At Sheridan Lifts we’re proud of our reputation as one of the UK’s leading lift suppliers, offering everything from lift repairs and lift maintenance contracts to lift installation. But even we can’t match the lifting power that will be on display this summer at the Olympic Games in London.
World class weightlifters put even our very best machines to shame with their sheer power and determination, lifting mind blowing weights day in and day out. The very best of these athletes can raise a barbell with over a hundred kilos on each end right above their head, and hold it there until the lift is confirmed, as every muscle in their body trembles below.
There are two forms of weightlifting, the snatch and the clean and jerk. In the snatch, the weight is lifted in one smooth movement and thrust above the head. The snatch world record for heavyweights (over 105kg) is held by Behdad Salimi. He lifted more than double his own bodyweight with a snatch of 214kg in 2011.
The second form of weightlifting is called the clean and jerk, in which the bar is first raised up to the shoulders, then pushed up above the head from there. The heavyweight record for the clean and jerk is held by Hossein Rezazadeh, who lifted an incredible 263kg in 2004 – that’s 580 lbs, or 116 bags of potatoes.
Essentially, Hossein is doing the work of an average Sheridan lift with four ten stone people in it, and all without any of our advanced motors, pulleys or controls. So next time you’re in a lift with a few colleagues or friends, remember that there are people who could lift you all at once, with the same ease and style, without any need for lift repairs or lift maintenance contracts.