World records in powerlifting are fragile. On Feb. 4, 2023, current all-time raw squat world record holder Phillip Herndon, who competes in the 110-kilogram weight class, took to his Instagram page to share a compilation of his top lifts from his current prep. The video featured him performing all three big lifts for his one-rep maxes. Along the way, he scored a 412.8-kilogram (910-pound) raw squat.
According to Open Powerlifting, Herndon’s current all-time raw squat world record is 395 kilograms (870.8 pounds), scored at the 2022 World Raw Powerlifting Federation (WRPF) Freaks Come Out at Night contest on Nov. 5, 2022. That means his training lift performed just three months after that meet exceeded his world record by nearly 40 pounds.
The caveat is that Herndon performed these lifts 10 kilograms heavier than his competition bodyweight. At the time of the training session, he weighed 120.2 kilograms (265 pounds). Check out Herndon’s newest raw squat PR in the video below:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CoP0vvUs6Vl/
[Related: What Are Hang Lifts in Weightlifting? Plus, How to Use Them for More Strength]
Herndon wore a lifting belt and used a mixed grip for his deadlift. He added wrist wraps for his bench press.
Phillip Herndon’s Raw Training PRs
Below are the successful lifts Herndon performed alongside his would-be world-record raw squat:
- Squat — 412.8 kilograms (910 pounds)
- Bench Press — 226.8 kilograms (500 pounds)
- Deadlift — 384.7 kilograms (848 pounds)
- Total — 1,296.4 kilograms (2,858 pounds)
Although only his squat was in world record territory, per his post’s caption:
Best numbers of prep and life time PRs.
Per Open Powerlifting, Herndon’s best lifts are below. His training session posted PRs eclipsing his competition-best squat, deadlift, and total.:
Phillip Herndon’s Competition-Best Raw Lifts
- Squat — 395 kilograms (870.8 pounds)
- Bench Press — 230 kilograms (507.1 pounds)
- Deadlift — 372.5 kilograms (821.2 pounds)
- Total — 977.5 kilograms (2,155 pounds)
Herndon’s next sanctioned powerlifting meet is the 2023 WRPF Ghost Clash 2 on Feb. 18-19, 2023. Given his body weight at the time of his recent PRs, Herndon might make his debut in the 125-kilogram class, as dropping 10 kilograms in two weeks is a significant weight loss in a short period.
If Herndon does move up in weight, he could take the all-time raw squat world record at 125 kilograms as his training PR is 2.8 kilograms heavier than Dennis Cornelius‘ current all-time raw world record squat of 410 kilograms (903.9 pounds) scored at the 2017 USPA Freedom Fitness Classic.
