Stan Efferding built his strength sports profession on a versatility. The 54-year-old athlete is a competitive powerlifter and is a member of the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) as knowledgeable bodybuilder. It’s the previous powerlifting area of interest where Efferding recently demonstrated his power.

On Oct. 3, 2022, Efferding posted a video to his Instagram page where he captured a raw 328.8-kilogram (725-pound) deadlift. The feat could be especially notable because Efferding used a speed pull, where the target is to get the loaded barbell off the bottom as fast as possible. For his deadlift, the athlete positioned his feet in a narrow stance, used a mixed grip, and didn’t have on some other equipment, though there can have been a lifting belt under his shirt.

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As a notable figure within the strength sports community, Efferding’s speed pull deadlift at 54 years old drew the eye of a number of esteemed peers. The comments of his Instagram post feature various complimentary words from 100-kilogram squat World Record holder Joe Sullivan, powerlifter Ernie Lillibridge Jr, and strongman/powerlifting legend Nick Best.

Efferding’s power shouldn’t be surprising to anyone who’s paid attention to his exploits over time.

In line with Open Powerlifting, Efferding began competing on sanctioned lifting platforms in some capability in May 1995. Though the athlete hasn’t competed because the 2013 Southern Powerlifting Federation (SPF) March Madness, he can still boast eight wins in nine official powerlifting appearances. He can be the present Men’s 125-kilogram weight class and Masters 40-44 raw bench press and total World Record holder. Efferding notched that record press of 275 kilograms (606.3 kilos) and that record total of 1,010 kilograms (2,226.6 kilos) on the 2011 SPF California State Championships.

Listed here are the perfect raw lifts of Efferding’s powerlifting profession:

Stan Efferding | All-Time Raw Competition Bests

• Squat — 388.3 kilograms (854.3 kilos)
• Bench Press — 275 kilograms (606.3 kilos)
• Deadlift — 380 kilograms (837.8 kilos)
• Total — 1,012 kilograms (2,226.6 kilos)

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As a bodybuilder, Efferding was no slouch either.

The early highlight of the Portland, OR native’s profession might need been a win within the 1991 Mr. Oregon. He eventually followed that performance with back-to-back second-place results on the 1996-1997 Emerald Cup. After an almost 10-year hiatus, a 38-year-old Efferding would return to bodybuilding in 2006, when he won the 2006 Seattle Emerald Cup within the Superheavyweight class (over 225 kilos).

Efferding would finally earn his IFBB Pro Card in 2009, which he parlayed right into a first-place performance within the Superheavyweight class on the 2009 Masters Nationals Bodybuilding Championships. The next yr, in 2010, he earned the title of 2010 World’s Strongest Bodybuilder when he bench-pressed 285.4 kilograms (628 kilos) and deadlifted 363.6 kilograms (800 kilos) for a 649-kilogram (1,428-pound) push and pull total.

Efferding’s last competitive bodybuilding appearance was when he took twelfth place within the Men’s Open division on the 2012 IFBB Flex Pro.

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Today, without competitions in the image, Efferding spends much of his time on his personal strength training, as his social media is rife with clips of heavy lifts. He’s also the founding father of “The Vertical Diet,” a book and nutrition approach he co-founded/co-wrote with Dr. Damon McCune in 2021.

Even in unofficial competitive retirement, Efferding, certainly one of strength sports’ more distinguished figures, has found a option to proceed to make an impact.

Featured image: @stanefferding on Instagram