If ever there was a powerlifting competition to get excited for, it should probably be the 2021 World Raw Powerlifting Federation (WRPF) Showdown. The event is scheduled for Sept. 25-26, 2021, in North Kansas City, MO, and the roster of elite powerlifters is extensive. One of the biggest names on that list is 90-kilogram powerlifter John Haack.
Haack is going heavy in the gym in the final weeks of preparation before the Showdown. On Sept. 11, 2021, he took to his Instagram page to share a video of a speedy 350-kilogram (771.6-pound) raw squat — a new personal record. He wore a lifting belt and wrist straps during the lift, but it appears he eschewed knee sleeves. Check out the lift from Haack’s final heavy squat day before the Showdown below:
View this post on Instagram
Haack took the time in his post caption to point out the value of one particular piece of clothing that helped him lift what would be the third heaviest squat ever at 90-kilograms had it been done in competition, according to Open Powerlifting:
Couldn’t rock the headband and not hit a [personal best]. Last heavy squat before showdown moving juuuuuiiiiicccccyyyyy.
Haack did not share his body weight at the time of this PR, but it is just shy of four times his competition bodyweight. It is also 12.5 kilograms (27.6 pounds) heavier than his competition-best squat of 337.5 kilograms (744.1 pounds) scored at the 2021 WRPF Kern US Open, ranking second overall. Chad Penson took the gold.
Of the big three lifts at 90-kilograms, Haack holds the world record bench press — 262.5 kilograms (578.7 pounds) — and the second heaviest ever deadlift — 385 kilograms (848.9 pounds). Cailer Woolam has the raw deadlift world record at 400 kilograms (881.9 pounds). Haack’s name is also next to the current world record total of 970 kilograms (2,138.9 pounds).
The Milestone 1,000-Kilogram Total
Had Haack successfully hit either of his two failed 400-kilogram (881.9-pound) deadlift attempts at the 2021 Kern US Open, he would have tied the raw deadlift world record and been the first person in the 90-kilogram weight class to ever total 1,000 kilograms (2,204.6 pounds).
Judging by the quality of his training two weeks out from the 2021 WRPF Showdown, it is possible that when Haack steps off of the lifting platform, he could walk away with a gold medal and that milestone total.
Featured Image: @bilbo_swaggins181 on Instagram
