Elite 47-kilogram powerlifter Heather Connor is training for the upcoming International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) 2023 Classic World Championships. She shared some training lifts on her Instagram page recently, including a video wherein she exceeded her own IPF raw deadlift world record twice. Her first deadlift was 190 kilograms (419 pounds); her second was an incredible 195 kilograms (430 pounds).
Connor has held the world record raw squat at 47-kilograms since 2017 and has pushed it up twice since then. Her most recent jump of the record came at the 2022 IPF Classic World Championships in Sun City, South Africa, extending the record from 176 kilograms (388 pounds) to 185 kilograms (408 pounds). It was a huge increase, but still under her all-time raw world record of 192.5 kilograms (424 pounds) achieved at the 2021 USAPL Raw Nationals. Check out her two remarkable training lifts in the video below:
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In her video above, Connor describes this training style as cluster sets with a twist — some of her training partners added weight to the barbell between repetitions. Her first sumo deadlift was 190 kilograms (419 pounds).
As soon as it hit the floor, Connor stepped back and her pit crew got into action, adding 2.5 kilograms (5.5 pounds) of weight plates to the bar for the second lift. While the second lift was a tad slower, it was locked out just as cleanly as the first was. She screamed her triumph afterward, punctuated with a satisfied flick of her lifting belt.
Connor wore her Team USA singlet in this training session and will represent her country in the 47-kilogram (104-pound) class at the 2023 IPF Classic World Championships in Malta on Sunday, June 11, 2023.
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The 47-kilogram class at the 2023 IPF Classic World Championships will a challenging field for the two-time world champion. Not only will Connor face Tiffany Chapon, the French Junior lifter who has posted a trio of world records at the 2022 IPF Classic World Championships but will also contend with her own teammate, Jessica Espinal. Espinal beat Connor at the 2023 Powerlifting America (AMP) Classic Nationals, so Connor will seek retribution and a potentially new entry in the record books in Malta.
Featured Image: @heather.e.connor on Instagram