Hawkins showed her pulling strength is kind of versatile.
When it comes to competitive accomplishments, Kristy Hawkins has nothing to prove. For one, per her personal page on Open Powerlifting, the dynamic powerlifter hasn’t lost a sanctioned competition since mid-April 2017. For the opposite, Hawkins’ name is everywhere in the all-time World Record books, owning every raw mark within the 75-kilogram division. That’s save for Hawkins’ 154.9-kilogram (341.7-pound) bench press — which stays the second-heaviest raw bench press in her competitive category. Consequently, today, outsiders might think anything Hawkins achieves is icing on the cake. Based on a recent feat, that doesn’t look like the athlete’s approach.
On June 24, 2023, Hawkins shared an Instagram clip of herself scoring a 275-kilogram (606.2-pound) deadlift with wraps from low blocks. In keeping with the athlete’s caption, it’s the primary time Hawkins has ever deadlifted no less than 600 kilos while utilizing a wider sumo stance. Based on a run-through of Hawkins’ profile, this rep appears to be the primary public instance Hawkins has teased her sumo power. That may add as much as Hawkins’ competitive history, provided that the competitor has often lifted with a traditional set-up. Along with her sumo positioning and lifting straps, Hawkins wore a lifting belt to assist with the training achievement.
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Hawkins has made an apt name for herself being a powerlifting tour de force. If there’s anyone who could begin making a seamless transition to shining in two separate deadlift disciplines, it’d be Hawkins: one of the successful energetic powerlifters around.
Hawkins’ current best competition deadlift, using a traditional stance, is 277.5 kilograms (611.7 kilos). She accomplished this mark on the 2022 World Raw Powerlifting Federation (WRPF) American Pro. In an early July 2022 training session, Hawkins also accomplished a 285-kilogram (628-pound) conventional deadlift.
Unlike popular commentary, a sumo deadlift isn’t necessarily “easier” per se. If anything, depending on what an athlete is accustomed to and the health and mobility of their hips, recruiting more muscles from the lower body could present a greater challenge with the wide-stance setup.
It’s unclear if Hawkins has some form of body predisposition that makes sumo pulling harder. Nonetheless, for an athlete who’s built a status around monstrous conventional deadlifts, steadily training the sumo variation is a greater than worthy change of pace.
Notably, Hawkins isn’t the one athlete to try latest deadlift stance ventures over the roughly past 12 months. Nevertheless, the shoe is on the opposite foot, so to talk. Her peer Jamal Browner, a prolific deadlifter within the Men’s 110-kilogram division, has been fine-tuning his conventional deadlift pulling after nearly mastering the sumo stance. Hawkins’ apparent latest deadlift ambition could present itself as a pleasant contrast to a different big-name powerlifter’s goals.
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On the time of this writing, Hawkins hasn’t clarified when she’ll next step onto an official lifting platform. The athlete has also not provided more detail on what she intends to do with a stronger sumo deadlift. Given Hawkins’ propensity for excellence, a jaw-dropping lift or two should probably be the baseline expectation in the longer term.
Featured image: @kristy_hawkins on Instagram