The Story
This one fell on a deadlift day in December 2025, so same approach as the 5,000 lb challenge — knock it out before the actual 5/3/1 working sets and use it as a heavy opener.
A one-arm deadlift is a different animal than a standard pull. Grip is obviously the limiting factor, which meant relying on hook grip and a solid brace to keep the bar close. The weight also creates a significant anti-rotation demand, which is why this challenge has such a wide range of performance tiers.
315 lb put me at Tier 2 on the men's scale. Tier 1 is 405, which would be an interesting long-term target — but honestly, the grip and anti-rotation demand at that weight is a completely different challenge. Something to build toward.
No special training went into this. Consistent heavy pulling and a solid brace were enough to get it done. If anything, years of conventional deadlifting built the stabilizer strength without me specifically targeting it.
- deadlift
- one-arm
- max-effort
- grip
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