iStockphoto / iavorskyi
Powerlifter Mark Rosenberg just broke the world record for the Jefferson Deadlift after putting up 910 pounds.
His record-setting achievement came after he struggled in his warmups. After seeing the new Jefferson Deadlift world record he’d tell his powerlifting/weightlifting community to ‘never trust your warmups.’
Just before putting up the 910-pound Jefferson Deadlift, Mark Rosenberg sniffed some ammonia and then made history. I mention that just in case anyone was wondering what he was sniffing there.
What is a Jefferson Deadlift?
The Jefferson Deadlift obviously looks quite different from a traditional deadlift as the powerlifter is straddling the bar. BarBend says “sometimes, the weirdest-looking exercises can be the most useful, and the Jefferson deadlift is the perfect example.”
Benefits of the Jefferson Deadlift include building asymmetrical strength, building antirotational strength, and less shear force on the lower back while lifting.
In order to do the Jefferson Deadlift, the powerlifter straddles the bar with feet shoulder-width apart. They grab the bar underneath their shoulders and stand up. It sounds simple but BarBend has a great explanation of the finer details on form here.
For comparison, this Jefferson Deadlift world record is 910 pounds. The current world record for a traditional deadlift is 1,210 pounds. So there is quite the discrepancy in weight between the two forms.
Here is that 1,210 pound world record from August:
Be sure to give Mark Rosenberg a follow on Instagram at @deadliestlift if you want to see more content like his record-setting achievement above.