The 500lb Deadlift

The lift above is the last PR I have on video to date at 475lbs. The deadlift has always been my favorite of the heavy lifts. Maybe it's because it's so primitive. Maybe it's because there's less to think about than a snatch or jerk. Or maybe it's just because it comes more naturally for me and I was better at it to begin with .....

Either way, a 500lb deadlift has been on my radar since I began CrossFit over 3 years ago and I've been aiming for it ever since. I believe my first ever max deadift was around 455lbs. Yep, 3 years ago I was at 455lbs. 

Over the last 3 years, I have slowly and steadily gone up in weight. From 455 to 475 and then, not pictured or videoed unfortunately, 485. Saturday, at the man date, I loaded up 500lbs and got that shit! Boom! Then tried 510 and moved it about 2 inches off the ground. Nope. But hey, I had hit 500 finally!

Over the latter part of Saturday and Sunday I wondered if I had gotten greedy by skipping 505 and moving right to 510. Hmmmm.....so today, I got my mind right, pulled out the weights and starting prepping for the 505 lift. Check out the situation below......

My warm up was as follows: 

10 reps at 135

5 reps at 225

5 reps at 315

1 rep at 405

1 rep at 475

 Then I went for it.....

Pulled at 505 the first time and got it up but it was slipping out of my hands and was questionable whether or not I had locked it out before I dropped it. Shit. At this point I was questioning whether or not I had 1 more lift in me. But I was too close to not try again.....here we go

Solid PR and I can honestly say that I've reached a goal I have been shooting for for the last 3 years. Small wins along the way are what made this possible. Thanks to Miguel Garza for his programming over the last 9 months. Posterior chain baby!

Fitness is a marathon, not a sprint. Stay the course.

Landon Adams