Russel Orhii might be one of the few truly elite names in powerlifting. It’s to the point where any he steps into a squat rack or onto a lifting platform; he’s likened to making some huge (pun intended) news. The two-time International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Champion recently lived up to that high standard again.
On Oct. 4, 2022, Orhii shared an Instagram video of himself capturing a 347-kilogram (765-pound) back squat during a workout. According to the caption of the athlete’s post, it’s an all-time personal record (PR). The squat in training is 24 kilograms (52.9 pounds) more than Orhii’s all-time raw competition best. He achieved that figure during a first-place performance at the 2021 USA Powerlifting (USAPL) Raw Nationals contest. Orhii wore a lifting belt, wrist wraps, and knee sleeves to help with the successful lockout.
[Related: Back Squat Vs. Front Squat: Which, When, and Why]
In what is undoubtedly typical Orhii fashion, he approached the massive squat with a lot of energy and enthusiasm. Even before Orhii stepped into the squat rack and under his barbell, his hopping around and dancing beforehand made it evident the powerlifter was quite confident about notching a new milestone.
Meanwhile, the comments of Orhii’s squat PR post featured one of his esteemed powerlifting peers, the prolific deadlifting extraordinaire Jamal Browner. At first, Browner, who is seen in the video spotting Orhii during the lift, notes that he was “scared” Orhii wouldn’t finish the squat once he saw some slight hesitation in the athlete’s launch. However, Browner then fittingly “remembered” Orhii usually completes massive lifts he sets out for.
Indeed, after winning the 2022 USAPL Mega Nationals in the 82-kilogram weight class in early June, it’s been quite a successful summer and early fall for Orhii. Before he scored this all-time squat PR, Orhii notched a 351.5 (775-pound) deadlift during a late September 2022 training session. Respective lifts like this appear connected to an upcoming (but unspecified) strength sports competition.
In some of Orhii’s previous posts, he had alluded to a foray into bodybuilding but never noted an exact time he planned to pose on a stage. At the time of this writing, he is approximately 11 weeks out from this powerlifting or bodybuilding contest as per Orhii’s comment on another recent Instagram post.
To put Orhii’s new squat and deadlift PRs into more context, here’s an overview of the powerlifter’s all-time raw competition bests:
Russel Orhii | All-Time Raw Competition Bests
- Squat — 323 kilograms (712.1 pounds)
- Bench Press — 195 kilograms (429.9 pounds)
- Deadlift — 333 kilograms (734.1 pounds)
- Total — 843 kilograms (1,858.5 pounds)
[Related: How to Do The Hack Squat — Benefits, Variations, and More]
With Orhii’s latest training achievement in the books and another competition on the horizon, it’s clear the superstar has a full plate. Not that this lifting dynamo would want it any other way.
Featured image: @russwole on Instagram