If you’ve never heard the name Chuck Vogelpohl, you’re missing out on one of the most intense personalities to compete in the world of powerlifting. Chuck Vogelpohl is an American powerlifter that set numerous world records and was known for his unmatched tenacity. The epitome of Vogelpohl's will to win was demonstrated in a head to head 40+ set squat workout with fellow Westside Barbell lifter, Dave Tate that you'll learn about below.
We thought it was fun to see fitness celebrity Jujimufu pay homage to the beast, Chuck Vogelpohl, by challenging himself and his friend, strongman Joey Szatmary, to do Chuck's squat workout.
Read on for more about Chuck V and this ridiculous 40+ set squat workout with loads over 300 lbs.
Here's a brief look at some of the personalities involved in this insane squat challenge of over 40 sets!
WHO IS CHUCK VOGELPOHL?
Let’s cover the icon of Chuck V. AKA Chuck Vogelpohl, the man who had to duct tape his ribs so they wouldn’t pop out of his spine. Vogelpohl was a force to be reckoned with and well respected by the elites of the powerlifting world.
While in high school, Chuck crossed paths with the Louie Simmons of world-famous Westside Barbell based in Colombus, Ohio. Fate would have it that Chuck Vogelpohl was competing at a bench press contest held in a local YMCA when he met Simmons. Not there long after, Chuck stepped into the bare-bones Westside gym.
Chuck blossomed into a serious powerlifter at Westside as he was surrounded by some of the best powerlifters of the day. In an interview we came across with Louie and Vogelpohl, Louie asks him how he got started on his series of world record-breaking lifts.
Note: You can read the full interview here on Westside Barbell’s website.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the main points that Vogelpohl credits for his success:
- Box squats plus exercises to improve them
- How to handle high volume and high intensity of all three big lifts (squats, bench, deadlift)
- Incorporating the use of chains on the bar for Accommodating Resistance
- Using the wave loading system
- Heavy sled pulls
- Introduction of resistance bands into training
Note: You’ll see the first two points being covered in the Jujimufu squat workout inspired by Chuck Vogelpohl.
Chuck Vogelpohl is best known for his record-breaking squats, but he did have a respectful bench and deadlift, especially considering that he suffered from some serious injuries such as a broken neck.
The first time Vogelpohl hit a 1,000 lb squat during a competition that was at IPA (International Powerlifting Association) Nationals in 2001 in his home state of Ohio.
Vogelpohl would continue setting new records and turning heads throughout his lifting career. At age 41, Vogelpohl had a total of 2,605 lbs, his highest ever. This consisted of a 1,050 lbs squat, 635 lbs bench press, and 820 lbs deadlift.
Over around a 15-year stretch and through some serious injuries, Chuck Vogelpohl set the standard for many powerlifters that came after him. One of his many remarkable feats is that he squatted over 1,000 lbs while in three different weight classes; 220, 242, and 275 lbs.
Although Vogelpohl isn’t breaking world records these days, you can find him showcasing some of his wisdom on his Instagram page, with his latest post showing hamstring glute sit backs using the belt squat and of course a box.
Who is Dave Tate?
Dave also hails from Westside gym, he's a specimen that has been heavily involved in the powerlifting community for decades. He is the other half of this absolutely mental squat workout/competition with Vogelpohl. Tate said this was the hardest squatting training session of his life. An elite lifter in multiple weight classes, Tate has published tons of fitness-related articles, written books, and coached athletes of all levels. He now owns and operates EliteFTS, a website dedicated to all thing’s strengths.
Who is Jujimufu?
Jon Call AKA Jujimufu is an American fitness celebrity with a massive following on social media. He first went viral for videos that displayed his unique abilities included weighted chair splits. The name Jujimufu came from his AOL profile, and it’s been with him since. We’ll post a longer profile on Jujimufu at a later date because there’s plenty to cover. However, the point of this post is to highlight the insane squat workout inspired by Chuck Vogelpohl.
Who is Joey Szatmary?
Joey Szatmary is another popular fitness personality that’s competed in Olympic lifting, Crossfit, and Strongman competitions. Szatmary has amassed a large following on his Youtube where he shares fitness tips, speaks with some expert lifters and does some intense workouts.
Jujimufu vs. Joey Szatmary in Chuck Vogelpohl’s Squat Workout
Jujimufu just posted this super intense squat workout with his training partner, strongman Joey Szatmary where they attempted to follow a sample squat workout from the powerlifting legend Chuck Vogelpohl.
As you’ll see in the video, Dave Tate, another powerlifting great from Westside Barbell, details how this squat workout with Chuck Vogelpohl came into existence.
The story went like this…
Most of the guys were out at a meet, so Dave, Chuck, and Louie decided to use the power rack. The workout session consisted of dynamic speed work of back squats with a bar loaded to 405lbs. The original plan was to do 8 sets of 2 reps.
Mind you; this was the mid-1990s before they were using chains or bands at Westside, not to mention, Chuck had recently had neck surgery. Dave says he intended to make Chuck look bad and give up during this friendly competition. Westside was all about pushing each other to the absolute limits. As they went set for set during this workout, Dave realized he miscalculated Chuck’s disdain for losing.
As they hit the mid 30 set range, Dave was trying to gauge how much further Chuck was willing to go. Dave asks, “how many more are you going to do?”, this is when Chuck says, “one more than you.” They ended up finishing the workout at 40 sets!!!
The workout consisted of a cambered bar, a power rack, a box, and a ton of sweat.
In this 45 minute workout, both Jujimufu and Joey do 2-5 box squats per set. Over the 45 minutes, they completed 43 sets with a starting weight of 330 lbs, then bumped it up to 390 lbs about halfway through.
One more thing, no sitting between sets!
SAMPLE CHUCK VOGELPOHL’S SQUAT WORKOUT
First and foremost, this workout is no joke, use caution. Follow these steps to try the Chuck Vogelpohl x Dave Tate squat challenge.
- Find a partner with similar strength as you in the squat
- Load up the bar to around 50% of your 1RM
- Set up box at the squat rack
- Perform 2-5 reps, then let your partner match those
- Go set for set until someone taps out
Note: Rests shouldn’t be longer than 30 seconds; this is rapid-fire!
Related: How to Do Box Squats Correctly
Source: Westside Barbell
Let us know if you give the Chuck Vogelpohl squat challenge try!
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Kiel DiGiovanni
Author