Strongman Rauno Heinla Locks Out A Massive 450 kg (992 lb) While Attempting Sumo Deadlifts

Rauno Heinla is an Estonian strongman who has been competing professionally for almost twenty years. He holds numerous world records in different versions of his favorite sport, the deadlift. Unlike the norm in many other sports, many strongman athletes hit their stride in their 30s and 40s. Rauno is no different, having made immense improvements to his lifting totals, agility and all-round strength in the past five years.

Rauno Heinla - 450 KG Sumo Deadlift

Popularly known as a deadlift specialist, Rauno Heinla usually performs the lift with a conventional stance. In an Instagram post shared on October 14, Rauno showcased his strength in the sumo deadlift, pulling 450 kg (992 lb) off the floor with ease.

Wearing only socks (as is his usual fashion during deadlifting), and donning lifting straps and a lifting belt, Rauno appeared to pull the mammoth weight effortlessly. While his sumo form was sub-par due to lack of practice, his incredible strength made the lift look easy.

You can watch his warmup lifts and setup below :

It is interesting to note that Rauno Heinla began his competitive strength career in powerlifting and deadlifted over 400kg/882lb using the sumo stance. However, upon entering strongman, he relinquished the technique, moving to the conventional stance exclusively.

It should be noted, however, that Rauno lifted 475 kg (1047 lbs) last year at the sumo deadlift. During that session, he smashed 450 kg, 455 kg, and 470 kg sumo deadlifts before maxing out at 475 kg. It was his first attempt at the sumo stance after close to 11 years.

Rauno Heinla - Competitive History

Rauno Heinla is among the most popular strongman athletes today - not just for his incredible strength, but also for his funny antics and carefree nature. His method of hyping before every event by coughing his lungs out and turning nauseous may not be very pleasant to look at, but it works exceedingly well, as proven by his plethora of wins and records.

He became involved in local strongman competitions in 2000, and won his first national contest – Estonia’s Strongest Man – in 2008. He is the only Estonian to win this title 6 times, following in the footsteps of Tarmo Mitt and Andrus Murumets, who both won it five times.

Since then, he has taken part in 48 International Strongman competitions with four major victories. In 2014, he won the SCL Savickas Classic and SCL Estonia. He was victorious at the Arnold South America in 2017 and followed it up with a win at the Arnold Australia in 2018.

In 2020, Rauno set a new record for lifting 400kg (882lb) for repetitions, achieving six successful lifts as part of the WUS Feats of Strength online series.

Despite reaching the qualifier rounds for Worlds Strongest Man, Rauno has not managed to make it to the finals yet. At the 2022 WSM, Rauno had withdrawn due to stomach issues. Having come third behind Mitchell Hooper at the 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic UK, he will look to use this momentum to qualify for the WSM finals in 2023.

Rauno has won the World Deadlift Championships twice, sharing the win in 2019 with Jerry Pritchett of the United States, and in 2022, when he also set a new Masters World Record of 476 kg (1,049 lb). This lift was the third heaviest competitive deadlift in strongman history, and astoundingly increased Mikhail Shivlyakov's previous Masters world record by 40kg/88lb.

At the 2022 Silver Dollar Deadlift Estonian Championship held in Viljandi, Estonia, Rauno Heinla set a world record in the Silver Dollar Deadlift by pulling 580 kilograms (1,278.7 pounds).

At the 2022 Giants Live World Tour Finals held on October 8th, Rauno finished second at the Axle Deadlift for Reps and ended up placing overall sixth. Having put on his lifting belt too tight, Rauno struggled to breathe properly and had a breakdown in form.

With a limited recovery period, Rauno has managed to pull 450 kg at the sumo deadlift with ease. Often considered one of the strongest contenders to break the 501 kg record set by Hafthor Julius Bjornsson, Rauno may be using sumo deadlifts to correct any weaknesses in his lower body. With adequate rest and practice, Rauno Heinla is set to break the 500 kg barrier within the coming months.

He lives with his daughter, Marie Heinla, who accompanies him to competitions. For more updates, you can follow Rauno on his official YouTube channel and Instagram page.