The deadlift is a strength training exercise in which a weight-loaded barbell is lifted off the ground to the level of the hips, with the torso perpendicular to the floor, before being placed back on the ground. A primal test of brute physical strength, it is one of the three powerlifting movements along with the squat and bench press,[1] as well as a quintessential lift in strongman. Widely regarded as the king of all exercises,[2] the all-time world record deadlift stands at 501 kg (1,105 lb), achieved by Iceland's Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson.[3]
Two styles of deadlift are commonly used in competition settings: the conventional deadlift and the sumo deadlift.[4] While both of these styles are permitted under the rules of powerlifting, only the conventional stance is permitted in strongman.[5]