Jul 23, 2026 · By Justin Pickrell
Austin Perkins Totaled 12x His Bodyweight. Pound-for-Pound, Nobody's Close.
Austin Perkins totaled 891.5 kg (1,965 lb) at just 74 kg (163 lb) bodyweight — setting the IPF raw squat, deadlift, and total world records in one meet. That's roughly 12 times what he weighs. Pound-for-pound, no one on the platform is close.
Who is Austin Perkins?
Perkins is an American IPF powerlifter in the under-74 kg class and the most dominant pound-for-pound lifter in the sport. He didn't get there on freak size — he got there by out-working heavier men and hitting depth, lockout, and a paused bench that all pass judging.
What were the record numbers?
At the 2026 SBD Sheffield Championships he rewrote three IPF world records in a single session. Here's the day:
- Squat — 341 kg (751.8 lb): IPF U74 raw world record.
- Bench press — 207.5 kg (457.5 lb): a paused, judged press at 163 lb bodyweight.
- Deadlift — 343 kg (756.2 lb): IPF U74 world record pull.
- Total — 891.5 kg (1,965 lb): the heaviest U74 raw total ever ratified by the IPF.
Why does pound-for-pound matter more than a big total?
A 400 kg total means one thing on a 74 kg frame and something completely different on a 140 kg frame. Pound-for-pound strips out the bodyweight advantage and measures what the engine actually produces per kilo of the person driving it. Perkins moving about 12x his bodyweight across three lifts is a cleaner signal of raw output than almost any absolute number in the sport.
Can a normal lifter chase a pound-for-pound total?
You'll never touch 12x, and that's not the point. The lesson is that strength is relative and earned in the same three lifts everyone has access to. Pick the squat, bench, and deadlift, add weight over years, and stop hiding behind bodyweight. Chase a bigger number on the same body. If you want the uniform for it, the Barbell heavyweight tee was built for the people who actually load the bar.
FAQ
What is Austin Perkins' total world record?
Perkins totaled 891.5 kg (1,965 lb) at under 74 kg bodyweight at the 2026 SBD Sheffield Championships, setting the IPF raw squat, deadlift, and total world records.
Is pound-for-pound strength more impressive than absolute strength?
They measure different things. Absolute strength is the biggest number lifted regardless of size; pound-for-pound adjusts for bodyweight, which is why a 163-pound lifter out-producing his frame by roughly 12 times is considered one of the strongest humans alive relative to size.
What does a 12x bodyweight total mean?
It means his combined best squat, bench, and deadlift add up to about twelve times his own bodyweight — a benchmark only a handful of lifters in history have approached.
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