🏋️ 92-year-old powerlifter's 235-pound deadlift

They say spring is a season of renewal and growth. They’re probably talking about growing flowers and renewing life, but we’re talking about gains. (In fairness, we’re always talking about gains.)

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John Claassen is a powerlifter in his 90s who can deadlift 235 pounds raw. It’s even more bananas when we write it out.

The 2023 World’s Strongest Man is next week. After Pavlo Nakonechnyy’s recent knee injury, we will unfortunately not see the rising star compete.

There’s an age-old question to training: Do you deadlift on leg day or back day? We have a thoughtful answer for this debate.

Exercise Tips

Deadlift Decisions

It seems like a simple question on the surface — but it’s one without a straightforward answer. Given the mix of back and leg muscles that the all-powerful deadlift can work, should you do some pulls on leg day or back day?

Huh. To be honest, we’re still kind of pondering the right answer here! The good news is we’re here to help you make the proper decision for your goals in this debate. Because, yes, it does matter when you deadlift.

From the benefits and drawbacks to what you should consider if you don’t have a leg or back day, we broke down every side of this pulling conundrum.

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Powerlifting

John Claassen’s Deadlift Masterclass at Age 92

John Claassen took up powerlifting when he was 89 because he started having posture and movement issues. The Niles, IL, athlete entered with modest goals of improving his health — and now, he’s crushing raw deadlifts that are beyond impressive for someone his age.

In a recent documentary-style video filmed by Greysteel: Fitness After Fifty, Claassen’s strength journey is captured for the world to see. The clip, which also features Claassen crushing barbell curls and prowler pushes, sees the athlete cap a training day with a 106.5-kilogram (235-pound) raw deadlift.

As Claassen notes: “The only competition I have is with myself.”

It’s safe to say he’s winning that battle.

Strongman

A World’s Strongest Man Shakeup

After winning last year’s Giants Live World Open, 25-year-old Ukrainian strongman Pavlo Nakonechnyy appeared to be on a fast track toward stardom. The next step? Showcasing his talents in the World’s Strongest Man (WSM).

Those dreams will have to be put on hold.

On Sunday, it was revealed that Nakonechnyy was withdrawing from the 2023 WSM, set for Myrtle Beach next week. While unconfirmed, Nakonechnyy may still be recovering from a knee injury suffered during the 2023 Arnold Strongman Classic (ASC). That ailment also knocked him out of his Europe’s Strongest Man (ESM) debut earlier this month.

Nakonechnyy may well still have a great destiny in the cards. But he’ll have to wait at least another year to show it in the WSM.

Everything Else

Bulk Like Derek Lunsford for Cheap

• Want to bulk like bodybuilding dynamo like Derek Lunsford? The athlete has a guide on how to do it while on budget.

• Speaking of the 2023 WSM, here’s the exact event schedule for next week’s strongman bonanza.

• The preacher curl is a top-tier biceps exercise. Here’s how to get the most out of it.