Shocking moment powerlifter’s arm snaps is going viral

An Instagram influencer is going viral after posting a video of a horror powerlift which she refuses to watch. WARNING: Distressing content.

The moment a power lifter’s arm snapped as she squatted almost 170kg is going viral and leaving people squirming all over the world.

The confronting incident where Instagram influencer Robyn Machado’s arm was broken was caught on video and it seems audiences can’t resist watching the horror movie.

Machado said she had never broken a bone in her life until her radius bone snapped in the middle of a heavy workout recently, The Sun reports.

In the video from March 2020, the 35-year-old sets up for the intense exercise by getting into a deep squat and attempting to lift the 167kg bar – but it slides down her back.

In a horrifying moment, there is an audible crack before Machado screams and lurches away from the bar as the video cuts off.

WARNING: Distressing content

Machado, from Raleigh, North Carolina, said she’d been lifting for over 20 years, and nothing like this had ever happened.

She also posted the video on her Instagram page, saying she had never personally watched the video for obvious reasons.

“When I felt the pressure and heard the loud breaking sound, my first thought was, ‘OMG the bar broke,’” said Machado.

“Until I glanced at my arm and saw a bone trying to poke through the skin, I was so stunned that I screamed.”

Machado later said that she didn’t feel any pain at that moment, most likely because of the adrenaline.

The moment it all went wrong. TikTok/powerlifting_portagee

Robyn Machado's arm broke in brutal fashion. Photo: TikTok/powerlifting_portagee

At the hospital, the elite powerlifter received X-rays and ibuprofen before being informed that she broke the radius bone in her forearm.

Machado said she had lifted heavier before.

The fitness champ claimed she had consistently lifted 380 to 395 pounds in preparation for the competition.

Robyn Machado has been documenting her comeback with her 50,000 Instagram followers. Photo: Instagrasm, @robynmachado.

“On meet day, the rack was set a little too high for me but I was too excited with adrenaline and felt pressured to hurry up and do the lift,” Machado told Newsweek about the incident.

The video of the incident on her TikTok account @PowerLifting _Portagee has been seen over 20 million times.

In the viral video, she included an X-ray of the break and an explanation of what happened.

Now, Machado uses the account to document her recovery.

X-rays show the damage. Photo: TikTok/powerlifting_portagee

Robyn Machado's carries a reminder. TikTok/powerlifting_portagee.

“I decided to share the video to raise awareness, low bar can be done safely but some people (like myself) try to push limits by setting it as low as possible in effort to move as much weight as possible and it’s dangerous,” the powerlifter said.

The bone healed in about eight weeks and needed a plate and eight screws.

Machado ended up officially surpassing 369 pounds, the weight that broke her arm.

— This story originally appeared in thesun.co.uk and has been republished with permission