Powerlifter Joseph Whittaker was able to unload massive weight to avoid injury.
There is a reason that weightlifters have multiple spot when attempting an enormous lift. Even for the average lifter, it is important to have spotters present when venturing into new dynamics or weights. This is something powerlifter Joseph Whittaker knows and can back up — especially after avoiding injury during an accident.
On Tuesday, Whittaker had a close call while attempting a 400kg squat. After getting the bar on his back, Whittaker’s knee buckled and this caused him to begin to fall backward. He was able to unload the weight over his head and avoid a potential injury that could have been very serious.
Whittaker had a spotter behind him during the lift. He was able to drop the weight onto straps that were attached to the machine. The full video can be seen in Whittaker’s Instagram post below.
“Alright team,
SOUND ON, the share violence of this is mind baffling and the monolift is the safest thing I’ve squatted in, after unracking 400 my knee snapped back batter in the wrap which made me loose balance and well I done my best to scrap it the end result and safest option was to dump over my head unfortunately fucked a squat bar ??
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“I WONT STOP BECAUSE IM SORE/TIRED I WILL STOP WHEN THE WORK IS DONE””
This is not the first time that Joseph Whittaker has attempted a 400kg lift. In September during the 2021 NZ-UA Wolfpack Invitational, Whittaker completed a 380kg lift. After his first squat, Whittaker attempted a 402.5kg squat on his second and third try but failed both.
This is not surprising given the fact that the New Zealand native is one of the top powerlifters in the +120kg weight class. He has been competing for nearly a decade and has gotten comfortable in the top two at events.
This mishap did not turn Joseph Whittaker away from attempting heavy lifts. On Thursday, the powerlifter took another shot at a 402kg squat. This time, he was successful. Whittaker posted three videos. The first was a 375kg which Whittaker described as a warmup. The final two were 402kg.
Joseph Whittaker has had a clear plan for his next squat goal. In training, he has been able to reach it and it will being interesting to see if he can complete the lift next time on stage. No matter how strong a competitor is, there is always a chance to mistakes to happen. This move by Whittaker proves it and shows how instinctive he is when unloading the weight over his head. It was great to see that he was not hurt and will have many chances to put up even bigger squat numbers.
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