Elite powerlifter Russel Orhii will return to the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) in 2024. He won the IPF Classic World Championships (CWC) in the 83-kilogram class in 2019 and again in 2021 (no contest in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic).
Orhii set the raw squat and total world records at 320.5 kilograms (706.5 pounds) and 841 kilograms (1,854 pounds) in Halmstad at the 2021 CWC. Those records still stand, though they might not survive the year as Orhii’s training has been ascendant recently, hitting PR after PR.
On Jan. 21, 2024, Orhii shared an incredible squat session on his Instagram page wherein he squatted 320 kilograms (705 pounds) raw for four repetitions. Take a look below:
In the IPF, knee wraps are not permitted in the raw category. Orhii performed the set using knee sleeves, wrist wraps, and a lifting belt.
The first rep appeared easy, but the bar speed slowed with each successive squat. The fourth and final rep looked challenging, as suggested by Orhii’s grind. He pushed through to complete the set, racking up four reps with the current world-record weight.
I will keep getting better. The work continues.
Orhii’s IPF world record squat is 320.5 kilograms (706.5 pounds). He has lifted as much as 340 kilograms (750 pounds) at the 2022 United States Powerlifting Federation (USAPL) Korea Winter Showdown en route to a colossal 885-kilogram (1,951-pound) total — more than 40 kilograms (88 pounds) over the IPF total world record.
Now that Orhii is heading back to the IPF, he will have an opportunity to break those records. He has already completed his qualifying meet with Powerlifting America (PA), and he is prepping for their 2024 Raw Nationals in Reno, Nevada.
If Orhii wins his class, he will progress to the 2024 IPF CWC in Druskininkai, Lithuania, where he can contend for world records and the world title. Additionally, qualifications for the 2025 World Games and the 2025 Sheffield Powerlifting Championships are on the line.
You can watch Orhii lift at the 2024 PA Raw Nationals on March 16, 2024, on Powerlifting America’s YouTube channel.
Featured image: @russwole on Instagram
