Russell Orhii is still the king of squats in the 83-kg division.
There are some powerlifters that are just on their game no matter where they are. Russell Orhii is an example of this and he made it known in a recent training session.
Orhii strolled into a commercial gym for a training session last week and was feeling pretty good. This was apparent because of the amount of weight that he loaded on the squat rack. Orhii is the current world-record holder in the 83-kg division at 320.5 kg (706.6lb). This is a lift that surpassed that record by nearly 19 pounds.
In the video, Orhii is seen with 725 pounds on his shoulders and completes one rep. This would have been good enough to shatter his own record if performed in a competition.
“I almost took an L squatting 725lbs/329kg in a commercial gym ??”
Russell Orhii made light of the lift in his caption but this was performed rather easily. There seemed to be some left in the tank and this could be building confidence for the next time that Orhii decides to step on stage. This lift was obviously not recognized as a world record because it was not done in competition and Orhii seems to be using uncalibrated plates.
Nonetheless, it is always impressive when a lifter can move a total of 14 45-pound weights. This is a record that was recently achieved by Orhii.
During the 2021 IPF World Classic Championships, Orhii put on a record-setting performance. He gave the crowd in Halstad, Sweden something to remember. During the show, Orhii set his world record squat while also totaling 841 kg (1,854.3lb), another record in the 83-kg division. It is clear that Orhii can perform on the biggest stages and that will continue to be the case moving forward.
Orhii took to Instagram after the World Classic Championships to celebrate his achievement. After watching the lift and seeing the emotion, it seems clear that there is no stopping Orhii moving forward.
This meet met so much more to me than just the lifting. It was by far my most difficult prep because there were SO many valid reasons to drop out. However, the the job got done in the face of adversity and NO ONE can take that from me.
“I’m going to take some time to get stronger and bring a MUCH better package to my next season of lifting.”
Russell Orhii is a name to watch moving forward in the powerlifting game. He has asserted himself as a force, especially in squat, and will continue to put up big-time numbers. The only questions remains is when he will decide to take on his own world record in competition.
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