Sebastian Oreb | Online Coach & Mentor for Personal Trainers

@kylekirvay THE strongest professional bodybuilder in the world, just squatted 440 kilograms / 970lbs in competition, and this is one of the most impressive squats I’ve ever seen!

Walked out, knee sleeves only, and sunk it ass to grass!

12 months ago, Kyle attempted this exact same weight and tore his quadriceps. 12 months later, he came back and conquered it.

Over the past year, Kyle has been working to rebuild his squat, making three small but significant technical changes.

1. Wider stance – To increase the contribution from his adductors, rather than relying so heavily on his quadriceps.
2. Flat-soled shoes – To allow greater contribution from his strong hips.
3. Controlled eccentric – To maintain muscular tension and positioning throughout the descent.

With Kyle’s bodybuilding background, his technique allows him to emphasise building his quadriceps, but when the goal is to lift the heaviest amount of weight, the objective is to distribute the demands of the squat across as many muscles possible, rather than placing so much emphasis on his quads.

But the biggest challenge wasn’t just physical. When you tear a muscle, you don’t just forget about it. Rebuilding the confidence to get back under the very weight that had injured him took a lot of work and patience too.

Congratulations Kyle on an outstanding performance and I look forward to seeing you go even heavier in the future 👊