On a packed competition day in Istanbul, Lebanese powerlifter Etienne El Chaer walked up to the bar, gripped 401 kilograms of steel and calibrated plates, and pulled his name into the record books. At the 2025 Asian Classic Powerlifting Championships, El Chaer set a world deadlift record in the 120kg class with a raw 401kg attempt, a lift that instantly became one of the defining images of Lebanese strength sports this year.
The number alone is staggering: 401kg is roughly 884 pounds, more than three times the bodyweight limit of his division. The lift was recognised in official summaries and record lists as a new benchmark for Lebanon and for his category, confirming him as the national record holder and a world-record deadlifter in classic competition.
A 401kg Lift That Redraws the Limits
Deadlifting 401kg under classic (raw) powerlifting rules leaves very little room for error. There is no deadlift suit, no straps—only a belt, chalk, and the athlete’s own strength and technique. In Istanbul, El Chaer’s lift combined all of those elements in a few seconds that will replay for years on highlight reels.
According to competition coverage and social posts from the event, the Lebanese lifter called for 401kg on his final deadlift attempt; with the bar bending and the entire hall focused on the platform, he broke the weight from the floor, moved past the sticking point, and locked out cleanly under the eyes of three referees. When the lights turned white, the celebration began: a new world record in the 120kg Asian Classic division, and a new national record for Lebanon.
For international powerlifting, this was another sign that the sport’s heaviest lifts are no longer limited to a handful of traditional powerhouses. For Lebanon, it was something even more personal: proof that a lifter representing its flag can stand at the very edge of what is currently possible in raw deadlifting.
From Lebanon to the World Stage
El Chaer is not an overnight discovery. By the time he reached Istanbul, he had already become a central figure in Lebanese strength sports and a known name on the international circuit. At the 2025 World Games in Chengdu, he delivered Lebanon’s first-ever medal at the event, winning silver in powerlifting in the men’s super heavyweight classic category.
That World Games silver medal signalled that Lebanon could compete in strength sports at multi-sport events traditionally dominated by larger teams. The 401kg world record deadlift in Istanbul built directly on that momentum, confirming that his performance in Chengdu was a foundation, not a peak.
Behind those results are years of training cycles, careful planning and a support system that spans coaches, local gyms and a growing Lebanese powerlifting community. In interviews and posts around his international appearances, El Chaer has been open about the reality of preparing for world-level lifting while coming from a country facing economic and political pressure. The message has been simple: the circumstances may be difficult, but the standards on the platform are the same for everyone.
On the Platform in Istanbul: Precision Under Pressure
At the 2025 Asian Classic Powerlifting Championships, each lifter in the 120kg class had three attempts in the squat, bench press and deadlift. For athletes at this level, strategy matters as much as strength: openers must be heavy enough to keep them in the fight, but light enough to secure a number on the board.
By the time El Chaer reached his final deadlift, the numbers on the scoreboard had set the stage. The bar was loaded with 401kg—a weight no one had yet moved in official competition in his class on this platform. The hall quieted as he approached, gripped the bar and waited for the referee’s “Start” command.
What followed, as video clips from Istanbul show, was a textbook high-level deadlift: controlled off the floor, confident through the knees and secure at lockout, shoulders back and hips fully extended before the “Down” call. Athletes and coaches from multiple delegations could be seen celebrating and filming the moment, aware that they had just witnessed a serious piece of powerlifting history.
A New Benchmark for Lebanese Strength Sports
Lebanon has a proud sporting tradition in football, basketball, motorsport and combat sports, but individual strength athletes have often been under the radar. El Chaer’s 401kg record lifts that category into the spotlight.
In the list of national deadlift record holders updated after the Asian Classic Championships, Lebanon is now represented by Etienne El Chaer with a 401kg national deadlift record—a number that stands in the same table as some of the world’s biggest strongman and powerlifting names.
For young lifters training in small Lebanese gyms or in the diaspora, the message is powerful: you do not have to choose between representing Lebanon and chasing world-level numbers. It is possible to do both.
What Comes After 401kg?
In strength sports, every record is both an ending and a beginning. A 401kg deadlift in the 120kg class raises unavoidable questions: How far can El Chaer still push his total? Will he target higher world championships podiums or more multi-sport events like the World Games? Can 401kg become a stepping stone to 405kg or even more?
At the same time, the significance of the Istanbul lift already stands on its own. It proves that a Lebanese athlete, competing under classic rules on an international platform, can set a world record and carry a national flag into conversations about the heaviest pulls in the sport.
For Nowleb readers, Etienne El Chaer’s 401kg world record deadlift is more than a viral clip. It is a reminder that amid all of Lebanon’s challenges, there are individuals quietly rewriting what is possible—one disciplined training cycle, one competition and one historic lift at a time.
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