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78-year-old grandmother deadlifts 245lbs at the gym

Posted at 2:04 PM, Apr 01, 2016
and last updated 2016-04-01 14:04:09-04

WOOD RIVER, IL - “I don’t want any Grandma jokes in this story,” says Shirley Webb, the Weightlifting Grandma.

You heard the woman, which means no lines about the 78-year-old grams who can dead-lift  111,130 grams. Or a whopping 245 pounds. That's pretty incredible considering Shirley Webb could barely get off the floor two years ago.

“It makes me feel so much better once I joined, the first day I joined and worked out and I walked out of here my head felt like it had opened up,” says Webb. “I felt good and it made me want to come back and come back and come back.”

It was her granddaughter that talked this ageless abuela into joining her local Club Fitness. That’s where you’ll find her two or three times a week getting in a workout.

“Her back, lower back, glutes, hamstrings, keeping her muscles in her back strong and that way she can live till she’s 200 years old and she’ll be alright,” says John Wright, Club Fitness Trainer.

The little old lady from the power-lifting gym in Wood River, Illinois gained internet fame when her trainer’s video went viral.

“The video you saw was 225 pounds,” says Webb.

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Shirley is 78 years old but she can deadlift 225 pounds three times! (via @jwright0123)

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You can do more?” asks Patrick Clark.

“Yes, after that video I lifted 235 and 245,” adds Webb.

“Usually when she’s doing this she’ll have people come up to her and shake her hand and tell her we saw your video you inspire us all,” says Wright.

This septuagenarian isn't slowing down either, recently winning weightlifting medals in both Illinois and Missouri.

And she’ll try for an American record in June with deadlifting, squats and bench press.

“My motto has always been if you do something, do it right,” says Webb. “So anything I do I try to give it my best.”

And that’s some mighty good advice from a mighty strong me-maw.