Joseph Pena Squats 1005 Pounds

[Alchemist]

And I assure you it was the deepest squat at the meet. Note the eye gaze direction. And as usual, the YouTube comments are quite useful.

So the comments about the spotters helping was ludicrous, but it does have me wondering what they were doing with their hands on the bar. Why have them there at all? He's in a power rack.

[Mark Rippetoe]

All I can tell you is that the meet was the Texas High School Powerlifting Association's state meet. They have their limitations.

[crookedfinger]

So the comments about the spotters helping was ludicrous, but it does have me wondering what they were doing with their hands on the bar. Why have them there at all? He's in a power rack.

I am not sure which part of the video you are referring to, but there is another shot from behind and it is clear that the spotters don't touch the plates at any point.

In Texas High School PL, the kids are allowed to ask for a lift off with squat and bench (in the case of the squat this is usually because pin settings are too high). That said, I would guess that everyone was a bit nervous about 1005 pounds on a kid's back and may have been a little more "due diligent" as he walks it out, re-racks it. There is point in the video where you can see them pushing the bar back onto the pins from behind him. Again, I would guess this is just hyper-vigilance to ensure the bar doesn't slip off his back or miss the pins on the re-rack.

[Alchemist]

I am not sure which part of the video you are referring to, but there is another shot from behind and it is clear that the spotters don't touch the plates at any point.

In Texas High School PL, the kids are allowed to ask for a lift off with squat and bench (in the case of the squat this is usually because pin settings are too high). That said, I would guess that everyone was a bit nervous about 1005 pounds on a kid's back and may have been a little more "due diligent" as he walks it out, re-racks it. There is point in the video where you can see them pushing the bar back onto the pins from behind him. Again, I would guess this is just hyper-vigilance to ensure the bar doesn't slip off his back or miss the pins on the re-rack.

Fair enough. From the front it looked like hands on the wheels. Not that it really could have had much effect. It often goes through my mind that should something go wrong, it doesn't seem like those spotters couldn't do a thing other than crash down as the bar hits the catch pins. But hell, and I'm serious, intent count for a lot.

[Sean Berry]

All I can tell you is that the meet was the Texas High School Powerlifting Association's state meet. They have their limitations.

Mark,

The lift was actually not at the state meet. It was the meet hosted by his high school. State meet is not until March 25th. Limitations are noted and well documented.

sb

[Mark Rippetoe]

I feel better that it it wasn't at their state meet. He should not lift at that thing.

[elVarouza]

What a monstrous lift. He could walk onto the senior world stage and that would be an incredible squat...and he's a high schooler!

[Dag]

So the comments about the spotters helping was ludicrous, but it does have me wondering what they were doing with their hands on the bar. Why have them there at all? He's in a power rack.

It often goes through my mind that should something go wrong, it doesn't seem like those spotters couldn't do a thing other than crash down as the bar hits the catch pins. But hell, and I'm serious, intent count for a lot.

Nobody's going to catch a falling 1000 pound bar but 99% of missed attempts don't necessitate dumping the bar and not all missed attempts happen with the lifter sitting in the hole.

[quikky]

Why was this posted?

I thought this was a forum for humans...

[crookedfinger]

Fair enough. From the front it looked like hands on the wheels. Not that it really could have had much effect. It often goes through my mind that should something go wrong, it doesn't seem like those spotters couldn't do a thing other than crash down as the bar hits the catch pins. But hell, and I'm serious, intent count for a lot.

I was at a meet last year where a kid missed a 500 pound or so squat, the barbell slipped off his back and came crashing down on the pins in the rack. But the racks aren't bolted to the floor so the whole rack rocked backwards and almost tipped over. Had it continued its calamitous trajectory there would have been some very serious injuries.