Once relegated to dingy underground gyms, strength sports like powerlifting, Olympic weightlifting, and Strongman have made their way into the mainstream in recent years. And while fitness as a whole has become a trendy pastime, one of the catalysts in strength sports’ popularity has been social media. After all, it’s tough not to be intrigued when you see it all over your Instagram feed.
But as any regular Muscle & Fitness reader knows, building strength takes time. So much time, in fact, that some of the strongest athletes are in their later 20s or 30s. That said, there seem to be more exceptions to that rule popping up every day. Take the following athletes, all 25 or under, for example. The numbers they hit would be impressive for literally any lifter, let alone a young athlete.
One thing all of these people have in common is that they can probably outlift you by a long shot. Another commonality is a solid base of followers on social media—and for good reason. Their next-level strength and dedication is unreal to a casual gym goer, and even more so to those who don’t even lift.
Check out the athletes below if you need some motivation for your next squat, deadlift, or bench-focused workout.
At 20 years old, Daniella Melo is a two-time IPF world champion with nothing but time to get even stronger. At the Arnold SBD Pro American in early March, the 84-kilogram (185-pound) lifter hit a 215-kilogram (474-pound) squat, 130-kilogram (286-pound) bench press, and a 235-kilogram (518-pound) deadlift for an impressive 580-kilogram (1,278-pound) total.
If you’re browsing the realm of powerlifters or strongman competitors on Instagram, you’re almost guaranteed to stumble upon Larry “Wheels” Williams‘s account. The 24-year-old powerhouse has been lifting for years, and has even been trying his hand at bodybuilding and Strongman lately. But his bread and butter has always been lifting weights that would drop jaws in any gym. From benching 500 pounds for 11 reps, to pyramid training up to an 885-pound deadlift, a 500-pound bench, and a 775-pound squat, he never ceases to impress.
Few powerlifters have been making progress as quickly as 21-year-old Amanda Lawrence when it comes to deadlifting, bench pressing, and squatting heavy weight. The 84-kilogram lifter consistently kills it in the gym and in competition, and she crushed records at the USAPL Arnold SBD Grand Prix with her 240-kilogram (529-pound) opener squat and 246-kilogram (542-pound) second deadlift. She lifted a monstrous total of 591 kilogram (1,313) pounds at the meet—in which she took gold— then knocked out a 237-kilogram (523-pound) deadlift the next day at the Arnold Pro Deadlift.
Andrew Hause is just 21 years old, but he pulls numbers that most gym rats couldn’t even fathom hitting. In the video above, he reps out 765-pound deadlifts for a set of four. It doesn’t look nearly as difficult as lifting that much should, but we’re not surprised, considering he’s pulled off plenty of similar feats on his Instagram—including an amazing 901-pound squat.
Mattie Rogers has amassed more than 570,000 followers on Instagram alone, and for good reason. The 23-year old Team USA athlete may have missed going to the Rio Olympics in 2016, but she holds the American records in snatch with 106 kilograms (234 pounds), clean and jerk with 134 kilograms (295 pounds), and total weight lifted with 239 kilograms (527 pounds) in the 69-kilogram weight class. Sounds intimidating, but Rogers’s relatable Instagram feed has made her a fan favorite on the social media platform.
Nick Hadge just turned 25, but we’ll let him slide into this lineup because he and his brother, Zach, are absolute powerhouses. The pair of Strongman competitors knows a thing or two about throwing weight around, and watching them rep out anything from log presses to deadlifts will make you feel weak.
Jenny Arthur also just sneaks into this list at 25 years old, but her impressive record makes her a necessary addition. With three national championships and a 2016 Olympic Games appearance under her belt, she’s an absolute powerhouse in Olympic weightlifting. Arthur holds the American clean and jerk record at 138 kilograms (304 pounds), as well as the record for total weight lifted with 244 kilograms (538 pounds) in the 75-kilogram weight class.
Harrison Maurus is 18 years old and already breaking records. The 81-kilogram Olympic weightlifter gets some serious weight off the ground, and his 157-kilogram (346-pound) snatch and 200-kilogram (441-pound) clean and jerk at the 2018 World Weightlifting Championships earned him Junior American records in the clean and jerk and total weight lifted.
