It should come as no surprise that powerlifter Chris Craft, who founded the training program called “Respect the Depth,” is serious when it comes to massive squats. The 2021 United States Powerlifting Association (USPA) Arkansas Powerlifting Champion took to his Instagram page on July 21, 2021, to share a trio of titanic raw squats.
Check out the video below, wherein Craft successfully hits a super deep 317.5-kilogram (700-pound) raw double without a weightlifting belt or knee sleeves:
*Note: scroll to the left to see the same video zoomed in for a clearer view of both lifts.
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[Related: Watch Strongman Bobby Thompson Partial Deadlift 455 Kilograms for a Double]
In addition to going well past parallel at the bottom of both squats, Craft’s speed during each lift causes the weight to bounce noticeably during his lockout. After Craft hits the first lift, the weight plates dance on the barbell for approximately 10 seconds before Craft re-braces and drops into the second rep.
According to Open Powerlifting, Craft has won gold in all five sanctioned powerlifting competitions he has appeared in since 2015. For his three most recent competitions — 2019 USPA Rhino Iron Massacre, 2021 Southern Powerlifting Federation (SPF) Proving Ground Classic, and the aforementioned USPA Arkansas Powerlifting Championships — he competed in the 140-kilogram (308-pound) class.
He did not note his body weight at the time of this 317.5-kilogram (700-pound) double, but this double is still over twice his competition bodyweight. On the same day, he posted another video of a single squat of 319.8 kilograms (705 pounds), also performed beltless and sleeveless. That is notable because it is less than half a pound shy of his competition best squat of 320 kilograms (705.4 pounds). (His best competition bench press is 227 kilograms or 501 pounds, and his best deadlift in a comp is 304 kilograms or 672 pounds.) A day before that, he loaded up the same weight and took it for a double. Check it out below:
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[Related: Why You Should Learn to Love the 20-Rep Squat Set]
Judging from his social media, Craft trains squats in the gym nearly every day. In the past week alone, he performed 308.4-kilogram (680-pound) triples, multiple days with 317.5 kilograms (700 pounds) on the bar, and a pair of sessions where he nearly matched his competition best squat. And he performed them all without any gear whatsoever — no belts, no straps, no sleeves.
Whenever the 36-year-old Craft decides to step back up onto the competitive lifting platform next, it is almost certain that he will have his strongest showing to date.
Featured image: @c3muscle on Instagram
