When it comes to head-turning lifts in the gym, Kevin Oak should always be in the field of vision. Previously, he deadlifted a 363-kilogram (800-pound) triple, squatted a 365-kilogram (804.7-pound) triple, safety bar front squatted 317 kilograms (698.9 pounds), and even put his cardio on display by squatting 275 kilograms (606.3 pounds) for nine reps and made it look easy.
On June 5, 2021, he took volume to an otherworldly level when he loaded 229.1 kilograms (505 pounds) on a barbell and squatted it 20 times in less than a minute wearing a lifting belt and knee sleeves. It was an absolute beast of a squat set that you can watch in the video below, courtesy of Oak’s Instagram page. But, be forewarned, this video is not suitable for those who are prone to skipping leg day:
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Obviously, this is an incredible number of reps to perform in that length of time with that much weight. What is even more slack-jaw-worthy is that Oak performed it while being admittedly tired — or rather, he did it because he was tired. In the caption of his Instagram post, he wrote:
505×20 in under 60 seconds because I feel tired today.
Oak competes in the 110-kilogram weight class and the squat is the event he is seemingly untouchable in. According to Open Powerlifting, he currently holds the world record in the Raw division — a 390-kilogram (860-pound) squat from the 2020 World Raw Powerlifting Federation (WRPF) Hybrid Showdown II. Additionally, he has the second heaviest ever total in the class — 987.5 kilograms (2177.1 pounds). Only Jamal Browner has lifted a heavier total — 1,000 kilograms (2,204.6 pounds) at the 2021 WRPF Hybrid Showdown III.
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The most recent appearance by Oak on the competitive lifting platform was the Raw Powerlifting Syndicate (RPS) Long Island Insurrextion (squat only) on Dec. 12, 2020, where he won gold with a 383.2-kilogram (844.8-pound) squat. Whenever he decides to complete a full meet next, he will certainly be aware that he is just 12.5 kilograms (27.6 pounds) shy of matching Browner’s all-time world record.
Feature image: @oakstrong on Instagram