Powerlifter Natalie Richards (57 KG) Squats 179.1 Kilograms (395 Pounds) in Training

Richards had two spotters waiting to assist her if necessary. After unracking the bar and walking the weight out, Richards stood in a conventional stance, took in a breath, and descended into the hole quickly. After going below parallel, Richards struggled out of the hole with her knees coming in slightly. Nonetheless, she stood tall with the weight and smiled before returning the barbell to the rack.

She was wearing basic knee sleeves, wrist wraps, and a weightlifting belt for this one-rep set. In the post caption, and in a subsequent video reel, she shared that she also performed a set of four reps with 161 kilograms (355 pounds). One of the more-than-860 likes for Instagram post came from fellow powerlifter and multiple world-record holder John Haack.

Richards’ most recent meet was the 2023 AMP Classic National Championships, which were held in Austin, TX on Feb. 24, 2023. Her deadlift at that meet was a personal record, and her best lifts at that meet totaled to over 500 kilograms, making her the first 57-kilogram lifter to achieve that milestone in a Powerlifting America (AMP) sanctioned meet. Her lifts on that day were as follows.

Natalie Richards | All-Time Raw Competition Bests

• Squat — 175 kilograms (385.8 pounds)
• Bench Press — 105 kilograms (231.5 pounds)
• Deadlift — 221.5 kilograms (488.3 pounds)
• Total — 501.5 kilograms (1,105.6 pounds) | First 57KG Total Above 500kg