Written by Robert Zeglinski
On July 5, 2023, strongwoman Lucy Underdown shared an eye-opening update on her strongwoman training progress. In an Instagram clip, the athlete captures a 280-kilogram (617.3-pound) deadlift for four reps. According to the caption of her post, this lift was a new quadruple personal record (PR) for Underdown. The athlete wore a lifting belt and utilized lift straps to help with the massive deadlift. In her socks, she also completed the pull from a conventional stance with a traditional grip.
What might make Underdown’s feat more impressive is how the athlete downplayed her mindset beforehand. Underdown wrote that having two bumper plates (four total) on her loaded barbell wasn’t a deadlift set-up she was accustomed to. Plus, there weren’t any collars where Underdown was training, meaning her weight wouldn’t stay steady and even as she worked toward a full lockout. In addition, the strongwoman was apparently “under the weather,” casting doubt on whether she’d come close to the new PR.
Despite all these elements of adversity, it could be a testament to Underdown’s unique power that she managed to transcend and finish off the quadruple set anyway.
It should be no surprise that Underdown notched this four-rep PR. At the time of this article’s publication, the athlete holds the strongwoman deadlift World Record of 300 kilograms (662 pounds) from the 2023 Arnold UK Pro Strongwoman contest. Underdown also possesses the Kratos bar deadlift World Record of 305 kilograms (672.4 pounds), which she set at the 2023 UK’s Strongest Woman. A Kratos bar is characterized by its extended 10-foot length, creating an additional “flex” for athletes when pulling their weight from the ground.
Underdown has already laid out her upcoming competitive schedule. She will be a participant in each of the upcoming 2023 Europe’s Strongest Woman, the 2023 Britain’s Strongest Woman, and the 2023 England’s Strongest Woman contests. To date, the athlete is still seeking her first-ever professional strongwoman victory, having finished as the runner-up at the 2023 UKSW. Nevertheless, she will likely shine based on her precedent.
That’s because regardless of any presented obstacles, Underdown continues to distinguish herself as deadlift royalty.
Featured image: @lucyunders_strongwoman on Instagram
About Robert Zeglinski
Robert is a seasoned and adept editor and writer with a keen, passionate penchant for the writing craft. He’s been a leader in newsrooms such as SB Nation, USA TODAY, and WBBM Newsradio, with various other content and art production teams, and first made a name for himself in his hometown of Chicago. When not knee-deep in research or lost in a stream of consciousness for a thorough piece, you can find Robert inhaling yet another novel, journaling his heart out, or playing with his Shiba Inu, Maximus (Max, for short).