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59-Year-Old Vegetarian Weightlifter Secures World Record for Longest Duration Deadlift

From Men's Health

Marcello Ferri, a 59-year-old vegetarian weightlifter from Italy, has broken the world record for the longest duration deadlift with a 100kg barbell.

With a total time of six minutes and three seconds, Ferri achieved the official Guinness World Record for the longest duration deadlift with a 100kg barbell and, if that wasn't enough, beat his own records from July 2019 and February 2020 by almost four minutes.

Having doubled his own world record since first breaking it over two years ago, Ferri challenged himself with a feat that would prove eating meat isn't always necessary to build muscle, bust through strength plateaus and — crucially — break world records.

Photo credit: guinnessworldrecords.com
Photo credit: guinnessworldrecords.com

His preparation for the world record attempt consisted of lifting varying loads, from 80kg all the way to 200kg and building grip strength with static holds at the top of the lift.

Despite this, Ferri admitted that maintaining concentration was the most difficult challenge of the day.

"Six minutes is not only a physical endeavour, but a mental one too. If you're not [focused] all the time, your hands weaken and then open up," he said of the challenge.

Interestingly, a body of research strengthens the relationship between grip strength and health. A paper released in 2015, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, concluded that those with a lower grip strength were more likely to be diabetic or record higher blood pressure.

Ferri's Guinness World Record attempt was confirmed by official judges and other "experts in fitness" who ensured the correct form was used.


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