The powerlifting sphere would do well to pay attention to Shahram Saki any time he steps into a squat rack. His latest strength feat demonstrating his leg power is one of the athlete’s best yet.
On August 21, 2022, the Iranian athlete shared Instagram footage of himself capturing a raw 460-kilogram (1,014.3-pound) back squat during a training session to notch a new personal record (PR). Saki utilized lifting straps, wore a lifting belt, and had knee sleeves on while capturing the squat figure.
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According to Open Powerlifting, if Saki were to transfer this raw squat to an official competition, it would be the third-heaviest all-time, surpassing Craig Foster (457.5 kilograms/1,008.6 pounds). Only Jezza Uepa (470 kilograms/1,036.1 pounds) and Ray Williams (489.9 kilograms/1,080.2 pounds) would have higher official raw squats.
460 kilograms raw, I was born to break equations.
Saki’s new raw squat figure is 20 kilograms (44 pounds) more than his raw all-time competition best. The competitor squatted an Asian powerlifting record 440 kilograms (970 pounds) at the 2022 Iran Bodybuilding Federation (IranBBF) National Classic Powerlifting & Bench Press Championships in mid-April. That same contest saw Saki eventually score a 1,025-kilogram (2,259.7-pound) total — the highest in Asian powerlifting history.
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As impressive as Saki’s raw squat is, it doesn’t seem related to any upcoming competitions. At the time of this writing, Saki hasn’t given any indication of when he’ll appear on a sanctioned lifting platform next.
That said, the powerlifter usually makes a habit of showing off his progress and achievements with regular updates over his Instagram profile. Of late, Saki appears to have centered on improving his squat especially. Recent noteworthy sessions include a 430-kilogram (947.8-pound) raw squat double from mid-August and a 470-kilogram (1,036.1-pound) squat raw with wraps from earlier in the month.
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Among a litany of accomplishments, Saki captured a 510-kilogram (1,124.36-pound) squat raw with wraps in an early May 2022 workout. While some might have found the depth of Saki’s squat questionable because he didn’t necessarily reach the powerlifting competitive standard of below parallel — that achievement was five kilograms (11 pounds) more than Daniel Bell’s current all-time raw with wraps record.
At the rapid pace Saki continues to make with his back squat and overall leg strength, he may make that record official whenever he competes again.
Featured image: @shahram_power_lor on Instagram