Mexican powerlifter and circus performer Diana Batres redefined what it means to have a good hair day recently, by hauling her way to a world record using only her braids.
Who Is Diana Batres?
The Guinness World Record was ratified on February 28, 2026, when Batres, who is an international circus artist with a degree in contemporary dance — specializing in aerial work, fire manipulation, and hair suspension—lifted the heaviest weight that a female has ever achieved by using only their hair, racking up 166.11 pounds (75.35 kg) to take the honor. And this recent feat easily beat the previous long-standing record of 122.58 pounds (55.6kg) that had been held since 2014.
How Diana Batres Trained Her Neck, Back, and Scalp for the Record
Aside from her circus performances, Batre’s Instagram account shows that the muscular Mexican employed a variety of training methods to build her hair pulling ability, including the towing of heavy vehicles. Such training was necessary in order to build her ability to withstand the pressure on her scalp, neck, and back, she explained to the Guinness World Records website following her history making hair lift.
To prepare for her world record attempt, Batres braided her natural hair into two tight sections, then joined them with a hair tie so that she could add a carabiner, in order to suspend the weight via a chain. The 166.11 pounds (75.35kg) total was achieved when the powerful performer was able to raise six plates from a squatted position, then straightening her body for success.
The greatest weight lifted with only the hair by a male is almost 180 pounds (81.5kg) and was achieved by Abdurakhman Abdulazizov of Russia in 2013. Remarkably, Abdulazizov was 83 years of age when he successfully set the male standard.
For her part, Batres has long been a supporter of female empowerment and has shared her message of the importance of being a resistant woman by becoming a public speaker. “The definition of strength,” wrote one seriously impressed fan on social media. “Amazing,” wrote another.
