The list of Americans who can currently jerk 500 pounds/227 kilograms (or recently, meaning they’ve done it in the past year or so), is small. And before today, we had confirmation from the following athletes:
Caine Wilkes
Cameron Swart
Wes Kitts
Steven Maradona
But it looks like we now have a new addition to that list, and he isn’t even a weightlifter. Shot putter Curt Jensen just put up 227 kilos/500 pounds from behind the neck — and before anyone starts arguing about a press out, we’re celebrating this milestone as a gym lift, not an in-competition make.
Check out Jensen putting the weight overhead in this Instagram post from Garage Strength (aka Dane Miller).
Jensen is a high-level shot putter and trains primarily for that discipline, so it’s no wonder there are a lot of explosive movements in his training. He’s also a proficient squatter — just check out the speed on this recent set of back squats he did at 605 (four reps).
And while he doesn’t have textbook form — again, he’s a shot putter, not a weightlifter — Jensen can still move some heavy loads in the Olympic lifts (or variations thereof). Check out the below video of a 200 kilo hang power clean & jerk (using straps) from November of last year.
If Jensen is putting up these massive numbers in training, our guess is that there are a few more American throwers out there who can hit similar weights.
Do you know of an American athlete who can jerk 500 pounds (any style, front or back rack)? Let us know in the comments below!
Featured image: @garagestrength on Instagram