U.S. Olympian and 2019 world champion shot putter Joe Kovacs isn't messing around in his preparation for the Tokyo Olympics.
Lifting at Ohio State University's workout facility in Columbus, Ohio, Kovacs squatted 870 pounds and then did three more reps. That's nine 45-pound plates on each side of the bar, then a 60-pound bar to top it off, four times. He used a Texas sabertooth bench bar to squat, which is thicker and stiff so the weights don’t jiggle and has longer sleeves so he can but more on plates than a standard 45-pound bar.
Five spotters aided Kovacs in the feat while his wife and coach Ashley, who initially posted about the lift three days ago, watched nearby.