Russel Orhii Lands 342.5-kg (755-lb) Raw Squat Two-Rep PR in Prep for IPF Comeback

Russel Orhii is one of the most intriguing powerlifters in the world currently, mostly because of his abilities to move extremely heavy loads with ease. Moreover, he has spent the past year solely in the training room, not once taking part in a competition. Well, all of that hard work behind closed curtains has resulted in tremendous progress. So, he is now capable of lifting much more weight than the last time we saw him compete, as proved by his most recent Instagram post. In the video, Russel can be seen squatting 342.5 kilograms (755 pounds) for two repetitions, which marked a new personal record for him.

Russel Orhii has always been one of the world’s greatest squatters, but the lifts that he has been showing off recently have exceeded all limits of what was considered humanly possible. So, Russel did not need any equipment to assist him in performing the recent 342.5-kilogram (755-pound) squat, but instead used only what is allowed in the raw division. That was a lifting belt, knee sleeves, and wrist wraps.

In order to perform the lift, Russel Orhii took 342.5 kilograms (755 pounds) out of the rack, took a deep breath, braced himself, and initiated the first rep. As expected, he crushed his first rep, took another deep breath, and got ready for his second one. Being fatigued from lifting 342.5 kilograms (755 pounds) just one second before, Russel’s second rep required a grind. So, he got stuck trying to ascend back up, but pushed relentlessly and got through the sticking point.

Watch the lift here:

Related: Powerlifter Russel Orhii Lands a HUGE 356-kg (785-lb) Raw Squat PR In Training

While he did not step foot on a competition platform for a while, Russel Orhii did recently reveal what his plans for the future are. He has decided to go back to the IPF (International Powerlifting Federation), thus having to leave USAPL. So, Russel is currently preparing for the 2024 Powerlifting America Nationals, where he can secure qualification for the IPF Worlds.

In the midst of his plan to return to the IPF, it is worth noting that Russel Orhii’s recent two-rep squat PR of 342.5 kilograms (755 pounds) is an unofficial U83KG IPF World Record as well. In fact, the current record is still in Russel’s possession from when he squatted 320.5 kilograms (706.6 pounds) at the 2021 IPF World Classic Powerlifting Championships.

The fact that Russel is lifting 22 kilograms (48.5 pounds) over the World Record, and doing two reps, is a great show of his legacy. However, his dominance in the sport goes even further than that. In fact, Russel has taken part in 18 sanctioned powerlifting competitions, and won 17 of them. He is also a 2x IPF World Champion (2019 and 2021).

Russel Orhii’s Competition PRs

*Russel Orhii set all of his competition PRs at the 2022 USAPL Korea Winter Showdown.

• Squat: 340 kilograms (749.5 pounds)
• Bench Press: 195 kilograms (429.9 pounds)
• Deadlift: 350 kilograms (771.6 pounds)
• Total: 885 kilograms (1,951.1 pounds)

Related: Powerlifter Russel Orhii Smokes 365-kg (805-lb) Raw Deadlift PR In Training

Russel Orhii’s Competition History

Russel Orhii revealed approximately two months ago that his goal is to squat 800 pounds (362.9 kilograms). He is obviously getting close to that milestone, as his two-rep PR has just reached new heights. Russel also says that he is “going to keep getting better”, which means that he is hoping for some more PRs. So, it remains to be seen just how much Russel can improve until it is time to compete.

Stay on top of the latest fitness news and updates by adding Fitness Volt to your Google News feed: You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for even more content.