People have multiple definitions of an “ass to grass” (ATG) squat. Most often, it’s defined as hitting ample depth in the hole well below parallel, or the maximum depth one can hit without completely compromising their squat form. One athlete who prides himself on his ATG abilities is Irish weightlifter Clarence Kennedy.
Kennedy is known for his weightlifting (with some powerlifting sprinkled in), and has grown in popularity due to his insane strength, and “quiet” personality. In fact, it wasn’t until recently Kennedy started producing more, regularly scheduled content that highlights his personality like this squat battle against Mash Elite’s Nathan Damron, and while we’re speaking of squats.
Two days ago, Kennedy shared a massive 290kg (640 lb) ATG raw squat video on his Instagram page. It featured Kennedy hitting what looks like routine weight for him with no belt, sleeves, or spotter for that matter. Check out the video below.
If you’re a Kennedy fan, then you’re probably thinking, “Wait Kennedy has done more than a 290kg pause squat before,” and you’re absolutely right. He’s done 300kg for a pause squat before, but this 290kg looked relatively easy for him, so we have to wonder, could we possibly see him surpass his current best in the near future?
[Read our full interview with Kennedy where he talks about switching to powerlifting, vegan ethics, and rabid Reddit fans.]
Kennedy has had surgeries on both knees in the past, but has been putting up some crazy weight as of lately. To date, his 300kg paused squat video from 2015 is one his highest viewed videos, and has amassed nearly 550,000 eyeballs. Check it out below.
And we’re not saying either squat looked very easy, but the recent 290kg was definitely quicker on the concentric. Could Kennedy add another 10kg+ to surpass his best paused squat to date in the near future? Who knows, but we’re optimistic we’ll see it in 2018.
Feature image screenshot from @clarencekennedy_ Instagram page.Â