Herber is chasing history, one massive deadlift at a time.
Written by Robert Zeglinski
Chances are, if Denise Herber sets her mind to lifting a staggering amount of weight, the German powerlifting goliath will succeed. As Herber showed in a recent strength feat, if her barbell is loaded up, she will be leveling up.
On Mar. 11, 2023, Herber shared an Instagram clip of herself capturing a 275-kilogram (606.2-pound) raw deadlift during a training session. According to the caption of Herber’s post, the deadlift repetition is a personal record (PR). Herber utilized a sumo stance and a mixed grip for the pull. It is unclear from the video if Herber used a lifting belt, but it may have been worn under her shirt. Otherwise, the powerlifter had no other equipment adorned for the achievement.
The deadlift PR milestone aside, Herber’s pull might be more significant for another reason: she used the video post’s caption to announce an attempt at the all-time raw World Record in the 75-kilogram weight class. The current honor belongs to Kristy Hawkins. According to Open Powerlifting, Hawkins deadlifted her record of 277.5 kilograms (611.7 pounds) in a first-place performance at the 2022 World Raw Powerlifting Federation (WRPF) American Pro.
“It was my last heavy deadlift session,” Herber wrote of her upcoming ambitions. “I think I’m ready for that all-time World Record attempt of at least 278 kilograms (612.9 pounds) in the 75-kilogram class.”
Herber will try to officially eclipse Hawkins at the 2023 Extreme Powerlifting Coalition (XPC) European Championship. The contest will take on Mar. 26, 2023, in Siedlce, Poland.
Here’s an overview of Herber’s all-time competition bests. Note: According to Open Powerlifting, Herber has never recorded a raw competition squat or total.
Denise Herber | All-Time Competition Bests
- Squat (W/Wraps) — 254.9 kilograms (562.1 pounds)
- Bench Press (Raw) — 130 kilograms (286.6 pounds)
- Deadlift (Raw) — 269.9 kilograms (595.2 pounds)
- Total (W/Wraps) — 655 kilograms (1,444 pounds)
In competition, Herber has not fallen short of first place since March 2019. Overall, the powerlifter can count eight victories in 10 career contest appearances. Herber has come out triumphant in the last five contests she has participated in, including the 2022 WRPF Ghost Clash 2.
One need only watch Herber destroy a deadlift of over 600 pounds to understand the sheer power she possesses. Any other context, like her competitive history or weight class, might be irrelevant. For the high-performing athlete, capturing the raw deadlift World Record would be another expected demonstration of her unique prowess.
Featured Image: @deniseherber_ 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).