How much Ireland prop Andrew Porter allegedly squats is certainly turning heads

Ireland and Leinster prop Andrew Porter is a known heavy lifter.

Rumours of his feats in the gym have been the talk of Irish Rugby since he was involved in Leinster’s academy system, and at 22-years-old the powerhouse is continuing to chalk some massive numbers in the gym.

Despite his prodigious strength, it doesn’t seem to be slowing him down on the pitch, where if anything, he has become even more explosive in recent years, this charge against Ulster last season being a case in point.

However, how much he is alleged able to squat truly pushes the envelope for professional rugby players, with a figure being bandied about that would look more at home in the world of competitive powerlifting.

According to Jonny Waterson in The Irish Times: “Noted for his strength, Porter, if the figure doing the rounds is accurate, can squat 350kg (772lb) or, if you like, three Cian Healys. Quite an effective mass of cleaning-out power.”

The 350kg figure appears to have first appeared in an article in the 2016, in The42.ie.

That means, Porter who has dropped a couple of kilo’s to 120kg, is squatting nearly three times his own bodyweight.

According to strenghtlevel.com, a squat of 275kg or more for a male of 120kg places them at an ‘elite level’. The world record for ‘equipped’ squatting is held by Jonas Rantanen, a 137kg Finn who managed a 575kg squat, or 4.18 times his own body.

Going on the few pictures of Andrew Porter, he appears to be squatting ‘raw’ or ‘unequipped’. The raw world record is 500kg.

Whatever way you spin it, Porter is a properly strong human being.