Cooper Wage is typically an equipped lifter, but he competed raw last weekend for the first time at the USA Powerlifting Wisconsin State Open. Currently Wage is ranked fifth in the Top 20 Equipped Powerlifters by USAPL.
For not being a raw powerlifter Wage put up some huge numbers, and made them look easy at that. Wage ended up recording a 2,150 lb (975kg) total for the 120+ weight class.
One of his more impressive lifts was his back squat. He finished with a 837.8 lb (380kg) squat and made it look easy. The speed of the squat was crazy out of the hole, so it’s hard telling just how much Wage could really put up raw.
Even the walkout looked easy for Wage. Another impressive lift he recorded during this meet was his 573 lb (260kg) bench press.
The pause for his bench seemed a little long, but the lift still moved well and looked smooth. After his 260kg press, he unfortunately missed an American bench press record of 266kg by 6kg.
His final lift from the meet was a 738.5 lb (335kg) deadlift, which looked easy like the squat and bench. Wage pulled this deadlift conventionally and never showed sign of slowing down even at lockout.
Something unique about Wage’s performance was that all the lifts – while looking easy – were technically raw PRs. In an Instagram comment in reply to another user, who asked if his bench press was a PR, Wage responded with, “Yeah, but I guess they all were because I’ve never competed raw before!”
Wage is now back going back to prepping for the USA Powerlifting Open Nationals in May. It will be interesting to see if he continues to compete raw or switches back to equipped. Either way, 2017 looks like it will be a great year for Wage’s powerlifting career.
Feature image from @wagepl Instagram page.