Benedikt Magnusson and Kirill Sarychev. Deadlift comparison.

Benedikt Magnusson and Kirill Sarychev. Deadlift comparison.

тяга Кирилла и Бени 4The World GPA Powerlifting Championships just concluded recently in Sydney, Australia. Athletes in the deadlift competition left the most vivid impressions on me. It’s not surprising either because the best of the best attended this competition: Benedikt Magnusson (420 kg), Misha Koklayev (410 kg), Andy Bolton (405 kg), Konstantin Konstantinovs (400 kg), and Kirill Sarychev (390 kg). 

The deadlift is the king of competitive exercises in powerlifting. There is a popular saying among American athletes: “Deadlifting separates the men from the boys.” It’s safe to say that the deadlift is the powerful in its simplicity —just lift the weight from the ground. The deadlift is the most uncompromising way of testing strength because gear doesn’t play as big of a role as it does in the bench press and squat.

Watch the deadlift video of two the athletes. They have techniques which are different by character and performance. But no doubt, these are both some of the greatest athletes of all time. One is the holder of the absolute world deadlift record (460kg), Benedikt Magnusson from Iceland and the other athlete has the second highest bench press in the world (326kg), Kirill Sarychev from Russia. The performances of Benedict Magnusson are always bright and fascinating to audiences. The giant from Russia, Kirill Sarychev, is fairly calm before and during the lift. He focuses well and only after a successful lift will he splash out all accumulated emotions into the air.

I chose the largest and most skillfully performed deadlifts, in my opinion, of the last day of the GPA Worlds. There are 420kg for Magnusson on the bar and 390kg for Kirill. Both athletes pull conventional.

The starting position – Frame 1 

 (Magnusson) He puts his feet a little wider than his hips, feet placed parallel to each other, the distance between his knees less than the distance between his feet. Shoulders cover the bar, coming forward 5-7cm beyond the projection of the bar. Head is down and eyes are also looking down.

(Sarychev) His foot stance is narrower than Magnusson’s stance. Toes are turned a bit outwards and the knees are aligned with the toes. Shoulders cover the bar coming forward 1-2cm of the projection of the bar. Head is raised, eyes are looking ahead and down.

 Lift off – Frame 2

(Magnusson) He rolls the barbell closer to the shins, snatches the barbell from the platform and raises his hips up dramatically. His legs nearly straighten. The center of gravity shifts toward the toes.

(Sarychev) He safely separates the barbell from the platform with the center of gravity located over the middle of the foot.

The barbell is at knee level – Frame 3

(Magnusson) At this point the legs are completely straight; almost the entire weight is shifted onto the back muscles. The center of gravity has shifted towards the toes even more. The barbell starts shaking in Benedikt’s hands. He pulls the weight to his legs with great effort and willpower and continues to pull.

(Sarychev) His leg muscles are actively working together with the muscles of the back. The head is lifted, thereby helping to straighten the back. The center of gravity is in the middle of the foot. The bar is always close to Kirill’s legs.

From the knees to lockout – Frames 4 and 5

(Magnusson) After passing the knees he continues to pull the barbell with his back only.

(Sarychev) The legs and back are continuing to work together. The bar is still close to his legs.

Lockout. (Frame 6) 

(Magnusson) An enormous strain on the back muscles doesn’t allow the athlete to clearly lock out his knees and fix the weight at the top.

(Sarychev) Successfully finished the lift. The athlete performs clearly the fixation of the barbell in the final part. Because of a hamstring injury Kirill was unable to completely follow the barbell to the platform.

 

 

Sometimes I am asked: “Maybe we need to deadlift like Magnusson. He pulls crazy weights”. I always say categorically “no”. Benedikt Magnusson is a unique athlete, and his technique is individual. If you try to remake his deadlift technique, then he will not lift enormous weights. And all those who try to copy Magnusson will become only a copy that will always lose to the original.

As for Kirill Sarychev I am very pleased that he improved his deadlift technique and lifted such heavy weights with confidence and beauty, while being a great athlete who specializes in the bench press. I’m also glad that he set a world record in the new discipline of powerlifting “Push & Pull” with 705kg (315kg + 390kg).  Kirill is still young and he can progress in the bench press and other movements for another 10 years at least.

Boris Sheiko

 

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