83-kilogram powerlifter Russel Orhii recently announced his return to the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) and his ambition to become world champion for the third time. This seems to have energized his training, as he is crushing weights in training.
On Aug. 1, 2023, Orhii shared a video on his Instagram page to his 500,000 followers wherein he hit a bench press PR of 212.5 kilograms (468 pounds). Check out that lift below:
In the video, Orhii took a handoff from his spotter and then visibly set his lats before lowering the barbell down to his chest in a controlled manner. The press was wild, though, as Orhii was right on the limit of his strength.
The bar came off Orhii’s chest well but then appeared to hit an invisible ceiling and slowed dramatically, with the right-hand side of the bar swinging outwards. The spotter appeared concerned and moved closer to be in a better position to help should he be needed.
The barbell stalled again, and the spotter went to grab the bar, only for Orhii to get the weight moving again. It was a slow grind, but Orhii eventually locked it out and held the bar at arms’ length for a moment before returning it to the rack with the assistance of the awestruck spotter.
It’s not clear what bodyweight Orhii is training at right now, but he has stated that his intention is to compete in the 83-kilogram class upon his return to the IPF. The bench press world record in that category is currently at 218.5 kilograms (482 pounds) scored by Owen Hubbard of the UK. This record has stood since 2019.
One day later, Orhii returned to his Instagram page to share a squat video wherein he lifted 329 kilograms (725 pounds) — 8.5 kilograms (19 pounds) more than his current IPF world record. Check it out below:
Orhii’s squat seemed smooth and raises questions about just how far he could push the IPF squat and total world records at the 2024 IPF Classic World Championships in Lithuania. We won’t have to wait quite that long to see him compete next, however, as he will lift at the Powerlifting America (PA) Raw Nationals in the first quarter of 2024.
Featured image: @russwole on Instagram
