Wednesday, February 10, 2021

Candidate for Most Mendacious Sport

The "United Powerlifting Association (IPA)" is the new candidate. At https://barbend.com/powerlifter-nathan-baptist-all-time-world-record-equipped-squat-1311-pounds/ they show Nathan Baptist's supposed squat of 1311 pounds. Maybe because it is touted to be an "All Time World Record", less stringent criteria apply. But a basic requirement of a squat is that the top of the thigh at the hip should be *below* (not even with) the top of the thigh at the knee, hence the term "below parallel" meaning that the top of the thigh is below being parallel with the floor. In this video, it is pretty easy to see that the lifter is somewhere around 6 inches higher than parallel, which is to say - NO WHERE CLOSE TO PARALLEL. To give non-lifters an idea of what a legitimate squat feels like, your ribs are touching your thighs at this depth - and - you are working like mad to keep your head up and not bowing down - with your weight on your heels. You need really good hip mobility. What a laughable farce the IPA is if it allows this kind of illegitimate performance (in addition to the drugs).