With deep respect I’d like to congratulate Recomp HQ client Michael Christopher for finally achieving this personal best, triple bodyweight, 300kg deadlift.
https://www.facebook.com/adam.hayhow/videos/10153619975628716/
Mike came to us 2.5 years ago, starving on a cliched zero carb diet, wasting away his life on a treadmill, wondering why he was losing muscle and not losing fat? He pulled a 150kg deadlift in his strength test at 9% bodyfat. 30 months later on 5x more food, full of carbs, he pulls 300kg at 8% bodyfat and 97.5kg!
After being very overweight a year before seeing us, at 44yo Mike now walks around all year long looking lean, muscular, covered in veins and strong as hell. He’s used no drugs, done no cardio, only trains a few times per week, and eats LOTS of food. He is an awesome representation of what we do at Recomp HQ.
Of course, being on the Internet and social media, all the weak, fat, doped trolls will rip his personal achievement to shreds. After 2.5 years of pulling max deadlifts every week, using straps and hitching, they will scream “you cheated”, “you’re going to get hurt”, “you don’t need to do that” and “it doesn’t count”.
Interestingly, Mike has “cheated” his way to a better physique, and more strength gain, in much less time, than most doped bodybuilders and powerlifters who would say he’s done everything wrong. He isn’t injured; he has gained 150kg on his deadlift – double – and is stronger than ever. He hasn’t been red-lighted in a competition because he lifts for himself; not for competition. Mike has a memory and a video of pulling a 300kg weight off the ground and standing erect with it, with veins and muscles popping out everywhere. That image, and that goal achieved, ‘counts’ to the only person who matters: himself!
After being very overweight, at 44yo Mike walks around all year long looking lean, muscular, covered in veins and strong as hell. He’s used no drugs, done no cardio, only trains a few times per week, and eats LOTS of food. He is an awesome representation of what we do at Recomp HQ
Adam Hayhow has measured Mike’s progress and adjusted his diet and training methodically for 2.5 years. There was no guesswork. Mikes result wasn’t luck or a fluke. It was planned, the plan executed and the result achieved.
Could a better result have been achieved by not measuring, not planning and basing decisions on subjective feelings and photo’s? Who knows? But by measuring, planning, testing and assessing, Mike now has both the result AND the detailed knowledge of how his body responds to different interventions. That knowledge is supported by 2.5 years of detailed scientific research on HIS body. That is real knowledge. Its not research by some academic on a rat in a cage, or a pregnant geriatric, pulling on a rubber-band in a university. Its not a vague idea that he thought he looked better in the mirror when he flexed harder on some machine. Its real, objective knowledge.
The difference between Mike’s result and others is Mike wanted to beat this 300kg barbell. He wanted it bad! He wanted it because he decided he wanted it. Because 300 is a cool number. Because Adam and others, like Recomp Certified Specialist and Natural Bodybuilding and Powerlifting Champion, Nathan Wallace, have done it, so its obviously doable. And he wasn’t going to quit until he beat it.
Mike now has the muscle mass to match his strength and the strength to match his muscle. Mike doesn’t care how it happened. The biochemistry involved is irrelevant. When you are in the gym your only concern is lifting the weight. Big latin words and scientific studies don’t lift weight. So Mike just lifted the weights of the athlete he wanted to be, and he became that athlete.
Truly inspirational work, Mike! Congratulations.
