Rules and fair play
How referees check takes
How referees check contest videos on OpenContest: the automatic check, flags, referee review for top 10 takes and records, strikes and appeals.
Deadlift contest
- Winner
- Heaviest single
- Measured in
- Weight
- Boards
- Gym, city, country, world
The heaviest barbell deadlift you can lift for one rep, to a full lockout, filmed in one take with every plate visible. Your lift is ranked on your gym, city, country and world boards, with weight classes so lifters of every size can compare.
The rules
What counts
- A barbell lifted from the floor to a full lockout, in one smooth pull.
- Conventional or sumo stance.
- At lockout your knees and hips are straight and your shoulders are back.
- Chalk and a lifting belt. The weight is the bar plus the plates and collars.
What doesn’t count
- Hitching, which means resting the bar on your thighs to get it higher.
- Lifting straps, hooks or wrist wraps that hold the bar.
- Dropping the bar from lockout instead of lowering it with control.
- A bar, plates or collars that cannot be identified on the video.
How to film it
- Film from the side and slightly in front, with the bar, the plates and your whole body in view.
- Make sure the plate markings or colours can be read, and enter the total load in the app.
- Start recording before you set up so the full lift is in the take.
The deadlift is the simplest strength test in the gym: pick the bar up and stand tall. The hard part is agreeing on what counts and what is on the bar. This contest answers both on camera.
How it works
Load the bar, set your phone side-on with the plates in view and start recording. Pull to a full lockout, hold it for a moment, then lower the bar under control. Enter the total weight in the app before you submit. The app checks for a lockout and flags a hitch or an early drop.
Your lift is ranked on every board you qualify for: your gym, your city, your country and the world, with brackets for age group, sex and weight class. A light lifter with a strong pull can lead their class even when heavier lifters move more weight overall.
Who checks the lift
The automatic check confirms the video is in one piece and the lift reaches lockout. Anyone can flag a take, for example if a plate looks wrong. Every lift in a top 10, and every new record, goes to a referee who checks the plates, the start and the lockout. A lift that is not counted shows the reason and the moment, and you can appeal to a second referee.
Lifting more
Build up to a heavy single over several warm-up sets, and stop the session if your back rounds or your form breaks. Most lifters improve faster with sets of three to five reps at a weight they can control than with frequent max attempts. Test a new single every couple of months, and use a spotter or a coach when you are going for something close to your best.
Questions
How does the referee know the weight on the bar?
From the plates on the video and the load you enter. If the plates cannot be identified, the referee can ask you to film again with the markings in view.
Do I need a body weight to enter?
No, but add one in your profile to be ranked in a weight class as well as on the open boards.
Can I use a trap bar?
No. This contest is a straight barbell, so every lift is comparable.
Read more about deadlift
Guide
How to film a take that counts
How to film a contest take that counts: phone placement, framing, light, the right angle for each contest, and why takes are not counted.
