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When Kaiwaka powerlifter Bernie Hall competes at the Global Powerlifting Committee (GPC) World Championships 2025 in Brazil, from October 22 to 26, he won’t be there just to make up the numbers.
At the very least he wants a podium finish – and he aims to break a world deadlift record while he’s at it.
Competing as part of the GPC New Zealand team, Hall has his sights set on first place in the deadlift event in the Master 3 class (age group 50 to 54). Because he turns 50 on October 7, only a couple of weeks before he arrives, Hall will no longer be eligible for the Master 2 class (45 to 49).
He’s already smashed plenty of deadlift records locally, and beaten his personal bests plenty of times, so won’t be short of confidence at the worlds.
“I’ve got a good idea that I could be on the podium. Last night I did a 280kg deadlift, which is five kilos over the world record for the under 100kg bodyweight division,” he says. “The record might change in the seven months before Brazil as the GPC has the European champs in May and other countries have nationals. It would be awesome if it’s still there so I can have a crack at it.”
Hall is giving himself the best possible chance with an intensive deadlift training regimen that he carefully manages.
“Over a week I’ll work up to deadlifts of 280 or 285kg and then the next week I’ll drop it to maybe 265kg and try and go for four reps,” he says.
“I rotate it because I found last year and the year before when I was doing 275, or especially 280kg every week, you can keep it up for about six weeks but then all of a sudden your body just crashes and you can’t lift anymore.
“They call it digging yourself into a fatigue hole. The strength’s still there in the background, but your entire body is just dead and you need to rest. So I manage my fatigue a lot better now.”
Hall has got the training taken care of, now all he needs to do is raise some more money to fund the trip.
“I’ve already paid for the flights, and my mum’s coming with me,” he says.
“But I’ve got to keep saving, because I figure I need about $4000 to pay for accommodation, travel insurance and also all the vaccinations I’ll need because of where it is.”
Recently Hall set up a Givealittle page to help fund his journey and donations have already started to come in, so hopefully by the time October arrives, he’ll be ready for lift-off.
To help get Hall to the GPC World Championships in Brazil you can donate here: https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/nz-kaiwaka-masters-50-yr-old-fulla-goes-to-gpc
