It’s not every day that an all-time world-record-holding powerlifter gets to the gym, wraps their knees, steps into a monolift, and squats 415 kilograms (915 pounds), but that’s exactly what Chad Penson did on July 16, 2022. The 2021 World Raw Powerlifting Federation (WRPF) Kern US Open champion in the 90-kilogram weight class shared a video on his Instagram page wherein he locked out a back squat with 4.6 times his competition body weight on the barbell.
This new squat PR for Penson is 15 kilograms above his all-time squat world record of 400 kilograms (881.9 pounds), scored at the Kern US Open. According to Open Powerlifting, he remains the lone athlete to squat at least 400 kilograms (881.9 pounds) in his weight category in a sanctioned meet at the time of this article’s publication. Check out Penson’s new squat PR below. He wore a lifting belt and wraps for the lift:
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[Related: Danny Grigsby (140KG) Deadlifts 455 Kilograms (1,003 Pounds) Raw in Training]
Although Penson feels “a little beat up” with his training prep for the 2022 WRPF The American Pro on July 29-30, 2022, where he will compete next, he has found his groove with exceptionally heavy squats:
Much more comfortable under 900-plus [pounds] today…
Penson’s 15-kilogram squat PR ramped up rather quickly, given the video documentation of his prep for the 2022 The American Pro. On his previous deload in early June 2022, Penson got in some cardio, moving 238.2 kilograms (535 pounds) for 13 reps. On July 7, he loaded the barbell for a 394.6-kilogram (870-pound) single that appeared nearly identical in speed to his recent PR. Check it out in the video below:
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[Related: John Haack (90KG) Squats 15 Kilograms More Than His Competition Best Lift Raw]
The 90-kilogram class in competitive raw powerlifting is mostly a two-person race. With wraps, Penson has the heaviest total ever of 997.5 kilograms (2,199.1 pounds). Only John Haack has a heavier total in raw competition — 1,005.5-kilograms (2,216.8 pounds) at the 2021 WRPF The Bucked Up Showdown.
At the 2022 USPA Hybrid Showdown 4, Haack competed in the 100-kilogram class at a bodyweight of 92.7 kilograms. If he drops back down to compete in the 90-kilogram class, it will almost certainly be a two-person fight between him and Penson for the top of the podium. Given that both men are hitting PRs during their prep for the contest, The American Pro is sure to have the record books open for edits.
Featured image: @kingpensonlifts on Instagram
