Russel Orhii is likely to be considered one of the few truly elite names in powerlifting. It’s to the purpose where any he steps right into a squat rack or onto a lifting platform; he’s likened to creating some huge (pun intended) news. The 2-time International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Champion recently lived as much as that prime standard again.

On Oct. 4, 2022, Orhii shared an Instagram video of himself capturing a 347-kilogram (765-pound) back squat during a workout. In keeping with the caption of the athlete’s post, it’s an all-time personal record (PR). The squat in training is 24 kilograms (52.9 kilos) greater than Orhii’s all-time raw competition best. He achieved that figure during a first-place performance on the 2021 USA Powerlifting (USAPL) Raw Nationals contest. Orhii wore a lifting belt, wrist wraps, and knee sleeves to assist with the successful lockout.

[Related: Back Squat Vs. Front Squat: Which, When, and Why]

In what’s undoubtedly typical Orhii fashion, he approached the huge squat with numerous energy and enthusiasm. Even before Orhii stepped into the squat rack and under his barbell, his hopping around and dancing beforehand made it evident the powerlifter was quite confident about notching a recent milestone.

Meanwhile, the comments of Orhii’s squat PR post featured considered one of his esteemed powerlifting peers, the prolific deadlifting extraordinaire Jamal Browner. At first, Browner, who’s seen within the video spotting Orhii through the lift, notes that he was “scared” Orhii wouldn’t finish the squat once he saw some slight hesitation within the athlete’s launch. Nonetheless, Browner then fittingly “remembered” Orhii often completes massive lifts he sets out for.

Indeed, after winning the 2022 USAPL Mega Nationals within the 82-kilogram weight class in early June, it’s been quite a successful summer and early fall for Orhii. Before he scored this all-time squat PR, Orhii notched a 351.5 (775-pound) deadlift during a late September 2022 training session. Respective lifts like this appear connected to an upcoming (but unspecified) strength sports competition.

In a few of Orhii’s previous posts, he had alluded to a foray into bodybuilding but never noted a precise time he planned to pose on a stage. On the time of this writing, he’s roughly 11 weeks out from this powerlifting or bodybuilding contest as per Orhii’s comment on one other recent Instagram post.

To place Orhii’s recent squat and deadlift PRs into more context, here’s an outline of the powerlifter’s all-time raw competition bests:

Russel Orhii | All-Time Raw Competition Bests

• Squat — 323 kilograms (712.1 kilos)
• Bench Press — 195 kilograms (429.9 kilos)
• Deadlift — 333 kilograms (734.1 kilos)
• Total — 843 kilograms (1,858.5 kilos)

[Related: How to Do The Hack Squat — Benefits, Variations, and More]

With Orhii’s latest training achievement within the books and one other competition on the horizon, it’s clear the superstar has a full plate. Not that this lifting dynamo would want it every other way.

Featured image: @russwole on Instagram