He Squatted Four Times His Bodyweight in Four Weight Classes
Fred Hatfield – “Dr. Squat”
Fred Hatfield was an elite powerlifter with two World Championship titles and multiple world records. He was also known as “Dr. Squat.” This was partly because he held a doctorate in sports science, psychology, physiology, and motor learning, and worked as a professor at several universities and colleges. Of course, his actual ability in the squat also contributed to the nickname.
He broke numerous world records across several weight classes, and at one point held the heaviest squat ever performed at 460 kg / 1014 lbs. Hatfield enjoyed teaching and sharing knowledge. He wrote over 60 books, many of which became bestsellers and were used as study material. He also founded the International Sports Sciences Association. In addition to that, he consulted Lee Haney in his training on his way to winning Mr. Olympia eight times.
Hatfield was also one of the first Americans allowed to travel to the Soviet Union to study how they trained and to learn their principles and methods.
More than just a squatter
Hatfield was not only great in the squat, he was a strong powerlifter overall.
He started powerlifting in the early 1970s, but already had a background in strength. He had been both a gymnast and an Olympic weightlifter, which was evident in his explosive ability and jumping power.
His first American Championship was in 1977, where he placed third in the 82.5 kg / 181 lbs class. At the North American Championships in 1979, he won with a total of 830 kg / 1830 lbs in the same class, a total that at the time could have been enough to win the World Championships.
World champion without a national title
What makes his two World Championship titles interesting is that he never won a national championship at the senior level. He qualified for Worlds by being the best runner-up in 1983 and 1986. At the World Championships, he was among the American lifters who dropped the least in performance. There are also indications that his academic knowledge may have extended into understanding performance enhancement, but that remains speculation. He won his first World Championship in Gothenburg in 1983 in the -100 kg / 220 lbs class. His second came in 1986 in the Netherlands, in the -110 kg / 242 lbs class.
What makes his two World Championship titles interesting is that he never won a national championship at the senior level. He qualified for Worlds by being the best runner-up in 1983 and 1986. At the World Championships, he was among the American lifters who dropped the least in performance. There are also indications that his academic knowledge may have extended into understanding performance enhancement, but that remains speculation. He won his first World Championship in Gothenburg in 1983 in the -100 kg / 220 lbs class. His second came in 1986 in the Netherlands, in the -110 kg / 242 lbs class.
His best placements at the American Championships were multiple second and third places, which is what qualified him for Worlds. At the 1983 Worlds, he and Joe Ladner (who had won the American Championships) totaled the same, but Hatfield was 0.4 kg / 1 lbs lighter and therefore won.
The federation split and the 1986 Worlds
When Hatfield won his second World Championship in 1986, there had been a federation split.
APF (American Powerlifting Federation), affiliated with WPC internationally, held its first national championship the week before USPF (United States Powerlifting Federation). Many lifters moved to APF, which made the USPF classes less competitive.
In the -110 kg / 242 lbs class, there were two world champions: Fred Hatfield and Dave Jacoby. Jacoby won the national championship, but bombed out in the bench press at Worlds. Hatfield went on to win his second World Championship, closely followed by Swedish-Finn Samuli Kivi in second place.
Other titles
Even though Hatfield never won an open national title, it is worth mentioning that he won Junior Nationals in 1982. At that time, Junior Nationals in the US was not strictly age-based. Hatfield was 39 years old when he won. It functioned more like a secondary national championship with lower qualification standards.
He also won a masters title. At 45 years old, he totaled 855 kg / 1885 in the -90 kg / 198 lbs class and won the American Masters Championships.
Bench press and deadlift
His bench press and deadlift were solid and competitive:
- Bench press: 237.5 kg / 523 lbs (raw) in the 110 kg / 243 lbs class
- Deadlift: 345 kg / 761 lbs in the 100 kg / 220 lbs class
- Deadlift: 347.5 kg / 766 lbs at 111.5 kg / 246 lbs bodyweight
Despite this, it was the squat where he truly stood out.
His deadlift was likely better than what he showed in competition, but after his heavy squats he was so drained that he could not hold onto heavy weights. According to his own accounts, he pulled 825 lbs / 375 kg in training, which is believable, as he often missed deadlifts due to grip.
Four times bodyweight
He is one of the few lifters to squat four times his bodyweight across four weight classes:
- 327.5 kg / 722 lbs @ 81.5 kg / 180 lbs
- 375 kg / 827 lbs @ 90 kg / 198 lbs
- 400 kg / 882 lbs @ 100 kg / 220 lbs
- 460 kg / 1014 lbs @ 115 kg / 254 lbs*
I have not found confirmation of this in the -110 kg / 242, lbs class, but it is not unlikely. The most I have found there is a 410 kg / 903 lbs squat.
When he squatted 460 kg / 1014 lbs it was the heaviest squat ever regardless of weight class. The year before, he squatted 457.5 kg / 1008 lbs, which was also the heaviest at the time.
He is also said to have squatted 500 kg / 1102 lbs in training by having training partners move the racks forward so he did not have to walk the weight out. This was before the monolift was introduced in the 1980s.
*Fred’s actual weight when he squatted 460 kg / 1014 lbs is not documented. However, he has said in an interview that it was four times his body weight, which would mean he weighed around 115 kg / 254 lbs. This is not hard to believe due to the fact that he performed squats of around 453 kg / 999 lbs at a body weight of approximately 111–117 kg / 245–258 lbs.
It is worth remembering that this was done with equipment, but not like what we have today. By watching old footage, you can clearly see how much more freely they could move in their suits and knee wraps. If you want to learn more about the equipment of that time, you can read about it here.
Training and method
Hatfield developed the training method C.A.T – Compensatory Acceleration Training.
According to Hatfield, C.A.T is one of the most effective methods for developing force. You train explosive strength together with maximal strength. What you compensate for are your weakest positions, where you are most vulnerable. In powerlifting, this is typically the bottom of the lift.
Even if you miss a lift halfway up, the outcome is usually decided in the start. The higher up in the lift you go, the better leverage you get. If we only trained and competed in the top half of lifts, we would lift more weight.
The goal is therefore to apply maximum force from the bottom, on all weights, not just the heaviest. Think about that next time you train above 50% of your 1RM. Apply full force and you might be surprised how light it feels.
Hatfield suggested using C.A.T in the middle phase of a training cycle. First, you build a base with lighter weights and higher reps. Then heavier training, followed by a C.A.T phase, and then moving on again.
C.A.T typically involved weights up to 80%, with sets of 6–8 and 1–3 reps per set.
This type of training later became very common and is still widely used today, sometimes under different names. It has also been popularized by Westside Barbell through their speed and dynamic effort training.
Andy Bolton, the first man to deadlift 1000 lbs (454 kg), also made explosive deadlifts with moderate weights popular. Even Josh Bryant was heavily influenced by this in his training, as well as in the coaching of the athletes he coached. You can see top world-class benchers like Julius Maddox and Jeremy Hoornstra doing speed work.
Age Is Just a Number
Fred’s greatest achievements in the world of strength were accomplished after he had passed the age of 40. This despite the fact that he had already dedicated many years of his life to strength training.
Some might see him as a late bloomer, but considering all the methods, variations, and ideas he applied to his training, that seems unlikely. Rather, it is more probable that his understanding of training and his ability to apply different approaches were key reasons behind it.
Fred performed his heaviest lifts after the age of 40, including a 460 kg / 1014 lbs squat, a 237.5 kg / 524 lbs bench press, and a 347.5 kg / 766 lbs deadlift.
He also claimed to have achieved, again after the age of 40, a 500 kg / 1102 lbs squat, a 375 kg / 827 lbs deadlift, and a bench press variation of 272 kg / 600 lbs.
Best results Across Weight Classes
If you want to learn more about what equipment was used, you can read about it here.
-82.5 kg class – Late 70s equipment
Squat: 327.5 kg / 722 lbs
Bench: 185 kg / 408 lbs
Deadlift: 317.5 kg / 699 lbs
Total: 830 kg / 1830 lbs
-90 kg class– Early 80s equipment
Squat: 375 kg / 827 lbs
Bench: 195 kg / 430 lbs
Deadlift: 332.5 kg / 733 lbs
Total: 877.5 kg / 1935 lbs
-100 kg class – Early 80s equipment
Squat: 400 kg / 882 lbs
Bench: 227.5 kg / 502 lbs
Deadlift: 345 kg / 761 lbs
Total: 952.5 kg / 2100 lbs
-110 kg class – Early 80s equipment
Squat: 410 kg / 904 lbs
Bench: 237.5 kg / 524 lbs
Deadlift: 340 kg / 750 lbs
Total: 975 kg / 2150 lbs
-125 kg class – Early 80s equipment
Squat: 460 kg / 1014 lbs
Bench: 237.5 kg / 524 lbs
Deadlift: 347.5 kg / 766 lbs
Total: 992.5 kg / 2188 lbs
