, strongman Ivan Makarov shared a video of himself capturing a 476-kilogram (1,049.4-pound) deadlift for two reps during a training session. The strength feat is a personal record (PR) for the Russian athlete and marks another milestone as he pursues the all-time deadlift World Record of 501 kilograms (1,104.5 pounds), held by Hafthor Björnsson. Makarov will make another attempt at the legendary figure at the 2023 World Deadlift Championships (WDC) on September 2, 2023, in Cardiff, Wales.
To achieve this massive two-rep deadlift PR, Makarov was wore a lifting suit and lifting belt, and utilized lifting straps to help lift his loaded barbell. This equipment is entirely legal under the context of strongman rules. The Russian strongman completed his pull from a conventional stance with a double-overhand grip.
While Makarov has displayed versatility with his strength in the past — a 190-kilogram (418.9-pound) overhead press from November 2022 comes to mind — the athlete is primarily known for his deadlift prowess, and especially of late. Even a quick perusal of Makarov’s events resume on Strongman Archives will lend credence to this fact: most of the athlete’s recent competitive appearances have featured him solely attempting a Max Deadlift.
The same sentiment applies to Makarov’s Instagram profile where, in most any recent instance, a training update is likely of the athlete deadlifting a monstrous amount of weight. That performance is likely expected, as Makarov captured the 2021 WDC title with a 475-kilogram (1,047.2-pound) deadlift. The mark continues to inch higher each year.
“New knowledge, I got new opportunities to stay healthy and very strong.”
In his most recent attempt at the all-time deadlift World Record, Makarov fell short at the 2022 WDC. Thanks to a 453.5-kilogram max pull, the competitor finished tied for second place with three other competitors — the 2023 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) champion Mitchell Hooper, the 2023 Europe’s Strongest Man (ESM) victor Pavlo Nakonechnyy, and Graham Hicks. Estonia’s Rauno Heinla captured the eventual title en route to a Masters World Record deadlift of 476 kilograms (1,049.4 pounds), a weight that Makarov has now shown he can pull twice.
At the time of this writing, the 2023 WDC roster features notable returning competitors like the defending champion Heinla, 2020 WSM winner Oleksii Novikov, and even powerlifter Jamal Browner. Giants Live embeds the prestigious annual WDC (or Max Deadlift) into the overall annual Giants Live World Open.
Regardless of a stacked field, Makarov figures to be one of the top contenders for the pursuit of one of strength sports’ more hallowed accomplishments. Should Makarov or any of the other participating athletes achieve it, they’ll be $55,000 richer as a result. One gets the sense the fame of scoring such a mark is worth just as much as any prize money.
Featured image: @ivan_makarovstrong on Instagram
About Robert Zeglinski
Robert is a seasoned and adept editor and writer with a keen, passionate penchant for the writing craft. He’s been a leader in newsrooms such as SB Nation, USA TODAY, and WBBM Newsradio, with various other content and art production teams, and first made a name for himself in his hometown of Chicago. When not knee-deep in research or lost in a stream of consciousness for a thorough piece, you can find Robert inhaling yet another novel, journaling his heart out, or playing with his Shiba Inu, Maximus (Max, for short).