Powerlifter Dan Bell Suffers Injury After a Massive 425-kg (937-lb) Raw Squat

April 24, 2023
8 min read

This year was supposed to be a real delight for all powerlifting fans, as Dan Bell and Hafthor Bjornsson both had goals to set new World Records and battle against each other. However, the situation has quickly changed for the worse, as both men injured themselves. Dan’s injury is the more recent one, having suffered it at the 2023 USA-UA Pioneer on the Beach and revealed it just a few days ago on Instagram.

Dan Bell injured himself while performing a 425-kilogram (937-pound) squat on his third attempt. He got stuck in the middle of the lift, but somehow managed to push through. Although it looked like it was time to celebrate, Dan immediately showed signs of injury, barely being able to walk out of the squat rack.

“This one hurt. Felt like my left glute was getting torn in half then following the leg simply locked up and wouldn’t work. It was wild.”

Dan Bell tried to rest for some time in the hopes that his injury was just a small tweak of some sorts. However, after a few days it only got worse.

“Woke up Monday 4/17 unable to feel or move my toes. Absolutely wild a week after.”

However, Dan Bell took a positive approach to this, hoping to find out what the injury is and recover in the best way possible. After visiting two different hospitals, he finally found out the extent of his injuries.

“Moving forward with morphine and 2 different hospitals finding one of the largest MRI machines in Florida to find out my spine and 6 bulging discs have seen better days.”

Dan Bell’s recovery process has begun and he wants to avoid surgery if possible. However, his future is currently very uncertain.

“Already in the process of working things out and avoiding surgery at all costs… Got to be honest the future is up in the air. Just one day at a time.”

Watch the squat here:

Related: Hafthor Bjornsson and Dan Bell Lock Out 395-kg (870.8-lb) Raw Deadlifts At 2023 Arnold Sports Festival

Dan Bell has experienced some injuries throughout his career, but he has always managed to come back better than he was. Thus, he built an incredible resume, appearing in 36 sanctioned competitions and winning 27 of them. Alongside that, Dan has claimed a number of World Records as well.

Dan Bell’s Raw Competition PRs

  • Squat: 455 kilograms (1,003.1 pounds) — (2020 RPS Sarasota Showdown)
  • Bench Press: 275 kilograms (606.2 pounds) — (2021 WRPF Kern US Open)
  • Deadlift: 412.5 kilograms (909.4 pounds) — (2022 APF Showdown at the Storm)
  • Total: 1,127.5 kilograms (2,485.7 pounds) — (2020 RPS Sarasota Showdown)

Dan Bell’s Competition History

Personal Bests

Equip Squat Bench Deadlift Total Dots
Wraps 1113.3 606.3 1113.3 2607 606.47
Raw 1003.1 584.2 1003.1 2485.7 583.1
Multi-ply 1102.3 683.4 1102.3 2667.6 621.54

Competition Results

Place Fed Date Competition Division Total Dots
1 WRPF 2022-09-03 Clash on the Columbia Open 2513.3 586.74
1 USPA 2022-07-30 Iron Knightmare 4 Open 2314.9 541.24
1 RPS 2022-06-18 Showcase Super Classic 2 Pro Open 2446.4 568.3
1 APF 2022-05-28 Showdown at the Storm M_OR_APF 909.4 211.68
1 UPA 2022-03-26 Ghost Strong Pro-Am MOR 2474.7 574.74
1 WRPF 2022-02-12 Ghost Clash Open 2502.2 584.67
1 WRPF 2021-04-24 Kern US Open Open 2579.4 603.92
1 WRPF 2021-02-20 Hybrid Showdown III Open 2607 606.47
1 WRPF 2020-09-26 The Showdown Open 2403 562.14
1 APF 2020-07-25 Showdown at the Storm M_OEM_APF 2667.6 621.54
1 USPA 2020-07-11 Pioneer Open Open 2491.2 581.27
1 RPS 2020-02-29 Sarasota Showdown Pro Open 2485.7 583.1
1 WRPF 2019-11-23 American Barbell Club Open Open 2518.8 583.62
2 USPA 2019-08-03 The Tribute Open 2292.8 537.13
4 SPF 2018-11-10 Slingshot Record Breakers Open 2281.8 533.37
1 UPA 2018-04-21 National Championships MOR 2458.2 579.54
1 UPA 2017-12-02 War of the Demigods MOR 2243.2 535.39
3 ProRaw 2017-10-15 Big Dogs 2 M-OR 2375.5 563.66
1 UPA 2017-07-22 Iron Battle on the Mississippi MOR 2403 565.11
1 UPA 2017-01-22 Raw Powerlifting Championship MOR 2375.5 562.09
1 UPA 2016-07-16 Iron Battle on the Mississippi MOR 2116.4 506.51
DQ RPS 2016-04-23 US Open Pro Open
1 UPA 2016-04-16 Powerlifting Nationals MOR 2270.8 547.02
1 UPA 2016-01-24 Raw Powerlifting Championship MOR 2303.8 562.16
3 SPF 2016-01-16 No Retreat No Surrender Open 2200 532.76
1 UPA 2015-12-05 War of the Demigods MOR 2155 536.34
2 UPA 2015-11-14 Power Weekend MOR 2221.2 552.35
1 WUAP 2015-10-08 World Championships Open 1967.6 480.38
2 UPA 2015-04-18 Powerlifting National Championship MOR 2121.9 530.16
1 RUPC 2015-02-07 Raw Unity VIII M-HW 2210.1 552.43
1 IPA 2014-10-18 Ohio Grand Prix Pro Open 2200 547.19
1 UPA 2014-07-19 Iron Battle on the Mississippi MOR 2039.3 507.33
1 WUAP-USA 2014-06-28 National Powerlifting and Benchpress Championships Open 2022.7 504.75
2 UPA 2014-02-15 Powerlifting & Bench Press National Chamionships MOR 1907 476.16
DQ APF 2005-03-12 Illinois State Meet M_TCR_3_APF

Data Source: Open Powerlifting. Last Updated: April 12, 2023

Any injuries around the spine are extremely risky and complicated. So, Dan Bell definitely needs to take his time and make sure that he is healed properly before coming back to the sport. Luckily, Bell is experienced enough to avoid making any mistakes, which should be good enough to see him back on the stage in the future.

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