Best Powerlifters of All Time: Legends Who Defined the Sport

Lamar Gant deadlifted five times his own bodyweight, at a time when most lifters were happy to hit three. Ed Coan broke world records so often that federations reportedly stopped bothering to make a fuss over each one individually. Powerlifting’s history is full of numbers like these, and a small handful of lifters produced enough of them to settle most arguments about who belongs at the top.

What Makes a Powerlifter “All-Time Great”?

Ranking the best powerlifters ever takes more than raw numbers. The sport spans different federations, equipment rules (raw versus equipped), and eras with different testing standards. The criteria that matter most:

• Total world records set and broken
• Dominance within and across weight classes
• Longevity at the elite level
• Wilks or DOTS score (bodyweight-adjusted strength comparison)
• Influence on how the sport developed

The Powerlifters Most Widely Considered the Greatest

Ed Coan

Coan is close to a unanimous pick for greatest powerlifter in history. Competing mostly in the 220 lb (100 kg) and lighter classes from the 1980s through the 2000s, he set more than 71 world records across multiple federations. His bodyweight-adjusted totals still rank among the highest ever recorded, and few lifters have stayed at the top this long. Coaches and commentators still call him “The G.O.A.T.” without much argument.

Lamar Gant

Gant is one of the most technically gifted powerlifters the sport has produced. He was the first man to deadlift five times his own bodyweight, a mark that remains one of strength sport’s most remarkable feats. Competing at lighter weight classes, his relative strength numbers hold up against anyone who came after him.

Konstantin Konstantinovs

Konstantinovs ranks among the strongest raw deadlifters in the sport’s history. He pulled enormous weights with minimal equipment just as raw lifting was regaining mainstream attention, and his performances helped set the bar for what elite raw strength looked like.

Ray Williams

Williams is among the most dominant super-heavyweight raw powerlifters competing today. He’s posted some of the highest raw squats ever recorded in competition and holds multiple IPF world records. His performances at IPF World Championships are the benchmark for the raw super-heavyweight division.

Stefi Cohen

Cohen is the most dominant female powerlifter of the modern era. She set multiple world records across several weight classes and holds one of the highest Wilks scores ever recorded for a female competitor. Her technical consistency across divisions is what separates her from other elite lifters.

All-Time Greats at a Glance

Lifter	Era	Division	Known For
Ed Coan	1980s-2000s	Equipped / Raw	71+ world records, all-time Wilks
Lamar Gant	1970s-1980s	Equipped	First to deadlift 5x bodyweight
Konstantin Konstantinovs	2000s-2010s	Raw	Elite raw deadlift performances
Ray Williams	2010s-present	Raw (SHW)	IPF world records, highest raw squats
Stefi Cohen	2010s-present	Raw (Women’s)	Multi-class world records, top Wilks

Equipment vs. Raw: A Note on Comparisons

Comparing lifters across eras runs into the split between equipped lifting (supportive suits and shirts) and raw lifting (a belt, maybe knee sleeves or wraps). Equipped totals run higher in absolute terms, which is why direct comparisons without context can mislead. Wilks and DOTS scoring help normalize across bodyweights, but no formula fully solves the cross-era problem.

Why These Lifters Matter

Beyond the numbers, these athletes grew powerlifting’s audience, inspired the next generation of competitors, and proved that the squat, bench, and deadlift reward technical mastery and consistency as much as raw physical gifts.