If powerlifter Phillip Herndon has a loaded barbell set up in a squat rack, chances are high that he’ll lift something staggering.
On July 9, 2022, over Instagram, Herndon shared footage of himself completing a raw 410-kilogram (903-pound) squat during a training session. The mark is roughly 44 pounds more than the current World Record for a 110-kilogram competitor, which Kevin Oak set at the 2020 World Raw Powerlifting Federation (WRPF) Hybrid Showdown II.
Additionally, per the caption of Herndon’s Instagram post, the raw squat feat is 3.6 times his current body weight of 252 pounds. It’s also a 30-pound personal record (PR) for Herndon.
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Of late, Herndon has been on a mission with his squat.
While training in early May 2022, the American powerlifter captured a 410-kilogram squat in wraps. Then, in late June 2022, Herndon squatted five kilograms (11 pounds) more than the raw World Record. That Herndon is extending the latter training mark by over 30 pounds roughly two weeks later could be a testament to rapid progress with his leg and back strength.
A Clear Focus
Meanwhile, regarding overall achievements, Herndon has an impressive record to lean on.
For example, the athlete broke the Raw with Wraps World Record for the 110-kilogram division at the 2022 United States Powerlifting Coalition (USPC) Mid-Atlantic Classic. Herndon’s 435-kilogram (959-pound) mark surpassed his peer Daniel Misencik, who squatted 432.5 kilograms (953.5 pounds) at the 2022 WRPF Ghost Clash. Misencik had previously exceeded Herndon on the old squat with wraps World Record.
The 26-year-old Herndon wouldn’t be sitting in a potentially fruitful time of his career if he wasn’t a well-rounded powerlifter. As far as a competitive resume, Herndon has won 23 of 33 powerlifting contests as both a Junior and Open competitor. If that weren’t eye-opening enough, he has missed the top three in only five instances.
Here are Herndon’s top powerlifting competition lifts, according to Open Powerlifting:
Phillip Herndon | Top Competition Lifts
- Squat — 435 kilograms (959 pounds) | Wraps
- Bench Press — 230 kilograms (507 pounds) | Raw
- Deadlift — 369 kilograms (813.5 pounds) | Raw
- Total — 940 kilograms (2,072 pounds) | Raw
At the time of this writing, Herndon has a winning streak of nine straight competitions. Herndon’s last loss came at the 2019 United States Powerlifting Association (USPA) The Tribute. He still attained second place at the contest.
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Per Herndon’s social media, his next contest will be the 2022 WRPF American Pro. That competition will occur in Manassas, VA, on July 29-30, 2022. Depending on whether Herndon elects to lift raw or with wraps, he’s looking primed to take first in either category. Notably, according to Open Powerlifting, the athlete has competed raw just once throughout his career.
Whatever competitive decision Herndon inevitably makes, he could soon wrap a World Record around a streak 0f 10 straight wins.
Featured image: @phillip_herndon on Instagram