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Tamara Walcott (+90KG) Breaks 2 All-Time World Records at 2022 WRPF American Pro

Robert Zeglinski — Mon, 01 Aug 2022 21:02:48 +0000

Throughout her career, Tamara Walcott has consistently proven she’s one of the greatest powerlifters ever. The 90-plus kilogram athlete’s latest official showing of strength in a full power meet might be her best yet.

On July 30, 2022, while competing raw, Walcott captured a 290-kilogram (639.3-pound) deadlift during the 2022 World Raw Powerlifting Federation (WRPF) American Pro. The pull surpasses her own previous figure from the 2021 WRPF The Bucked Up Showdown and is the new All-Time World Record by 1.5 kilograms (3.3 pounds). Walcott wore a lifting belt and lifting straps and used a conventional stance to capture her deadlift record.

Walcott also captured a total of 735 kilograms (1,620.4 pounds) for the new All-Time World Record. It surpasses April Mathis’s former top mark from the 2011 American Powerlifting Federation (APF) Southern States by 4.71 kilograms (10.4 pounds).

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A post shared by Tamara Walcott Queen (@plussize_fitqueen4.0)

In the caption of her Instagram post, Walcott was emotional. She reflected on her staggering accomplishments since she began competitive powerlifting in July 2018.

“Four years in, and I’m here, not by luck but by faith,” Walcott wrote. “I worked for this. I prayed for this. Why? Because when I win, so many others do too! The impossible becomes possible for others when they see it happen!”

While Walcott didn’t capture a World Record in all four powerlifting benchmarks, she notched personal raw competition bests on her bench press, squat, deadlift, and total top stats.

Here’s a rundown of Walcott’s best lifts from her performance at the 2022 WRPF American Pro:

Tamara Walcott (+90KG) | 2022 WRPF American Pro Top Stats

Squat — 272.5 kilograms (600.7 pounds) | Competition Best
Bench Press — 172.5 kilograms (380.3 pounds) | Competition Best
Deadlift — 290 kilograms (639.3 pounds) | All-Time Raw Deadlift World Record
Total — 735 kilograms (1,620.4 pounds) | Heaviest All-Time Raw Total

Notably, in late July 2022, just before this year’s edition of the WRPF American Pro, Walcott completed a 299-kilogram (660-pound) raw deadlift during a training session. If she were to transfer that achievement to a competition, Walcott would’ve extended her original deadlift All-Time World Record by 10.8 kilograms (24 pounds), and her new total All-Time World Record would be 14.5 kilograms (32 pounds) ahead of April Mathis.

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A post shared by Tamara Walcott Queen (@plussize_fitqueen4.0)

Walcott’s Future

At the time of this article’s publication, Walcott has not confirmed when her next powerlifting contest will come around the bend. According to Open Powerlifting, Walcott has never participated in an August competition. However, she has featured in a September full power meet in the last two years. According to the WRPF website, the only current WRPF contest that would align with Walcott’s past precedent is the upcoming The Clash on the Columbia on September 3-5, 2022, in Vancouver, WA.

Whether Walcott elects to potentially exceed her World Record marks at that competition is unclear at this time. Even then, given her track record, it wouldn’t be a stretch to see the prolific powerlifter turn heads once more whenever she stands on a sanctioned lifting platform again.

Featured image: @plussize_fitqueen4.0 on Instagram

The post Tamara Walcott (+90KG) Breaks 2 All-Time World Records at 2022 WRPF American Pro appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Powerlifter Ashton Rouska Logs Bench Press, Squat & Total PRs During Training Session

Robert Zeglinski — Mon, 23 May 2022 20:50:18 +0000

As an officer with the U.S. Army and a current doctoral candidate, Ashton Rouska seems to be a person of many talents. It’s his strength as a powerlifter that recently garnered a lot of attention.

On May 21, 2022, Rouska shared footage of himself squatting 375.1 kilograms (827 pounds) during a training session. Later, he bench-pressed 215.4 kilograms (475 pounds) and deadlifted 381 kilograms (840 pounds), giving him a 971.6-kilogram (2,142-pound) total. Rouska donned a lifting belt and knee sleeves for his squat, and just a belt for his bench press and deadlift.

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A post shared by Ashton Rouska (@some_strongash_guy)

The squat is Rouska’s new PR, exceeding his previous competition best of 370 kilograms (815.7 pounds) from the 2022 USA Powerlifting (USAPL) Arnold A7 Grand Prix. The bench press is a new PR, too, surpassing Rouska’s previous best of 210 kilograms (462.9 pounds) that he set at the 2021 USAPL Virginia Pro. Finally, Rouska even eclipsed his top past raw total of 955 kilograms (2,105.4 pounds), which he also notched at the 2022 USAPL Arnold A7 Grand Prix.

Here are Rouska’s complete stats from this training session:

Ashton Rouska | May 21, 2022 Lift Stats

Squat — 375.1 kilograms (827 pounds) | New PR
Bench Press — 215.4 kilograms (475 pounds) | New PR
Deadlift — 381 kilograms (840 pounds)
Total — 971.6 kilograms (2,142 pounds) | New PR

Notably, the squat and total would’ve also unofficially exceeded the since-defunct USAPL U105-kilogram weight class records — each of which Rouska held. With the USAPL organization officially returning to “old weight classes” at the start of 2022, Rouska will not have an opportunity to break either former U105-kilogram mark at his next competition. That will be the 2022 USAPL Mega Nationals in early June.

All of that said, Rouska capturing three PRs in one fell swoop remains nothing to sneeze at.

Rouska at a Glance

In his near-decade as a competitive powerlifter, Rouska has kept busy. Since Spring 2014, the athlete has participated in 39 separate sanctioned competitions. A prolific and consistent winner, he hasn’t finished in something other than first place since October 2019.

Here’s a rundown of some of Rouska’s more notable career results:

Ashton Rouska | Notable Career Results

2014 USAPL Raw Nationals (Raw) — First place
2014 International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Sub-Juniors and Juniors Powerlifting Championships (Single) — First place
2015 USAPL Men’s and Women’s Nationals (Single) — First place
2016 USAPL Raw Nationals (Raw) — First place
2017 USAPL Raw National Championships (Raw) — First place
2019 USAPL Collegiate Nationals (Raw) — First place
2020 North American Powerlifting Federation (NAPF) Arnold Grand Prix by SBD (Raw) — First place
2020 USAPL Virginia Winter Wrecker (Raw) — First place
2021 USAPL Virginia Pro (Raw) — First place
2022 Arnold A7 Grand Prix (Raw) — First place

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A post shared by Ashton Rouska (@some_strongash_guy)

The Mega Nationals Are Next

At the time of this writing, Rouska has not confirmed his weight class for the 2022 USAPL Mega Nationals on June 7-12, 2022, in Las Vegas, NV. His only competition thus far under the new USAPL guidelines — the 2022 USAPL Arnold A7 Grand Prix — was an Open meet, giving him leeway to compete where he pleases.

Rouska did disclose on his Instagram post that he currently weighs 103.4 kilograms (228 pounds). With the Mega Nationals meet so close, if it’s not Open and Rouska plans to compete in the USAPL 100-kilogram weight class, he will have to cut some weight. If not, it appears he will compete in the 110-kilogram weight class. Though, that would be uncharted territory considering Rouska has never competed above 105 kilograms in his career.

Whatever path Rouska takes, he’ll assuredly look to make his mark wherever he can during the meet.

Featured image: @some_strongash_guy on Instagram

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Powerlifter Nicolaas Du Preez (125KG) Logs 1037.5-Kilogram (2,287.3-Pound) Total for New PR

Robert Zeglinski — Mon, 16 May 2022 19:34:54 +0000

After an approximate one-year absence, Nicolaas du Preez returned to competitive powerlifting, and it’s like he never left. On May 14, 2022, the powerlifter set a new competition PR total of 1037.5 kilograms (2287.3 pounds) during the 2022 Rhino Powerlifting Club (RPC) Elite Raw in Praetoria, South Africa.

du Preez’s final top total consisted of a 430-kilogram (948-pound) squat, a 237.5-kilogram (523.6-pound) bench press, and a 370-kilogram (815.7-pound) deadlift. Notably, since the 125-kilogram South African powerlifter competed in the Raw W/Wraps division, that 430-kilogram (948-pound) squat is also a Raw W/Wraps competition PR.

Check out footage of du Preez’s successful squat from the meet below, via his Instagram profile:

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A post shared by Nicolaas du Preez (@nicolaas_du_preez)

His new official marks in a sanctioned competition aside, du Preez didn’t leave the 2022 RPC Elite Raw without an unfortunate blemish. On that squat PR, the powerlifter wrote in his Instagram post that he tore his vastus medialis muscle (or lower inner quad) while locking out the rep.

While the damage appeared to be extensive, du Preez maintains he didn’t notice the injury until it was time to deadlift — likely putting a damper on his strength showcase. du Preez tried to power through with his deadlift despite missing a good portion of his leg strength. However, bad fortune struck again for the athlete.

“I chose 400 kilograms [881.5 pounds] as my second attempt,” du Preez wrote. “But the quad tear made a proper leg drive really difficult. Also, I tore a lot of skin off both hands, so lockout was soft and premature. I know 400-plus is there at the next competition. I do need to invest more time in keeping my hands tough.”

What a rough turn of events. That du Preez was still able to salvage a total and squat w/wraps PR — despite his quad injury and grip troubles — might be a testament to his fitness.

Here are du Preez’s final lift stats from the competition:

Nicolaas du Preez (125KG) | 2022 RPC Elite Raw Stats | Raw W/Wraps

Squat — 430 kilograms (948 pounds) | New Competition PR
Bench Press — 237.5-kilogram (523.6 pounds)
Deadlift — 370-kilogram (815.7 pounds)
Total — 1037.5 kilograms (2287.3 pounds) | New Competition PR

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A post shared by Nicolaas du Preez (@nicolaas_du_preez)

What Lies Ahead

At the time of this writing, du Preez has understandably not yet announced his next professional competition. Though he has not confirmed the extent of his injury, he might need some time away from the gym to properly recover.

Whenever du Preez steps onto the lifting platform again, he’ll likely be looking for a measure of redemption. With two new PRs, the 2022 RPC Elite Raw was by no means a failure for him, but in the context of his social media — it seems he believes he can do better.

Only time will tell whether du Preez’s next turn on the stage sees him show off all the power he thinks he’s capable of.

Featured image: @nicolaas_du_preez on Instagram

The post Powerlifter Nicolaas Du Preez (125KG) Logs 1037.5-Kilogram (2,287.3-Pound) Total for New PR appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Powerlifter Shahram Saki Logs 1025-Kilogram Total (2,259.7 pounds), The Highest in Asia

Robert Zeglinski — Tue, 19 Apr 2022 20:50:34 +0000

During the 2022 Iran Bodybuilding Federation (IranBBF) National Classic Powerlifting & Bench Press Championships on April 12-17, 2022, Iranian powerlifter Shahram Saki came in first in the 120-kilogram+ weight class. At the same time, he turned a few heads with his strength.

First, Saki captured a raw 440-kilogram squat (970 pounds) — the highest in the history of Asia, per Open Powerlifting. Then he notched a 235-kilogram bench press (518.1 pounds), another number enough for the Asia record. By the meet’s end, he totaled 1,025 kilograms (2,259.7 pounds), yet again the highest in Asian powerlifting history.

Check out a video of Saki’s record-breaking squat — where he donned a weightlifting belt and lifting straps — via his Instagram profile:

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A post shared by shahram powerlifting (@shahram_power_lor)

In addition to the three Asia records, Saki is now in possession of all four Iranian powerlifting records (squat, bench press, deadlift, and total) for someone competing in the 120-kilogram+ weight class. Naturally, these marks are also now his all-time best competition PRs.

American powerlifter Ray Williams previously held the Asian records for the squat, bench press, and total. Williams logged a 425.9-kilogram squat (939.1 pounds), a 229.9-kilogram (507 pounds), and a 1008.4-kilogram total (2,223.3 pounds) at the 2015 AsianPF (APF) Asia-Oceania Raw Championships. After his remarkable week, Saki has now eclipsed that squat by 14 kilograms (30.9 pounds), the bench press by 5 kilograms (11 pounds), and the total by 16.1 kilograms (36.4 pounds).

Note: Aside from Saki’s squat, there is no other video documentation, so any equipment he wore during his other lifts is unconfirmed. Here are Saki’s full stats from this recent meet:

Shahram Saki — 2022 IranBBF National Classic Stats

Squat — 440 kilograms (970 pounds) | Asian Powerlifting Federation Record | Iranian Record | PR
Bench Press — 235 kilograms (518.1 pounds) | Asian Powerlifting Federation Record | Iranian Record | PR
Deadlift — 350 kilograms (771.6 pounds) | Iranian Record | PR
Total — 1,025 kilograms (2,259.7 pounds) | Asian Powerlifting Federation Record | Iranian Record | PR

On the Rise

Saki’s strength feats are impressive, considering he doesn’t have much professional powerlifting experience.

Including the 2022 IranBBF National Classic, Saki has just three full power meets to his name. His first time on a pro platform was at the 2017 World Powerlifting Congress (WPC) Amateur European Championships, where he finished first. The other was the 2021 IranBBF International Club Classic Powerlifting Championships, where he also came out victorious.

Saki’s performance in the 2021 IranBFF International Club Classic might provide an excellent comparison of what he’s capable of when fully dedicated to the powerlifting craft. To provide a better picture, here are his stats from that meet:

Shahram Saki — IranBBF International Club Classic Stats

Squat — 425 kilograms (936.9 pounds)
Bench Press — 217.5 kilograms (479.5 pounds)
Deadlift — 337.5 kilograms (744 pounds)
Total — 980 kilograms (2160.5 pounds)

In roughly four months, Saki improved upon his squat by 15 kilograms (33.1 pounds), his bench press by 17.5 kilograms (38.6 pounds), his deadlift by 12.5 kilograms (27.6 pounds), and his total by a staggering 44.9 kilograms (99.2 pounds). As Saki’s career unfolds, it will likely be challenging to keep up that progression from meet to meet. Still, his meteoric leap forward in recent months is worth noting.

At the time of publishing, Saki has not formally announced his next powerlifting competition. If Saki’s recent precedent is any indication, he may break even more records whenever he steps onto a platform again.

Featured image: @shahram_power_lor on Instagram

The post Powerlifter Shahram Saki Logs 1025-Kilogram Total (2,259.7 pounds), The Highest in Asia appeared first on Breaking Muscle.