In a surprising turn of events, Larry Wheels was outlifted by a 76-year-old lifter in a 275-pound challenge. The Instagram video posted by Wheels featured legendary strongman and powerlifter Odd Haugen, challenging one another to lift the heaviest weights.

The duo were performing deadlifts on a Saxon bar. It is a thick, rectangular/block-shaped bar, that makes it extremely hard to hold with heavier weights.

“73-year-old deadlifted more than me,” said the caption of the video.

However, it must be noted that Haugen is currently 76 years old.

Wheels begins with the deadlift with 154 pounds on the Saxon bar, which he lifts with ease. Haugen does the same, with ease.

“That’s the heaviest 100 pounds I’ve ever lifted,” Wheels said with a chuckle, after lifting the 154-pound weight.

The two then attempt to lift a 275-pound weight, which Wheels failed on. Haugen takes it on and deadlifts that effortlessly.

For context, Wheels has a conventional deadlift PR of 937 lbs, .

Despite not succeeding in the 275-pound challenge, Wheels met the challenge with grace and humility. Rather than focusing on his defeat, he admired Haugen’s accomplishment, congratulating the veteran powerlifter for the incredible feat considering his age.

The 76-year-old strongman’s incredible feats of power

Haugen’s passion for strength and size began at a very young age when he built barbells and dumbbells from birch trees. By the age of 20, he had already won the Mr Norway title and had a deadlift record of 584 pounds.

Within a span of 3 decades, he had already won the 1997 USPF Masters National Powerlifting Championship and the 1999 AFSA Strongest Man in America. However, he is most well-known for his exceptional grip strength- even now.

Haugen may have competed in several World’s Strongest Man contests; however, he stood out for his feat of the Husafell Stone carry. In 1998, Haugen carried the whopping 409-pound shield-shaped stone further than the rest of his competitors.

Furthermore, he was the first man to achieve the one-handed lift of the 230-pound Millennium Dumbbell.

Haugen further gained fame when he lifted the Rogue replica Dinnie Stones (734 pounds). He also performed several other incredible feats of strength, such as:

• World record for the Napalm-Nightmare deadlift (468 pounds)
• Masters record for the Sorinex Saxon bar deadlift (265 pounds)
• World record for 17 reps in 1 minute for the IronMind Rolling Thunder (220 pounds)
• Pinch lift with both hands (181 pounds)

Haugen outlifting Wheels proved once again that elite strength can be maintained far beyond an athlete's prime.

What did you think when you saw Haugen outlifting Wheels? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Avantika Das

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi