Le Britannique Steve Keeler has just achieved a feat that few people could have accomplished. He beat the record for the heaviest deadlift with one finger 10 years after the previous record was set. During his attempt in Ashford, Kent, last February 2022, Steve managed to lift an incredible weight of 129.50 kg with one finger for eight seconds.
The Briton used only his middle finger to lift simultaneously six iron weight discs. There was a small one of about 10 kg, another of 20 kg, three of just over 25 kg each and one of 26 kg. The attempt was carried out in front of witnesses and was accompanied by cheers from the public.
“It’s incredibly painful, but my fingers are strong and I’m proud of my lift”, said Steve Keeler. He achieved his deadlift feat at the age of 48 after training for the past four years.
The origin of the attempt
Keeler began practicing martial arts during his teenage years. He started karate at the age of 18. Today it is both black belt 5th Dan de Karaté Tsuyoi-Ryu et ceinture noire 1is Dan de Judo. It was during his judo training and bodybuilding sessions that he discovered that his hands had exceptional strength. He noticed that the ability of his hands to lift weights was beyond the norm.
Having learned about the Guinness World Records record for deadlift, the athlete decided to try his luck. The record in question was held by Armenian Benik Israyelyan and had not been beaten for ten years. Keeler realized that the weight lifted by Israyelyan weighed only 50kg more than he had already lifted. He trained himself to lift a series of weights with his middle finger to further strengthen his bones and develop his resistance.
Benik Israyelyan had been able to lift 127.70 kg with middle finger in 2012.
A victory dedicated to his family
The Brit decided to dedicate his accomplishment to the members of his family, in particular to his late father-in-law who is for him an absolute hero. According to him, his stepfather helped him a lot in his childhood, including fixing his bike. He broke this record in honor of everything his stepfather taught him.
He also promised himself that if he got a world record one day, he would give the certificate to his mother.
SOURCE: Guinness World Records
