On Wednesday evening, as his training session came to a close, Miles Taylor went for just one more rep. The 24-year-old from Maryland wanted to try one more deadlift alongside his trainer, Nicolai Myers. This time though, he’d stack on a few extra pounds and attempt to hit a new personal record: A 200-pound deadlift.
For a lot of powerlifters, that may not seem like much, but for Taylor, it marked a monumental win. That’s because Taylor, who is relatively new to the competitive lifting scene, also lives with cerebral palsy. But that didn’t stop him from trying for—and obliterating—that 200-pound mark.
“200lb deadlift at 99lb!! More than double my bodyweight!!! HECK YEAH!,” Taylor shared on Instagram from the pair’s gym, Neversate.
“I was so excited to finally hit 200 pounds because it’s been a goal of mine since I started training,” Taylor says.
The video of Taylor's deadlift is compelling on its own, however, the story behind it is even better. “We’ve been friends since middle school,” Myers, a Strongman competitor and Army veteran, told Men's Health. “He’s not just a client. He’s been a friend of mine for quite some time.”
One year ago, Myers explains, Taylor walked into the gym to do a little photography and graphic design work. He spotted Myers and a few athletes lifting Atlas stones as part of their training regime. Immediately, Taylor knew he wanted in. And that was just fine with Myers.
“He’s always been into sports, so I said, ‘Hey, let’s give this a shot,’” Myers said.
The pair began to work out together, and almost immediately Taylor took to it like “a fish to water.” Taylor started coming in to work with his trainer on Monday, Wednesdays, and Fridays, working on the four main lifts: Squat, bench, overhead, and deadlift.
Of course, they have to modify certain moves for Taylor’s training. According to Myers, that typically includes more stability training than your average lifting session.
“He can't get a perfectly straight back,” Myers explained, “So it’s basically teaching him to brace properly. What may take you or me a week to learn may take Taylor a month.”
And that’s OK with both of them. So far, his progress has been steady: Taylor already competed in his first powerlifting competition, and is looking at his second this spring.
“Two-times bodyweight is an intermediate lift,” Myers says, indicating why the now viral clip of Taylor’s lift is so impressive. “It’s really awesome for someone to do within their first year.” As for what’s next? “What might be the limit now, he’ll fly through next week,” Myers says. “He’s only getting stronger.”
Taylor, meanwhile, is relatively unfazed by how quickly he's progressed: His latest feat is merely a reflection of his work ethic in the gym. “All the hard work I put in paid off at that moment,” Taylor said. “It was never a matter of if I could do it. It was a matter of when I could do it.”
