It isn’t a secret that Jezza Uepa is one of the strongest powerlifters of all time. His 470-kilogram (1,036-pound) squat at the 2017 PA Brisbane Open is the all-time second-heaviest raw squat behind Raw Williams’ 490-kilogram (1,080.3-pound) squat, achieved at the 2019 USAPL Arnold SBP Pro America.
Uepa last competed at the 2019 IPF World Classic Championships, earning a first-place finish. While the Nauru native has not competed in a sanctioned meet in almost three years, he is far from hanging his boots. On Apr. 13, 2022, he took to his Instagram page to share a video wherein he rips a monster raw 400-kilogram squat double in training. Check out the video below:
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[Related: Powerlifter Krzysztof Wierzbicki (110KG) Deadlifts a 461-Kilogram (1,016.3-Pound) Triple in Training]
Although Uepa didn’t claim it in his Instagram post, his lift is an unofficial all-time raw squat world record in the Masters 1 (40-44) division, according to Open Powerlifting. Mohammed Shamsalden Ali holds the current world record of 375 kilograms (826 .7 pounds).
Uepa performed the 400-kilogram (881.8-pound) squats while wearing a lifting belt, knee sleeves, and wrist wraps. Uepa completed the first rep with relative ease and took a quick breather before attempting the second rep, where he struggled halfway through the range of motion but successfully locked out the lift nonetheless.
The Nauru native had seven 25-kilogram and one 15-kilogram weight plate stacked on each side of the barbell. Notably, Uepa performed the gargantuan lift without locking the weight plates in with barbell collars.
Squat day — 400-kilogram double raw, baby weight.
Uepa didn’t say what his weight was at the time of the lift. However, he has competed in the super heavyweight class since 2011. Dennis Cornelius‘ 395-kilogram (870.8-pound) raw squat in the 125-kilogram class is the all-time world record in the Masters 1 division. It seems safe to assume that Uepa could crush the current all-time raw squat world record if/when he next steps onto a competitive lifting platform.
Jezza Uepa Best Raw Competition Lifts
- Squat — 470 kilograms (1,036.1 pounds) | 2017 PA Brisbane Open
- Bench Press — 272 kilograms (599.6 pounds) | 2018 WP World Powerlifting Championships
- Deadlift — 332.5 kilograms (733 pounds) | 2017 OceaniaPF Oceania Championships & Pacific Invitationals
- Total — 1,070 kilograms (2,358.9 pounds) | 2017 PA Brisbane Open
Uepa has competed in 32 sanctioned powerlifting meets, of which he has won 22 — a 68.8 percent win rate. It isn’t clear when Uepa plans to compete next. However, his 400-kilogram squat could signify that he is preparing to go big at whichever the next meet is.
Featured image: @jezzauepa on Instagram
