According to Men’s Fitness magazine, “A 200-pound guy who can deadlift 300 pounds for one rep is pretty strong.”

I wonder what they would say about a 78-year-old grandma who can deadlift 228 pounds. Maybe it’s time that they met Shirley Webb, a wonderful person who is inspiring women all over the world to get off the couch and into the gym.

If you’re not familiar with this type of exercise, let me take a second to explain exactly what Shirley Webb is doing. A deadlift is a type of weightlifting exercise in which a bar is raised to hip level. It is then lowered back down to the floor. It looks simple, but, I’m speaking from personal experience when I say that it’s MUCH harder than it looks.

Can You Lift Twice Your Weight?

Even if you are in your 20s, it’s considered extremely impressive when you can deadlift twice your weight. While I’m not sure how much Mrs. Webb weighs, I’m pretty sure that she is close to reaching this achievement. Take a look at the following video and you’ll see what I mean.

Beyond her clear talent as a weightlifter, Shirley seems like a wonderful person. She is genuinely interested in helping women over 60 to feel their best. As she said in the interview, “One 70-year-old lady came into the gym. She said, ‘I saw a video of you and it made me want to come and join the gym.’ So, she joined.”

Shirley is an Inspiration for All of Us

I don’t know about you, but, I find it so inspiring hearing about women like Shirley who are challenging aging stereotypes and living life on their own terms.

I may not be ready to take up deadlifting, but, I am certainly pumped up to get to the gym more often. How about you? Are you going to follow Shirley’s example and take your fitness into your own hands?

What physical activities help you to stay in shape? What did you think of Shirley’s story? Do you think that you would like to try weight lifting? Why or why not? Please join the conversation.