The final month of 2021 has seen some incredible lifts in the world of powerlifting. Early in December, John Haack deadlifted 410 kilograms (903.9 pounds) and benched 272.5 kilograms (600 pounds). Now Russel Orhii has entered the chat.
On Dec. 14, 2021, Orhii posted a video on Instagram of himself squatting 332.5 kilograms (733 pounds) in training. The clip is posted below.
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With two spotters at the ready to assist if necessary, Orhii appeared to hit depth without any issue, and even though the ascent was slow, it was steady. On his way back up, Orhii can be seen smiling as he re-racked the barbell.
He proclaimed the lift as a “huge PR” in the video’s caption, but it would’ve been far more than that if done in a sanctioned competition. If Orhii’s squat had been in the 83-kilogram weight class at an International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) meet, it would’ve broken his current IPF world record by 12 kilograms. On Sept. 23, 2021, Orhii squatted 320.5 kilograms (706.7 pounds) at the 2021 IPF World Classic Powerlifting Championships. Orhii won the world championship at that meet thanks to that squat along with a 187.5-kilogram bench press and a deadlift of 333 kilograms for a total of 840.5 kilograms.
Not only would this squat have broken the world record in his class, it would’ve set the standard in the 93-kilogram class as well. According to the IPF website, the best IPF squat in that division is 331 kilograms by Anatolii Novopismennyi. He set that mark at the 2019 IPF World Championships.
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His best squat in any competition was at the 2021 USAPL National Championships on June 14, 2021, where he squatted 323 kilograms (712.1 pounds) in the 83-kilogram category. His best bench press is 195 kilograms, set at the 2019 IPF World Championships. As for the deadlift, Orhii pulled 333 kilograms at the 2021 IPF event. Orhii could very well break that mark, as evidenced by his pull of 340 kilograms that he posted on his Instagram on Dec. 2, 2021.
As of this writing, there’s no official word on which meet Orhii plans to do next, but fans could see him set new personal and world records on whatever platform he does compete on in the future.
Featured Image: @russwole on Instagram
