Over the years, Cleveland Browns RB Nick Chubb has wooed NFL fans with his sheer strength. Therefore, seeing the Browns star squat such heavy weights just 8 months after two knee surgeries is unprecedented but not shocking. Regardless, netizens were impressed by Chubb’s freakish ability and praised him for making a remarkably quick comeback to action.
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Le’Veon Bell, however, wasn’t at all impressed. He noted that Chubb’s form while squatting indicates that he is far from returning to his best. The three-time Pro Bowler stated that everyone hyping Chubb’s squats is mistaken, as the RB’s squatting form isn’t ideal for the spine, especially for someone recovering from a major injury.
“Lol they lied and tricked us all thinking this is good for the body… it’s definitely not.”
Bell further clarified that when Chubb’s body goes down while squatting, he slightly shifts his weight to the dominant right leg. The Pro-Bowler turned boxer called this “compensation mode,” indicating that Chubb isn’t ready for action and that this movement is potentially injurious.
“It’s very very slight but you can see while deep in his squat, he has to shift his weight to the right just “slightly” which means his body is in “compensation mode”… and as “athletes” doing it our entire lives, we’re taught to “ignore” it…”
Bell’s remarks completely make sense and show why he is an elite athlete. But as the former RB remarked himself, coaches generally ask athletes to ignore instances of being in “compensation mode.”
Therefore, Chubb should also not be criticized unnecessarily for the video. After all, he has time and time again proved that he is a freakishly elite athlete with inhuman strength.
Throwback to When Chubb Squatted 600 Pounds Twice
One of the key physical metrics required for a modern NFL RB is strength. Luckily for the Browns, Chubb is the definition of strength, and it is also the reason why he made straight Pro Bowls between 2019 and 2022. Despite the NFL world being privy to Nick’s inhuman strength, everyone was still left stunned in 2022 when the Georgia alum squatted 600 pounds twice.
Chubb, in the viral video, effortlessly squatted the weight twice. While most athletes have a supporting ally behind them while squatting such heavy weights, Chubb had two spotters to not support him but to catch the plates drooping from the bent bar — such is the level of the RB’s strength.
Apart from his gym exploits, Chubb has established himself as one of the best RBs in the NFL over the last few years. Seeing Chubb healthy and back in the gym is a huge positive for the Browns, as they will be looking to do more than their run last year that ended in the Wild Card round.
