re: 900 lb squat record, La high school powerlifter

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I understand the support will often help with the lift, just asking what the designed purpose of the suit is.

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It helps with the lift. Some folks can lift a lot more in a suit than raw. I'm guessing he doesn't get that much out of the suit since it looked pretty loose. He was also beltless. He's just strong AF regardless.

I used to be able to squat 30% or so more in a suit. It was so tight I'd about have to be cut out of it, though.

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Is that suit more for support to help avoid injury in the event he collapses, or is it to help lift?

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The answer is yes. Equipment like that and knee wraps started more so for health like supporting the knee. As time and technology/techniques advanced, the suits and shirts absolutely support someone to get numbers well beyond their raw capacity.

For example, my raw bench was about 315 where in a shirt I was opening with 430 and looking to get about 470-475. Shirts give more assistance on bench probably than suits do on squat. My raw squat was about 500 but equipped was about 646.

The misconception is that the equipment is doing the lifting. Lol. No. The equipment supports you at the bottom, so it is much easier to get more weight moving at the bottom of the lift. By the mid and top of the lift, however, it's pretty well all transitioned back to you. And in any case, you are holding the weight on your back and in your hands. I could almost not even breathe with that weight on squats. And you try holding 430 in your hands.

Ultimately, shite's heavy and you're the one moving it.