Powerlifting

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Powerlifting is a strength sport, consisting of three events: the squat, the bench press, and the deadlift. The sport resembles Olympic weightlifting because it involves lifting heavy weights in three attempts.

Contents

[edit] Competition Format

A powerlifting competition takes place as follows:

Each competitor is allowed three to four attempts on each lift depending on their standing and the organization they are lifting in. The lifter’s best valid attempt on each lift counts toward his competition total. If two or more lifters achieve the same total, the lighter lifter ranks above the heavier lifter.[1]

Competitors are judged against other lifters of the same gender, weight class, and age. This helps to ensure that the accomplishments of lifters like Lamar Gant, who deadlifted five times his own weight, are recognized alongside those of Andy Bolton, the current World Powerlifting Organization squat, deadlift, and three-lift world record holder. Comparisons of lifters and scores across different weight classes can also be made using handicapping systems such as the Wilks formula.[2]

[edit] Events

[edit] Squat

Main article: Squat (exercise)

The athlete stands under a racked barbell which is loaded with weight. Grabbing the bar from behind, it is placed on the back below the upper trapezius muscles, settling on a shelf created by the posterior deltoids as the scapulae are retracted; the closer a grip taken on the bar, the more "shelf" is created. This low bar positioning places the bar closer to the squatter's center of gravity, thus more effectively utilizing the hip extensors throughout the duration of the movement. The athlete walks clear of the rack (unless competing in a federation using a "monolift", a device which supports the bar in place until the lifter is ready), and squats down until the top of the thigh at the hip joint is lower than the top of the knee. Although the bottom position is sometimes described as having the thigh "below parallel" to the floor, the lower thigh may not necessarily appear to be beneath parallel. Among the heavier weight classes, this is often particularly difficult to judge, due to the often enormous girth of the lifters' thighs. The lifter then stands up again, and carefully returns the weight to the rack. Disqualification results from the bar making any downward movement after the lifter has begun the ascent, if the spotters touch the bar in any way, if the lifter does not descend far enough, or if the lifter makes no effort to re-rack the weight under his or her own power. The record in the squat lift, using powerlifting equipment, is 1270 pounds (lbs.) done by Andy Bolton.

[edit] Bench Press

Main article: Bench press
Powerlifter Scot Mendelson on the cover of Powerlifting USA
Powerlifter Scot Mendelson on the cover of Powerlifting USA

The athlete lies on a bench. A loaded barbell rests on stands built into the bench above the eye level of the lifter when lying supine on the bench. The athlete removes the bar from the supports with the aid of one or more spotters, lowers it to the chest, pauses, and then presses it up to the full extension of the arms, then carefully returns the weight to the rack. Reasons for disqualification are as follows: if the bar is placed too low on the body (varies by federation), if the bar does not pause on the chest before being lifted upward (in some federations, an explicit "press" command is given, and the athlete cannot lift upwards until it is given), if the bar fails to touch the chest, if the bar hits the uprights of the rack on the ascent, or if the bar makes any downward motion during the ascent. In addition, the lift is nullified if the feet move during the lift, if the buttocks lift off the bench, or if the body makes any extraneous movement during the lift.

The record for a shirt assisted bench press is 1,050 lb (480 kg). done by Ryan Kennelly. Heavier presses are claimed but usually in falsehood. The record for unassisted bench press is 735 lb (333 kg) done by Scot Mendelson

[edit] Deadlift

Main article: Deadlift

A loaded barbell is placed on the floor. The athlete reaches down, grasps the bar, and lifts it until the legs and back are straight and upright, and the chest proud. The bar is then returned to the floor in a controlled manner normally at the command of one of the judges. The end of the lift is referred to as 'locking out', which means to straighten the back and lock the knees into a balanced position. Disqualification results from the athlete failing to stand completely upright, or if the bar makes any downward motion during the ascent, or for using the thighs to assist the lift (hitching). Many judges have been known to disqualify lifters who drop the bar to the floor after the lift is finished, due to the danger involved in dropping such a heavy amount of weight and the fact that it damages the floor of the gyms that meets are commonly held in. The current world record is held by Andy Bolton (Great Britain) with 1,003 lb (455 kg), although records vary according to federation, where different gear is allowed and there are differing policies for drug use.

[edit] Training Format

Powerlifters use many different types of training methods. Conventional Powerlifting or Progressive Overload training was once the most use type of training in the sport. This type of lifting consists of a Gradual increase in weight over time as one lowers one repetition level. For example, one week may be one maximum set of twelve, the next week eight, and the next week five reps, and back up again braking ones personal best each time. Today there are many methods including the the newest edition the "Westside" system. Using this system, explosive speed is emphasised rather than (more relatively) slowly moving progressive near-maximal weight. This type of training more closely aligns with weightlifting.

[edit] Powerlifting vs. Weightlifting

In contrast to classic Olympic weightlifting events, where an athlete raises a barbell from the floor to over his head, powerlifting movements are shorter.

The two sports are largely separated by geography, with Olympic weightlifting being more popular in Eastern Europe and Asia (Russia, Turkey, Iran, China, and others), while powerlifting is more popular in Western Europe and North America. However, support for powerlifting is growing worldwide, with Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Indonesia, and Taiwan producing World Champions and World Record holders.

The events differ in terms of power output in the maximum lifts, where ironically, Olympic weightlifting actually produces greater power (force/time) outputs than powerlifting. As such, Olympic weightlifting competition lifts occur at a faster speed than typical powerlifting competition lifts.

It may be surmised that Olympic weightlifting has not caught on as strongly in the North American culture due to the proliferation of bodybuilding-influenced gyms, wherein powerlifting is often possible, but Olympic weightlifting is essentially impossible owing to lack of bumper plates and an Olympic platform, notable items needed for performing competition Olympic lifts safely.

With the USSR coming strong at world sport events in the 1950-es and the later successes of other East European countries such as Bulgaria, it seems the "west" had lost interest in weightlifting and found a refuge in powerlifting. Today without the total dominance of Bulgaria and the former USSR (Russia) in the Olympic weightlifting there are some signs of revival of the sport in western culture.

[edit] Organizations

Although powerlifting always uses the squat, bench press and deadlift as events, different federations have different rules and different interpretations of the rules, leading to a myriad of variations. Some federations, such as the ADAU and 100% Raw Federation, allow no supportive gear to be worn by the lifter. Some, such as the IPF and AAU, only allow a single-ply tight polyester squat suit, deadlift suit and bench shirt, wraps for knees and wrists, and a belt. Other federations, such as the IPA and WPO, allow opened or closed back bench shirts, multi-ply gear, and a wide array of gear materials such as canvas, denim, polyester etc.

In an IPF bench press, the barbell can go as low as the xiphoid process and no further in the lift, whereas in other federations, the barbell can touch the abdomen. (This shortens the distance in which the barbell is moved and is an advantage to the lifter.)

Some also only have the equipped or non-equipped. E.g. in the IPF worlds, an unequipped lifter may compete but must still win overall or beat the equipped lifters or records like the equipped lifters.

[edit] Powerlifting World Records

Squat: Geared: 1250 lb/567 kg, Vlad Alhazov

Raw: 1200 lb/544 kg, Paul Edward Anderson (400 kg all time approx estimate IPF standards, and equipment)

Bench Press: Geared: 1050 lb/476.3 kg, Ryan Kennelly (Have had claims of 500 kg in excess)

Raw: 715 lb/324.3 kg, Scot Mendelson (Have had claims exceeding 400 kgs) (300kg IPF standard and all time approximate with no assisting equipment)

Deadlift: Geared: 1003 lb/455 kg, Andy Bolton (Have had claims of 460 kg)

Raw: Aprox. 400.0 Kg (no assisting equipment and IPF legal)

Total: Geared: 2850 lb/1295 kg, Donnie Thompson Raw: 1100.0 Kg (1035 Kg all time IPF legal raw (no assisting equipment)

Note: There are many records in powerlifting due to variations in rules and equipment across organizations. However for legal lifting, the IPF set the standard, and are the only international organization to do so. The records for Raw (with no assisting equipment whatsoever) are estimated accurately below:

Squat: 400.0 kg

Bench: 300.0 kg

Deadlift: 400.0 kg

Total: 1035.0 kg

see [3]


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