YouTube posts 500 kg raw deadlift

A YouTube video posted on May 15 claimed to show a 500-kilogram raw, strapless deadlift in training, a mark that would place the lift in rare company if confirmed. The upload did not include meet details, judging information or links to independent verification, based on the video page Reuters reviewed. Search results and recent strength-sports coverage tied the claim to South African powerlifter Colton Engelbrecht, who has been pursuing the milestone in training and competition. Reuters could not independently verify the weight, the calibration of the plates or the conditions of the lift from the upload alone. ### Who appears to be in the video? Colton Engelbrecht was identified in recent powerlifting coverage as the athlete behind multiple 500-kilogram deadlift attempts and successful training lifts in 2025 and 2026. BarBend reported in July 2025 that Engelbrecht completed a 500-kilogram sumo deadlift at the Nikolay Kagansky Memorial Tournament in Moscow with lifting straps after missing an earlier attempt under competition standards. (youtube.com) Fitness Volt reported on March 13, 2026 that Engelbrecht had deadlifted 500 kilograms in training for one rep without straps and for two reps with straps while preparing for the 2026 Siberian Power Show. That report said he used a sumo stance and hook grip for the strapless lift. ### What exactly is being claimed? The May 15 YouTube upload claimed a 500-kilogram lift performed raw and strapless in a training setting. (barbend.com) In powerlifting terms, “raw” generally means a belt is allowed but straps and a deadlift suit are not, according to BarBend’s description of the category. BarBend’s April 2025 guide said raw deadlift records are typically set in powerlifting meets, while strongman deadlifts often allow straps and other supportive equipment. (fitnessvolt.com) That distinction matters because a training lift, even if genuine, does not carry the same status as a judged result in sanctioned competition. ### How does this fit with Engelbrecht’s recent lifts? March 29, 2025 is the date BarBend gave for Engelbrecht’s 1,200-kilogram raw total at the WPC Clash of Titans, where he squatted 470 kilograms, benched 260 kilograms and deadlifted 470 kilograms. (barbend.com) On that day, BarBend said, he also attempted 500 kilograms on deadlift but could not complete the lockout. July 14, 2025 is when BarBend reported Engelbrecht had reached 500 kilograms in a meet setting with straps, though the outlet said the lift did not count officially because straps are prohibited in powerlifting. March 13, 2026 is when Fitness Volt reported a successful 500-kilogram training single without straps. ### Why is independent verification the sticking point? (barbend.com) The YouTube page Reuters reviewed did not provide event documentation, weigh-in data, calibrated plate details or a judging panel. Without those details, the upload functions as a claim on a social-media platform rather than a competition result. A 500-kilogram deadlift has been reached before under other conditions. (barbend.com) BarBend reported that Eddie Hall completed the first 500-kilogram deadlift in 2016 within sanctioned competition rules, while Hafthor Bjornsson, Jamal Browner, Krzysztof Wierzbicki and Engelbrecht have all been reported lifting 500 kilograms or more on camera in formats involving straps, training conditions or other rule differences. (youtube.com) ### What would settle the question next? A sanctioned meet is the clearest next checkpoint for Engelbrecht if he wants a 500-kilogram deadlift recognized under standard powerlifting rules. Fitness Volt said in March that he had been preparing for the 2026 Siberian Power Show in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, as part of that pursuit. (barbend.com) The YouTube video posted on May 15 remains the current public record of the claim reviewed for this story. Any next step that adds calibrated weigh-in details, uncut footage or a judged competition attempt would provide the concrete evidence missing from the upload itself. (youtube.com) (fitnessvolt.com)