Herber’s strength reached another level with this session.
Denise Herber has a resume laden with staggering, eye-popping lifts. The German athlete has lost just two competitions in her powerlifting career and is certainly no slouch when it comes to polishing her form and strength in the gym. The superstar’s latest feat fits that very bill.
On July 24, 2023, Herber posted an Instagram clip of herself successfully locking out a 269.9-kilogram (595.2-pound) raw deadlift for two single repetitions. That number is particularly notable considering it is Herber’s all-time competition best, which she achieved at the 2023 World Raw Powerlifting Federation (WRPF) The Ghost Clash 2. Herber’s previous best competition deadlift was 255 kilograms (565.1 pounds), achieved 15 months earlier at the 2021 Ireland-UA ABS Pro, making her raw milestone more noteworthy.
Herber completed her recent deadlifts from a conventional stance with a mixed grip and did not appear to have a lifting belt adorned.
One of Herber’s goals earlier this year was pursuing Kristy Hawkins’ all-time raw World Record deadlift of 277.5 kilograms (611.7 pounds) in the 75-kilogram class. Hawkins earned that mark in a first-place performance at the 2022 World Raw Powerlifting Federation (WRPF) American Pro. Herber had planned to make the World Record attempt during the 2023 Extreme Powerlifting Coalition (XPC) European Championship in late March but withdrew from the contest due to unforeseen health issues.
While Herber didn’t break the record, she eventually returned to form just about two months later. The athlete finally broke the 600-pound raw deadlift barrier in late May 2023 when she pulled 272.5 kilograms (600 pounds) during the 2023 Fitness Store Classic in Singen, Germany. It’s not quite the World Record, but the pull does make Herber only the second 75-kilogram competitor (after Hawkins) to pull at least 600 pounds during a sanctioned contest on camera.
That in itself is quite a way to recover and look forward for an athlete unwillingly falling short of a World Record attempt.
At the time of this writing, Herber hasn’t revealed her upcoming competitive plans. The tenor of her latest deadlift post suggests that Herber is only easing her way back in during a recent training program. However, if such a lift is “easing in,” it might only be a matter of time before the athlete can vie for the pulling World Record again.
Featured image: @deniseherber_ on Instagram
