Tag: GI News
Eddie Hall vs. Hafthor Bjornsson: Who Has Had The Most Significant Transformation In 2021?
Eddie Hall and Hafthor Bjornsson have both gone through serious physique transformations.
Hafthor Bjornsson and Eddie Hall have a long history that could finally come to a head in 2022. Both athletes made a name for themselves as powerlifters and saw plenty of each other during their peak. Now, Hall and Bjornsson have made the transition to boxing but have been unable to face each other. That could change in 2022 if both fighters remain healthy.
This was the problem in September. The two were set to meet but Hall suffered a triceps injury that forced him to back out. Now, the two sides are negotiating to fight sometime early next year.
This is a feud that has been present for years. Hall won the 2017 World’s Strongest Man competition with Bjornsson finishing second. The very next year, after three runner-up finishes, Bjornsson was able to take the title from Hall. In 2016, Hall became the first person ever to deadlift 500kg (1,102lb). None other than Hafthor Bjornsson topped this world record by a single kilogram in 2020.
To go from strongman rivals to boxing rivals was an easy transition. The overall physique transformations that both athletes have gone through took a bit more work. They are eye-opening and impressive in their own ways. The question is — who has gone through the better transformation in 2021?
Eddie Hall
Strongman athletes are a different breed. The strength they display is other worldly and this is why they must keep on the weight and take in a hefty amount of calories. For Eddie Hall, his meals would total around 12,000 calories when he was lifting competitively.
Hall admits to eating many times throughout the day and even adding some extra at night to make the calorie intake necessary to obtain strength. This is the biggest difference since transitioning to boxing. Hall now consumes around 6,000 calories, which is half of what he used to do. This includes anywhere from five or more protein shakes per day.
Hall has lost nearly 100 pounds since focusing on his boxing career. His tricep injury did not help but he quickly returned to training with his other arm. Hall begins his day with a mile and a half, run or walk, in the morning before he hits the ring for training. His overall passion for boxing and dedication to get in the ring has been incredible and makes for an exciting year in 2022.
Unlike Bjornsson, Eddie Hall has not stepped in the ring just yet. He has not appeared in any exhibition bouts and does not plan to at the moment. His September fight with Bjornsson was set to be the first of his career. It still will be but just a few months later. The work and overall transformation that Hall has made is as impressive as it gets.
Hafthor Bjornsson
Hafthor Bjornsson is called “The Mountain” and for good reason. He is a former World’s Strongest Man champion who also has three Arnold Strongman Classic victories. Bjornsson even appeared on “Game Of Thrones” starring as big beast because of his incredible size. Since moving to the boxing ring, Bjornsson has slimmed down significantly and is as shredded as ever.
Bjornsson’s most recent fight came against Devon Larratt, who stepped in for Hall following his injury. The 6-foot-9 athlete entered the fight around 328 pounds. This was significantly less than the 450-pound mark that Bjornsson would remain at when lifting competitively.
While lifting, Bjornsson would eat up to seven meals a day that totaled around 10,000 calories. Since making the transition to boxing, Bjornsson has cut down to about 3,000 calories and four or five meals. Training has also changed as he was lifting heavy for fewer reps leading up to a competition. In the offseason, Bjornsson would add more reps to his sets.
Now, Hafthor Bjornsson has been focusing on boxing technique and endurance. This is necessary to last in the ring for the duration of a fight. This includes little to no weight training. Bjornsson focuses on his work in the ring while still performing push-ups and sit-ups.
Hafthor Bjornsson completed two exhibition fights against Steven Ward and Simon Vallily before taking on Larratt in his first professional fight. Bjornsson is now 1-0 in his career with his next fight looking like it will be against Hall in 2022.
Who is the winner?
So who has had the best transformation in 2021?
Both Eddie Hall and Hafthor Bjornsson have made incredible progress and looking shredded in preparation for their boxing match. What we do know is that both fighters will be ready after months of tension building up.
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YouTubers Jujimufu And Joey Szatmary Complete 43 Sets Of Box Squats
Jujimufu and Joey Szatmary went through a legendary squat session.
Jon ‘Jujimufu’ Call and Joey Szatmary are fitness YouTubers with huge followings. Recently, the duo joined forces to recreate a legendary squat session. They competed 43 sets of box squats at the EliteFTS training equipment headquarters in London.
The YouTube sensations began the session with the intention of battling like Chuck Vogelpohl and Dave Tate. The two Ogot together for a squat session that was supposed to feature eight sets of two reps with 405 pounds. Once those sets were complete, Tate wanted to be the last one standing and decided to add some more sets. Nearly an hour later, the two completed 40 sets of box squats before Vogelpohl ended up being the winner.
Tate was present in London for this recent squat session, along with Sam Brown. The two began with eight sets of two reps with 330 pounds. There was little rest between sets as Call and Szatmary started their sets after the other finished.
Jujimufu and Joey Szatmary completed 30 sets with this weight before some more was added. Tate added 50 pounds for the final 13 sets. It took 43 sets for Call to step back and declare Szatmary, who was completing as many as six reps, the winner. The full video was posted to Jujimufu’s YouTube page.
Jon ‘Jujimufu’ Call has become a fitness freak. He consistently shows off his latest eye-opening feats for his 1.7 million followers on Instagram. This includes full splits with his feet on two chairs while performing a shoulder press with a barbell. It is no surprise to see him take on a squat session of this magnitude.
Chuck Vogelpohl was the winner of the original squat session. He is a powerlifting legend who is often forgotten about. He competed in weight classes that spanned from 90kg to 125kg. He was an extremely intense powerlifter during his career, which was almost two decades long. Vogelpohl was victorious in many events but it all culminated during the 2006 WPO World Finals. During his career, Vogelpohl squatted 1,175 pounds and deadlifted 835 pounds.
The duo of Jujimufu and Joey Szatmary have completed many feats of strength in their careers and there will be plenty more coming. This was an incredible competition that must be seen.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Patrick Moore: You Will Not Make Money In Bodybuilding If You Avoid This Vital Tactic
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Patrick Moore explains how the “eat, sleep, train” mentality is not enough to earn money in bodybuilding. Marketability is now vital.
Patrick Moore is not simply a pro bodybuilder. He’s a pro bodybuilder that started over from one sport to the next. Originally a boxer, he eventually restarted from the ground up in competitive bodybuilding. Now he’s a highlight athlete with much promise to become a legendary champion.
Seeking athletic success is hard from the start, doing it twice by starting over in a different sport is even harder. That’s why we asked Moore to share his advice on how to be successful starting out in bodybuilding. In our latest GI exclusive, Patrick Moore explains that excelling at building muscle and shred is not enough. It is now necessary to sell yourself, and sell yourself well, as a marketable personality.
There is no doubt that the internet age has changed bodybuilding significantly. Not only has it changed the way fans interact with the sport and its athletes. It’s also completely revolutionized how sponsorships work. Gone are the days of the Weider contract. This is something that many bodybuilders and industry professionals have spoken about over the past decade. Patrick Moore believes it hasn’t been stated enough. He cannot express just how important it is to become marketable as a personality in order to earn financial success in bodybuilding.
During our conversation with Patrick Moore, he makes one thing very clear. Essentially, being good at just bodybuilding is no longer enough to succeed financially in the sport. Only a select few of competitions award high level prize money. And even then, statistically your odds of being that champion to win the $400,000 Olympia prize money is very slim. It’s not something that can be relied on.
The internet era and social media has put the tools directly in the athlete’s hands now. Massive multi-year contracts don’t get offered the same way anymore. Now, it’s just as vital to have an online presence as it is to win bodybuilding shows. This doesn’t mean you have to be a schmoozing online influencer. But it does mean you need to find a way to market your personality into engagement online.
Of course, marketability is not a replacement for passion and hard work in the sport. But it just might be a more vital aspect of being a pro bodybuilder than most people realize going into the sport.
“The first thing you have to do is love the sport or the training,” Patrick Moore states in our interview. He continues:
“Because anything that comes subsequently from that is going to be based off of your placing at shows. The amount of attention you are able to generate online. You have to be an athlete. You have to be a representative of the sport. And you have to marketable. And I say that because marketability is one thing I think a lot of people do not realize has to be present in this day and age.”
Patrick Moore continues to express that the old school days of only focusing on training and dieting are gone.
“You can’t just be the guy who goes into the gym with your hoodie on and train and then leave out and then think that you’re going to make money. It just doesn’t happen like that. Because you have to think what generates ticket sales, merchandise sales, whatever it is – you have to be a hard worker. So I would tell new guys coming up. don’t expect the sponsorships, don’t expect anything… you have brands that monitor. They’ll watch how you interact online so if they see that you get a lot of engagement, they may then be inclined to extend your sponsorship. So where guys will say I’m not going to do online stuff because that’s stupid and it’s a waste of time. Okay, well you’re just leaving an opportunity on the table for an athlete who is willing to do that… you can’t just eat, sleep, and train. That’s a dream. That’s not going to happen. Not if you want to be successful.”
Ultimately, there are various paths to success. No one single mold will be the mandatory subset needed to 100% succeed. But it’s also foolish to believe that investing time and energy into these strategies is a waste of time. A person passionate about bodybuilding should be willing to do whatever it takes to become successful and a champion.
To leave an entire option on the table, as Patrick Moore puts it, is lowering your odds. If bodybuilding is your life – even if you hate social media – you might have to make that kind of sacrifice and learn to engage with these tools. Otherwise, you’ll be significantly cutting your chances short in the modern playing field.
You can watch Patrick Moore go into full detail on his experiences building his brand in bodybuilding and his vital tips in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above.
WATCH: Russell Orhii Completes PR Bench Press Of 446 Pounds
Russell Orhii continues to put up massive numbers in the gym.
Russell Orhii continues to be a powerlifter that is on the rise. He has put up some memorable performances in competition and is not shy about showing some massive lifts in social media. Recently, Orhii took to Instagram to show off another personal record feat of strength.
A personal record is a milestone for powerlifters as they continue to build strength in training sessions. For Orhii, this came in the form of a 446-pound bench press on Tuesday. Orhii lowers the weight to his chest, pauses quickly, then moves the weight back up. Orhii then jumps to his feet after his latest accomplishment.
“? BENCH PR ?
446lbs/202.5kg X 1
I hit a PR every time I come back from vacation ?
Shout out to the brodies for providing the vibes for todays session”
Russell Orhii spent some time in Hawaii enjoying vacation. This was some time off to rest and recover. It seemed to work for the powerlifter. Orhii even commented in his caption on how he always hits personal records after a vacation. This is becoming a theme for Orhii but he is no stranger to world records either.
Orhii put on a show during the 2021 IPF Powerlifting Championships. He set two world records in the 83kg division and there could be more to fall in 2022. It began with a 320.5kg (706.7lb) squat, which was a world record. He also set a new record with a total of 841kg (1,854.3lb). This includes a 187.5kg (413.4lb) bench press and 333kg (734.2lb) deadlift.
The squat record did not last long as Orhii beat his own mark at the 2021 USAPL Nationals. He completed a 323kg (712lb) squat to set a new record. This is a lift that could continue to improve in upcoming weeks.
If this training session is any indication, Orhii is looking to set some more records. This bench press was over 30 pounds heavier than that at the IPF Powerlifting Championships. Also, Orhii recently set a new personal record with a 733-pound squat. This is much heavier than his current IPF world record.
There is no doubt that Russell Orhii has shown interest in breaking some new personal marks. When comparing his recent work in the gym to that in competition, it could be a big year for the powerlifter in 2022. It will be a must-see event when Orhii takes the stage in competition once again.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Logan Paul Claims Floyd Mayweather Has Not Paid Him For Fight
Logan Paul says he is owed money from Floyd Mayweather.
Logan Paul and Floyd Mayweather met for an exhibition fight back in June. There was no winner, little excitement, and it was a downright laughable event. What they did have was plenty of viewers and plenty of money made. Well, for one side. Paul has claimed that Mayweather has still not paid him for their fight over six months later.
Both Paul and Mayweather have shown a mutual respect for one another recently but that seems to be ending. Logan Paul, who has become a sensation in boxing along with his brother Jake Paul, made the transition from YouTube to boxing. Both Paul brothers are still active on social media and this is where Paul called out Mayweather.
“Pay me my money u f***ing corny weasel of a human @floydmayweather,” Paul wrote in a caption on an Instagram story.
It is hard to know if Logan Paul is being serious or if this is just another trolling on social media. This is something that the Paul brothers have become known for. Paul has made plenty of money during his career but if true, the amount of money that Mayweather is withholding could be large.
The Paul vs. Mayweather exhibition took place on pay-per-view and was a success. There were over one million buys on Showtime. This is something that Mayweather said he will not do again — even after earning a huge payday. The boxer claims he earned $100 million for the appearance.
“I’m the only person that can do a fake fight and get 100 M’s. I could do legalized sparring and get 100 M’s,” Floyd Mayweather said while exiting a press conference. “Am I the best bank robber? Because I don’t know nobody in sports that’s my age and can still stick ‘em up like that.”
Known as ‘Money’ Mayweather, Floyd has a perfect 50-0 record in his boxing career. Mayweather is a controversial fighter for his style, which is the opposite of a heavyweight fighter. Mayweather has 27 knockout victories in his career and was always content dancing around the ring using strategy. This is a method that brought praise from some and criticism from others.
As for Logan Paul, began boxing in 2018 when he took on fellow YouTuber ‘KSI.’ This match ended in a draw before Paul lost their rematch by split decision. Jake Paul has recently moved to 5-0 after a knockout victory over Tyron Woodley.
The Paul brothers have become big names in boxing, mostly because of their antics outside the ring. It was questionable why Mayweather even agreed to this fight in the first place but he allegedly got a massive payday out of it. The same cannot be said about Logan Paul at the moment.
All of the details of this storyline have not been released but we do know there is trolling going on by Paul. It will be interesting to see if Floyd Mayweather is actually holding money and if he will pay up.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
VIDEO: Oleksii Novikov Begins Training For 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic
Oleksii Novikov is training for the 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic in a big way.
Oleksii Novikov is one of the top strongman competitions in the world so it was not surprising to see him receive an invitation to the 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic. Now that the holidays are over, the 2020 World’s Strongest Man is back in the gym training for his next event.
Novikov shared a video on his YouTube channel detailing his first day back in preparation. The Ukrainian strongman podiumed in each event he participated in following the 2021 World’s Strongest Man competition. He is one of 10 strongmen who received invitation to the 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic and this means he will have to train harder than ever.
Oleksii Novikov took to his garage-style gym to get in a huge workout. It began on the squat rack where Novikov began with 440-pound lifts and wanted to increase to 551 pounds. No official list has been released on which events will be at the Arnold Strongman Classic but Novikov believes that squats will be there. Novikov’s personal record squat is 771.6 pounds.
Again, the official list has not been revealed but Novikov spoke further on which events he expects to see there. He listed max squat, timber carry (400kg, 881.9lb), heavy dumbbell for reps (124kg, 273.4lb), max log lift, and stone to shoulder (186kg, 410.1lb).
After his squats, Oleksii Novikov began log lifts. He pulled out gym mats and began with his lifts. He began with 176.4-pound lifts with the intention of bumping it up to 286.6 pounds. Novikov expressed that this was one of his weaknesses and that he has never locked out 440.1 pounds. This is his goal heading into 2022. Novikov took some time off for the holiday and it seemed to pay off. He showed great form and fluidity when performing log lifts. He was able to lock out three reps of 319.7 pounds on his second-to-last set followed by five reps on his last set.
The roster for the 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic is elite. Novikov is one of three World’s Strongest Man winners, along with Tom Stoltman and Martins Licis. The 2021 Europe World’s Strongest Man Luke Stoltman will be present along with two-time WSM runner-up Mateusz Kieliszkowski.
Oleksii Novikov will enter the competition as one of the favorites to win as his strength seems to be on par. . There is still plenty of time to bump some numbers up and that is what Novikov plans to do in the upcoming weeks.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Cedric McMillan Reveals New Details On His Near-Death Experience & Heart Issues
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Cedric McMillan opens up with new details on his heart issues, developing pneumonia, long COVID, and being put on life support.
Earlier in November, Cedric McMillan performed a guest posing and also provided an update on his rocky bodybuilding season. It turned out, he revealed, that he was dealing with breathing and heart issues likely caused by contracting COVID-19 in the previous year. With cases rising across the world at a rapid pace due to Omicron, Generation Iron decided to sit down with McMillan and talk in further detail about his experience with the virus and his near death experience in the hospital. In our latest GI Exclusive, Cedric McMillan goes into full detail about contracting COVID-19, developing pneumonia, and being put on life support.
For a short period of time in 2021, fans were confused as to what was happening with Cedric McMillan. After much delay he was set to compete at the Legion Sports Fest Pro 2021, only for him to disappear after the pre-judging and not show up at the finals. There was silence and mystery for a few weeks. Then suddenly McMillan reappeared during a guest posing and revealed a series of medical issues that threw off his bodybuilding season.
It turned out that Cedric McMillan had developed COVID-19 in 2020 right after the Arnold Classic. He recovered. He was fine. But many months later he started having trouble breathing. This breathing issue eventually took him to the hospital – where he found out he had pneumonia. Shortly after he found himself on life support in the hospital. “I was almost dead.” He stated during his guest posing speech.
Now with more time to recover and reflect on the entire experience, Generation Iron Brasil’s Aretha Luz at down with Cedric McMillan to get an in-depth account of the entire experience. McMillan opened up with complete honesty about the slow building of events that eventually left him intubated and on life support.
Cedric McMillan was noticing shortness of breath for quite some time. As early as May or July of 2021. But McMillan attributed this to his massive size. He was over 300 pounds and as any pro bodybuilder would attest – it puts some strain on cardio and breathing. But then the symptoms didn’t subside. For weeks and weeks his breathing became worse. Eventually he knew that he had to seek medical advice. Upon going to the doctors, it was discovered his heart rate was dangerously low. He was rushed to the hospital.
It was at this point that the doctors drew a connection between his current medical issues and COVID-19. They asked McMillan if he had COVID-19. Cedric McMillan confirmed that much earlier in 2020 he had gotten the virus. But was fine after recovering. The doctors informed him he now has pneumonia. And while it can’t be confirmed with 100% accuracy, it was likely that his lung were very slowly building up with fluid for months after having the virus.
After spending a few days in the hospital and still struggling to breath, Cedric McMillan grew impatient. He wanted to leave. He felt that he was not in immediate life or death danger. He jokes that he stood up and pulled off the wires from his body, “like a movie.” The doctors tried to stop him. Before he knew it. He was sedated and woke up three days later.
It turns out shortly after being sedated, his condition grew worse. He was put on a ventilator and life support. The hospital called his family as they were concerned that there was a likely chance that Cedric McMillan would die. Luckily, this was not the case
Cedric McMillan is now recovered. After leaving the hospital, he took some time to recoup, and after some false starts, he finally felt healthy enough to step back on stage. This was when he decided to guest pose at the Armed Forces Nationals 2021.
Cedric McMillan realized that he needed time to recover after such an ordeal. Now that he’s taken that time, he feels prepared to compete at the Arnold Classic 2022 in March and then shortly after compete in the Arnold Classic South America. McMillan’s plans were derailed in 2021. But the pro bodybuilder has always been a focused competitor hungry for victory. Perhaps 2022 will be a true comeback for the much hyped athlete.
You can watch Cedric McMillan go into full detail about his entire near-death experience in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above.
Arnold Schwarzenegger donates 25 tiny homes to homeless veterans in California
Arnold Schwarzenegger made a $250,000 donation toward the cause.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is the former Governor of California and he is continuing to make contributions to the state. On Thursday, the greatest bodybuilder of all-time donated 25 tiny homes to shelter homeless veterans in West Los Angeles.
Schwarzenegger joined forces with Village for Vets to make this happen. This is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to providing food and shelter to homeless and at-risk veterans. Veterans Affair Secretary Denis McDonough and volunteer organization American Veterans also helped in building the homes.
Schwarzenegger took to Twitter on Dec. 23 to make the announcement.
“Today, I celebrated Christmas early. The 25 homes I donated for homeless veterans were installed here in LA. It was fantastic to spend some time with our heroes and welcome them into their new homes.”
Today, I celebrated Christmas early. The 25 homes I donated for homeless veterans were installed here in LA. It was fantastic to spend some time with our heroes and welcome them into their new homes. pic.twitter.com/2mHKfoZ65V
— Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) December 24, 2021
Arnold Schwarzenegger made a great career for himself in America after coming over from Austria. He won seven Olympia titles and was the most influential bodybuilder during his time. He is still widely considered as the best of all-time. Schwarzenegger then made appearances on the big screen and was a successful politician.
Due to his success, Schwarzenegger feels the need to give back as much as possible. He went on FOX 11 Los Angeles during “The Issue Is” to discuss this latest project with Elex Michaelson.
“I’ve made and have this great success because of America. If it isn’t bodybuilding, if it isn’t business, if it isn’t show business, movies and politics — whatever I tackled I achieved because of America, so to me, it’s always great to give something back.”
Many veterans have spoken out about this since receiving homes. This includes veteran Bruce Henry Cooper who said that this has “been a life-saver.”
Village for Vets builds tiny shelters that provide an elevated standard of living from tent encampments while veterans are on their journey to find permanent housing and stability. This is not a permanent solution but it is a way to shelter veterans who do not have proper housing.
Arnold Schwarzenegger continues to be an influential voice and figure in California. The work that he has done has made a difference and this can be added to the list.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
The Anabolic Doc: Bodybuilding Is Not Worth The Steroid Use Required To Succeed
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The Anabolic Doc believes bodybuilding success requires good genetics and steroid use – and advises reassessing your goals away from the sport.
Dr. Thomas O’Connor, aka the Anabolic Doc, has always maintained an empathy and understanding of bodybuilders and strength athletes who use steroids. The doc was “bitten by the bug” himself – as he puts it. He understands that an athlete will always want to do whatever it takes to succeed.
But if he were to give advice to a young aspiring bodybuilder before they become passionate and embedded into the sport. His advice would be to “reassess” their goals and back away from bodybuilding. This is because he believes that steroids are mandatory to succeed in the sport. And he sees the damage to health it causes too severe to ever recommend. In our latest GI Exclusive, the Anabolic Doc explains why he feels bodybuilding is not worth the steroid use that comes with it.
We recently had a very lengthly video conversation with Dr. Thomas O’Connor, aka the Anabolic Doc. This conversation has been released in segments over the past few weeks. As always, the doctor provides very empathetic and educated information about drug use in the sport and its long term consequences. So we decided to ask him – what advice would he give to a young aspiring bodybuilder who is interested in going pro?
Many amateur bodybuilders feel the pressure to use steroids to succeed. It’s a slippery slope. If one person is winning on steroids, then others feel the need to use to be on an even playing field. Before you know it – steroid use becomes the norm. This is the world that many amateur bodybuilders are entering. While not literally mandatory, it’s a pressure that can manifest in aspiring athletes.
That’s why The Anabolic Doc, while emphatic to athletes and their passions, would strongly advise that aspiring bodybuilders back away. He whole heartedly believes the steroid use is not worth it. He’s seen the data and he’s worked with enough bodybuilders post-retirement to know the suffering they go through. If a bodybuilder believes that steroid use is necessary to succeed in the sport, the doctor believes that the athlete should simply find another goal completely.
“You have to have great genetics and then you have to do steroids,” the Anabolic Doc states in our interview in regards to competitive bodybuilding. He continues:
“I would advise 100% to reassess your dreams and goals and not to do it [bodybuilding].”
The Anabolic Doc understands that a person, regardless of sport or even goal, will do whatever it takes to succeed if they are passionate about the subject. This is unavoidable. So for those on the fence and not fully embedded into the sport – Dr. O’Connor seems to see this as a way out. Jump ship before you get sucked in and start making sacrifices that can lead to health issues in the long term. As much as the doctor is a strength athlete at heart himself – he knows too much of the data and experiences to ever fully recommend going down that path.
Do you agree with the Anabolic Doc? And do you think that steroids are necessary to succeed in the sport? Watch his full comments in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above – and then decide for yourself!
John Haack Tops Official Personal Record With 755-Pound Squat
John Haack bested his competition best squat by 5.4 pounds.
There could be some big things coming for John Haack in 2022. He is already considered to be one of the best powerlifters in the world and there could be some more records broken soon. Haack is getting ready for the Hybrid Showdown 4 on January 15-16 in Miami. In a recent training session, Haack topped his competition-best squat with a 342.5kg (755lb) squat.
Haack’s best squat in competition is currently 340kg (749.6lb). It seems as though he will be able to break this personal record come January, especially since there is still three more weeks of training until competition. Haack stepped up to the bar with wrist wraps and a lifting belt to accomplish the feat.
John Haack has quickly become one of the best lifters in the world. He competes in the 90kg division and holds the total world record. He became the first lifter in this division to surpass 1,000kg total with a 1,005.5kg (2,216.7lb) performance. It is not crazy to say that he will continue to build on that record and it could come during the Hybrid Showdown 4.
This is not the only lift that was eye-opening in recent days. Haack also took to Instagram to show off a massive paused bench press of 265kg (584lb). The powerlifter took to the bench with just west wraps and pulled off an impressive lift.
“Had to change up training days to accommodate @that_hugeasian_guy Christmas plans. Working on pauses with this top single of 265kgs/584lbs.”
John Haack has a personal best of 579.8 pounds on bench in competition. He was able to exceed that number with a pause. Haack has also pulled off a 600.8-pound bench press in a recent training session. There is no doubt that he will attempt to set a new personal mark very soon. He is moving a different level of weight recently in all three lifts but his bench press numbers continue to grow.
The 2022 year is coming and Haack seems to be in incredible shape heading into competition. If social media is any indication, Haack is ready to set some new marks and accomplish some lifts that have never been done before. This makes the Hybrid Showdown 4 a must-see competition.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.