Deadlift 2× Your Bodyweight

Proof required

Submit: a video of the 1.5× bodyweight deadlift showing the full lift from floor to lockout, with the loaded barbell visible in the frame. Include a note stating your bodyweight and the loaded weight on the bar.

What gets checked

• Full range of motion is visible — the video must show the bar starting on the floor, breaking the floor, travelling close to the body, full hip extension at lockout (hips fully through, not a soft lockout), and the bar descending back to the floor; a partial ROM lift from blocks or with incomplete lockout does not pass
• Loaded weight is verifiable — the plates on the bar must be visible in the video and countable; if the weight is not countable from the plates in frame, a second camera angle or a note confirming the exact load (bar weight + plates) is required; a weight that cannot be verified from the video does not pass
• Video is continuous, unedited — a video showing the setup and then cutting to the completion without the lift is not acceptable; the video must be a single continuous recording of the full lift; a video shot from a phone leaning against a weight stand at hip height from the side is the simplest format that captures all required information

Common mistakes

• Not filming from the side — a front-on camera angle does not capture bar path, hip position, or lockout quality; always film from the side for deadlift proof videos; a 45-degree angle is the second-best option if a side view is not available; the video must show the full ROM, which requires seeing the hips relative to the bar
• Attempting a max effort before establishing consistent form — 1.5× bodyweight is a meaningful load that will expose any bracing, bar path, or hip hinge weakness; attempting a max effort without consistent form at 80% of the target load first results in either a missed lift or a technique failure; build to 1.5× over 4–6 weeks with progressive loading, not a single testing session
• Using straps without developing grip strength first — lifting straps allow heavier loads when grip is the limiting factor; using straps from the beginning prevents grip development; the 2× bodyweight goal requires either very strong grip or well-timed strap use; train without straps until grip is consistently failing before adding straps

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• Watch the full video for ROM — check: bar starts on floor, bar breaks floor contact, bar stays close to body, hips reach full extension at lockout (not a soft lockout), bar returns to floor under control; any missing element is a failed lift
• Verify the loaded weight from the video — count the plates visible in the frame; confirm the plate denominations; if the weight is not countable from the video, ask for a photo of the loaded bar
• Check that the lift is a conventional deadlift — sumo, trap bar, and Romanian deadlifts are different movements and do not satisfy the conventional deadlift standard; confirm the foot stance and hand position are consistent with conventional deadlift technique

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Proof required

Submit: a video of the 1.75× bodyweight deadlift showing the full lift from floor to lockout, with the loaded barbell visible in the frame. Include a note stating your bodyweight and the loaded weight.

What gets checked

• Same technical standard as milestone 1 — full ROM from floor to lockout with hip extension, weight countable from video, side-angle camera, single continuous recording
• Bodyweight × 1.75 is confirmed — the note must state current bodyweight and the loaded weight on the bar; the ratio must be 1.75 or greater; submitting a 1.7× lift as 1.75× does not pass
• No hitching — at heavier loads, some lifters hitch the bar against the thigh during the concentric phase; hitching is a technical fault that is a red-light in competition; the video should not show the bar pausing or hitching against the thigh; a clean lockout without hitching is required

Common mistakes

• Not deloading periodically — training without deload weeks in a 20-week strength block leads to accumulated fatigue that masks true strength gains; include a deload (50–60% volume, maintenance intensity) every 4th week
• Attempting the 1.75× test immediately after a hard training week — strength tests performed in a state of fatigue show 5–10% less than actual maximal strength; test the 1.75× at the beginning of a fresh training week, after 48–72 hours of rest
• Not filming every attempt — lift form at higher weights changes in ways that are invisible from inside the lift; a video at 1.5× may show clean technique but a video at 1.75× may show hip rise; filming every heavy set identifies this before it becomes entrenched

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• Apply the same full ROM standard as milestone 1 — watch specifically for hip extension at lockout; at higher loads, incomplete lockout (soft knees, not fully standing) is a common technical fault
• Check for hitching — watch the bar movement during the concentric phase; hitching appears as a brief pause and repositioning of the bar against the thigh; it is a technical fault and a reason to request a re-attempt
• Confirm the bodyweight × 1.75 calculation — if the submitter states 80kg bodyweight and 138kg on the bar, that is 1.725×, not 1.75×; confirm the arithmetic and the minimum requirement

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Proof required

Submit: (1) a video of the 2× bodyweight deadlift showing the full lift from floor to lockout, with the loaded barbell clearly visible and weight countable, and (2) a note stating your bodyweight and the total loaded weight on the bar. If performed at a sanctioned meet, submit the official results instead.

What gets checked

• Full ROM with hip extension and no hitching — same technical standard as milestones 1 and 2; the 2× lift must show the full lift from floor to a complete lockout with hips through and no hitching; a 2× deadlift that would be red-lighted at a powerlifting meet is a technical failure regardless of the weight achieved
• Weight calculation is verified — bodyweight × 2 must be confirmed; the note must state current bodyweight (measured recently, not estimated) and the loaded weight on the bar
• Video shows weight plates identifiably — at 2× bodyweight loads, the plates are larger and heavier; they should still be identifiable and countable in the video; if the lighting or camera angle makes the plates difficult to count, a second photograph of the loaded bar with weight confirmed is acceptable as supplementary proof

Common mistakes

• Testing the 2× lift when fatigued — the final test should follow a full taper: 3–5 days of reduced training, good sleep, and a fresh session; a 2× attempt in a state of accumulated fatigue will typically miss by 5–15kg, leading to frustration and potentially delaying the milestone by 4–6 weeks
• Using a belt without having trained with one — a lifting belt can add 5–15% to a maximum deadlift; using a belt for the first time on a max attempt without having trained with one produces belt-specific technique errors; if using a belt for the 2× attempt, it must have been used regularly in training for at least 4 weeks before the test
• Counting mixed grip as a fault — mixed grip (one hand pronated, one supinated) is a legal deadlift technique; it is not a technical fault; using straps is also legal; the only technical faults that disqualify a lift are incomplete ROM, hitching, and failure to achieve hip lockout

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• Watch the full video for all technical standards — ROM, lockout, no hitching, weight countable; confirm the lift would pass a powerlifting judging standard (three white lights) before approving
• Verify the weight calculation — confirm bodyweight (ask for a note with date of weigh-in) and the loaded weight on the bar; the ratio must be 2.0 or greater
• If the lift was at a powerlifting meet, confirm using the official results — search the meet name and the student's name on the IPF, British Powerlifting, or equivalent results database; a meet result eliminates all the video technical standards because the meet referees have already judged the lift

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