78-Year-Old ‘Granny’ Shirley Webb Goes Into ‘Beast Mode’ When She Deadlifts 225 Pounds [Video]

Over the past decade or so, there has been an uptick in fitness because of the internet and mobile technology. Thanks to it, we are no longer limited to celebrity coaches and fitness models seen as special guests on television shows or a part of an infomercial trying to sell a product.

Our leaders in the fitness world today who went above and beyond in their personal journeys, unafraid to share their experiences with others through the web. Kali Muscle and Rich Piana are some of the men leading others to attain bodybuilder gains. Jennifer Selter and Paige Hathaway are some of the women showing that sexy and muscular can be perfect for the feminine figure. And to top it all off, there are many others in the midst of their journeys showing not just the end result, but progress. Julia Vins, an 18-year-old woman, showed her earned strength by doing a 400-pound deadlift, while Julia Kozerski showed the reality of massive weight loss when she went from 338 to 178 pounds. Overall, today’s technology has truly opened people’s eyes to the “gym wildlife.”

Every once in a while though, the internet’s foray into the gym life produces something quite spectacular. This is one of those instances when a video showed a 78-year-old “Granny” named Shirley Webb doing something considered impossible at her age: deadlifting 225 pounds.

According to For The Win through USA Today, Shirley Webb made it known that she joined the gym two years ago when she realized her only form of physical activity was mowing the lawn. She, along with her granddaughter, joined Club Fitness in Wood River, Illinois. Back then, Webb had trouble moving around, needing the assistance to get up off the floor or needing the help of the railing just to climb stairs. Today, she can do both by herself as proven by the following video of Shirley Webb deadlifting 225 pounds.

Of course Shirley Webb did not attain her achievement of lifting over 200 pounds on her own. Her trainer, John Wright, could not be more proud of her, but he does make it known training Webb was a bit of a learning experience. According to espnW, Wright has never worked with anyone her age with the kind of weightlifting she is doing. However, Webb showed tenacity in which she was able to lift in the 200 pound range six months into her training.

After two years, Shirley Webb is now a recognized regular at Club Fitness, going in at least two times a week to continue weight lifting. John Wright even says she is an inspiration to many at the gym too.

“She’s gotten to the point where everybody greets her and is just absolutely impressed. She inspires everybody that goes to the gym and it’s fun to see that.”

It should also be known that Shirley Webb is not just impressing people at the gym along with those watching her deadlifting 225 pounds. Webb is now setting records in weightlifting in both her age and weight groups. In Illinois, Webb set the deadlift record of 237 pounds. In Missouri however, her record is 215 pounds. And now, Shirley Webb is aiming for a national (American) record in the deadlift too, something quite easy to attain at the moment simply because no national record in her age group is in existence.

Ultimately, Shirley Webb is working out, improving her deadlift record, not because she wants to just make and break records, but because she feels so much better working out. Therefore Webb has no intention to stop hitting the gym or deadlifting anytime soon.

[Image via Shirley Webb and her Family]