Vedad is a journalist specializing in strength sports, with three years of experience covering powerlifting, Olympic weightlifting, strongman, armwrestling and bodybuilding. He is a lifelong fitness...
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Russel Orhii - Image credit @russwole Instagram
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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.
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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.
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).
Data source: OpenPowerlifting. Data through July 25, 2026.
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.
If you have any questions or need further clarification about this news, please leave a comment below, and Vedad will get back to you as soon as possible.
Vedad is a journalist specializing in strength sports, with three years of experience covering powerlifting, Olympic weightlifting, strongman, armwrestling and bodybuilding. He is a lifelong fitness enthusiast, passionate about all aspects of strength training. Vedad's in-depth knowledge of training methodologies and dedication to constant research fuel his insightful and engaging reporting. He works hard to deliver accurate content while continuously seeking to improve his craft.
