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One of the strongest heavy dumbbell lifters on the planet is 2020 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) Oleksii Novikov. He is one of the 10 strongmen on the roster vying for the biggest prize purse in the sport’s history ($132,309 to first place). One of his final training sessions before flying to the US from Ukraine involved an attempt at lifting more than the Cyr Dumbbell world record of 150 kilograms (330.7 pounds) held by Mateusz Kieliszkowski from the 2018 World’s Ultimate Strongman (WUS) Finals. Novikov tacked 153.2 kilograms (337.8 pounds) onto his heavy dumbbell, performed a smooth clean, and locked it out overhead with apparent ease. Check it out in the video below, courtesy of Novikov’s YouTube channel:
Note: the would-be world record lift takes place at 10:40 of the video.
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[Related: Strongman Daniel Ashcroft (U80KG) Hits Monster Dumbbell World Record of 96.2 Kilograms]
Novikov currently holds the heavy dumbbell for reps world record. He scored 11 reps in 75 seconds of a 100-kilogram (220.5-pound) dumbbell on the WUS “Feats of Strength” series in May 2020. He is so proficient with a heavy dumbbell that 2019 WSM champion Martins Licis invited him to Licis’ Wreck-It Gym in El Segundo, CA, to help train him in the event. Despite that, Novikov felt the heavy dumbbell was one of the events his technique could further improve.
Novikov’s heavy dumbbell training frequency has increased significantly in recent months. Before crushing more than the Cyr Dumbbell world record weight in training, he built up to it with a 140-kilogram (308.6-pound) lift. Novikov expects the heaviest dumbbell at the end of the Cyr Dumbbell ladder at the Rogue invitational to be 145 kilograms (319.7 pounds) or the world record 150 kilograms (330.7 pounds). Novikov believes the best way to prepare for that is by training his maximal dumbbell press, which led him to seek a world record lift in training.
I have lots of weaknesses. They require training and time. It turned out I needed to train [heavy dumbbell] and I’m excited to beat the world record.
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The lift Novikov performed in the gym would have been a world record if not for two caveats — it was not done in competition or a sanctioned event with an official referee, and it was done with a heavy dumbbell rather than a Cyr Dumbbell. A heavy dumbbell like Novikov used can have weight plates added or removed to adjust the weight. A Cyr Dumbbell is a single implement with a handle holding heavy spheres of fixed weight at each end. Although the lifts are functionally the same, they are technically different implements, each with records attributed to them.
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[Related: 2021 Magnus ver Magnusson Strongman Classic Preview]
Novikov’s strength in the heavy dumbbell has improved beyond the weight his current heavy dumbbell can support. He will strive to lockout a staggering 170 kilograms (374.8 pounds) and has already placed the order for a custom heavy dumbbell capable of supporting that much weight to be sent to his gym.
2021 Rogue Invitational
The 2021 Rogue Invitational will be live-streamed on the Rogue Fitness YouTube channel. Novikov is undoubtedly a contender for the top spot on the podium. Still, he will have to be the likes of Kieliszkowski, four-time WSM champion Brian Shaw, 2021 WSM champion Tom Stoltman, and 2021 Europe’s Strongest Man Luke Stoltman to get there.
Featured image via Oleksii Novikov’s YouTube channel.
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