Chinese Weightlifter Tian Tao’s 280kg Raw Front Squat Is Absolutely Insane
Tian Tao is a weightlifter from China who competes in the 85kg or 187lb weight class. He’s become a rising star in the weightlifting world, and his videos have been popular on Instagram. He is popular thanks to his outstanding ability to handle the toughest weights around, not to mention how well he can walk with his weights. But there’s one Instagram video Tao has posted that shows just how dynamic of a talent he is.
Shenzhen Weightlifting promoted an Instagram video this week of Tian Tao completing a front squat of 280kg or 617lb. That’s more than three times Tao’s weight!
It is unclear if Tao is working to move up from the 85kg to the 89kg weight category, but the lift is amazing nonetheless. Not only that, but Tao did not move his torso muscles forward while flexing. His move suggests that he used more of his natural energy to get that huge weight up without using any extra support.
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Not only that, but he did not wear a belt while lifting. A belt is often used by lifters to help position their bodies in the lifting process. Tao’s muscles are strong and coordinated enough to where he does not require a belt to lift anything.
Most of Tao’s squats do not entail the use of a belt, nor do they involve his torso muscles moving forward. But his moves still impress people every time. It’s not often that a lifter as light in weight as Tian Tao can handle such a huge load.
Also, Tao walked backward to re-rack his bar after lifting it. The move is reminiscent of when Mart Seim walked for 12 steps with a 260kg weight and then front squatted that weight. When he dropped the weight back on the bar, he did so with control to where he supports did not shift all that much.
This achievement is the latest of Tian Tao’s great lifting endeavors. In August 2017, Tao back squatted 310kg without a belt. He also competed in the Chinese Weightlifting National Championships back in April and had a 170kg snatch and a 197kg clean and jerk for an event total of 367kg.
The big question now is what Tian Tao has to offer the next time he competes on the international stage. His outstanding lifting skill and his natural ability to move the weights make him a star worth checking out.
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