Haack seems ready to dominate again in 2023.
Compared to John Haack, most mere mortals would likely struggle to squat, press, and pull a fraction of the weights he logs for himself. However, Haack has routinely proven he isn’t any Average Joe in the weight room. When this powerlifting superstar stacks his barbell with a staggering number of 45-pound plates, chances are he’ll not only succeed with his lift — he’ll make it seem easy, too.
On Jan. 30, 2023, Haack posted a video to his Instagram profile where he successfully locked out a 415-kilogram (915-pound) raw deadlift. According to a caption in the video of his strength feat, this pull is a personal record (PR) for the powerlifter. It’s also five kilograms (11 pounds) more than his current 90-kilogram weight class World Record of 410 kilograms (903.9 pounds). Haack notched that mark at the 2022 World Raw Powerlifting Federation (WRPF) American Pro during a first-place performance. For this latest training feat, the athlete wore a lifting belt and wrist wraps, utilized a mixed grip, and completed his deadlift from a conventional stance.
Haack finished this deadlift relatively easily, but it wasn’t entirely smooth. The powerlifter launched off the ground with ease but did slow his pull to a degree as he reached the full lockout position. The clip shows Haack with a noticeable shake in his lower half as he tries to cap his unofficial largest pull ever. Within the confines of a formal lifting contest, a rigid official on hand might have thrown a red light on Haack’s deadlift, as is there a hint of a hitch to complete it. Hitches are illegal on the powerlifting platform and are typically only permitted in strongman contests.
Haack’s latest groundbreaking deadlift is connected to ongoing preparation for his next sanctioned lifting competition. As he confirms in his Instagram post, the athlete will compete in the upcoming WRPF Ghost Clash 2. The contest will be his first of 2023, as well as his first lifting appearance since late September 2022. If this latest pull is a harbinger of what’s to come from one of powerlifting’s more prominent names, Haack should be ready to fly by his peers on Feb. 18-19, 2023, in Miami, FL.
Per Open Powerlifting, Haack maintained a spotless competitive record in 2022. He won each of the 2022 United States Powerlifting Association (USPA) Raw Pro, the 2022 WRPF American Pro, and the 2022 USPA Hybrid Showdown 4 contests. Between the 90-kilogram and 100-kilogram weight classes, the athlete set five raw World Records in the process. They are as follows:
John Haack | 2022 Powerlifting World Records
100-Kilogram Division
- Bench Press — 272.5 kilograms (600.7 pounds) — Raw World Record
- Total — 1,030 kilograms (2,270.7 pounds) — Raw World Record
90-Kilogram Division
- Bench Press — 267.5 kilograms (589.7 pounds) — Raw World Record
- Deadlift — 410 kilograms (903.9 pounds) — Raw World Record
- Total — 1,022.5 kilograms (2,254.2 pounds) — Raw World Record
At the time of this writing, it is unclear what weight class Haack will compete in at the WRPF Ghost Clash 2 in mid-February. It’s worth noting his top deadlift of 410 kilograms (903.9 pounds) is identical in both the 90 and 100-kilogram categories. That potentially means regardless of where Haack officially features, he is liable to shine again and put on a show well in line with his past high standards.
Featured image: @bilbo_swaggins181 on Instagram
