What Is Powerlifting?

Powerlifting has been dubbed the “strongest sport in the world.” So what is powerlifting? Powerlifters compete in squats, bench presses, and deadlifts to see who can lift the heaviest weight possible in a single session. Powerlifters have three attempts to reach their maximum weight, which you can find in weight and age categories. The winner is determined by who has the highest overall lift. As you’ll read, powerlifting is a sport that tests maximal strength. We’ll cover the rules of the sport, how powerlifting technique differs from other sports, the difference between raw powerlifting and geared powerlifting, and who’s doing powerlifting.

Is Powerlifting an Olympic Sport? Why?

Powerlifting is NOT an Olympic sport and is often confused with Olympic weightlifting. Powerlifting is a Paralympic sport. In the Paralympics, powerlifters are only required to perform bench press techniques, which is considered the best test of upper body strength. Some athletes are able to lift more than three times their body weight, which is very impressive.

PS: Powerlifting, Weightlifting, and Bodybuilding Sports

Men and women with the following eight conditions are also eligible to compete:

• Impaired muscle strength.
• Impaired passive range of motion.
• Short limbs.
• Leg size discrepancy.
• Short stature.
• Hypertonia (a condition where excessive muscle tension makes it difficult to move an arm or leg, for example).
• Ataxia (a term for a range of conditions that affect speech, balance and coordination).
• Athetosis (a condition where abnormal muscle contractions cause uncontrollable wincing movements).

Under the World Para Powerlifting Rules, a range of impairments also meet the existing few eligibility criteria and athletes with these conditions can also compete safely and appropriately. These conditions include spastic paraplegia, spinal cord injury, lower limb amputation and polio, among others. All eligible athletes compete in one sport class, but in different weight classes.

The bench press is the sport’s only technique, with 10 different levels based on body weight. Competitors must lower a barbell to their chest, hold it still on their chest, and then push it up to arm’s length while the joints remain fixed. Athletes have three attempts, and the one who lifts the most weight wins.

PS: Powerlifting Vs Bodybuilding

What Is Raw Powerlifting VS Equipped Powerlifting?

There are two types of powerlifting in competitions: raw (or classic) and equipped. And the difference between raw and equipped powerlifting is the type of equipment you can wear.

Raw Powerlifting

Raw powerlifting is what most powerlifters do, i.e. wearing minimal equipment in competitions.
You can use knee pads, belts, wrist guards, and vests. You can read my full review of raw powerlifting competition equipment.
While these pieces of equipment do provide some assistance to the lifter. They do not add much weight to the lift compared to the equipment that can be worn in the equipment category.

Equipped Powerlifting

Equipped powerlifting is a more advanced form of powerlifting. Athletes wear enhanced equipment that supports their joints and muscles more effectively than they would if they were lifting in a standard vest. Fully equipped lifters wear squat suits, bench press suits, and deadlift suits that allow them to lift 20kg to 100kg more than they would normally without the suit. You can think of these suits as “full body powerlifting belts.”

Also, instead of using knee pads, fully equipped lifters wear knee braces. Since you have very limited coverage of your knee compared to using a knee brace alone, knee braces add an extra layer of support.

Who Does Powerlifting?

Whether you decide to compete in powerlifting or otherwise, there are many groups that utilize the principles of weight training to enjoy its benefits. Generally speaking, there are five groups of people who train for powerlifting:

1. Competitive powerlifters

Some people take up powerlifting because they have been involved in sports since they were young and have been competing in sports. When they were young, they may have done powerlifting and other sports. But over time, they eventually focus on powerlifting.

2. People who want to get stronger

Some people need a purpose for their exercise in order to find motivation to go to the gym. For these people, powerlifting is a great pursuit because it provides an objective measure of success.

3. People who use powerliftingfor physical training

There are many sports performance coaches who use the concept of powerlifting to make their athletes stronger and more resilient (which is important for contact sports). Studies have shown that exercises such as squats and deadlifts can improve jumping ability.

4. People who want to maintain strength after college sports

For many people who participated in sports during high school and college and loved to learn and complete sports, the opportunity to continue such activities in adulthood is rare. These people rely on powerlifting as a way to continue to build strength and meet their reasonable needs.

5. Older people who want to improve bone density and muscle mass

The concept of powerlifting is beginning to be applied to the elderly population who are at risk of losing strength and mobility. For this population, strength training using powerlifting exercises has been shown to increase bone density, balance age-related muscle loss, and reduce the risk of falls.

Bodyweight & Age Categories

In powerlifting, athletes compete in weight and age categories.

The bodyweight groups

• For men: 59kg/130lbs, 66kg/145lbs, 74kg/163lbs, 83kg/183lbs, 93k/205lbs, 105kg/231lbs, 120kg/264lbs, 120+ kg/264lbs+.
• For women: 47kg/103lbs, 52kg/114lbs, 57kg/125lbs, 63kg/139lbs, 72kg/158lbs, 84kg/185lbs, 84+ kg/185lbs+.
• Keep in mind: If you are a younger or sub-junior professional athlete, then there is an additional bodyweight classification you can contend– 53kg for men and 43kg for women.

The age classifications

• Sub-Junior: 14-18 years of ages.
• Junior: 19-23 years old.
• Open up: Any individual can complete.
• Master 1: 40-49 years of ages.
• And Master 2: 50-59 years of ages.
• Master 3: 60-69 years of ages.
• And Master 4: 70+.

Advantages of Powerlifting Training

There are many benefits to powerlifting besides building strength. For example, powerlifting can increase bone density, which can reduce the risk of osteoporosis. Additionally, it works every muscle in the body through compound steps to improve coordination. This works larger muscle groups more than any single exercise would. Increased muscle density also burns more fat while at rest, so you end up losing weight effortlessly. Being stronger overall reduces the risk of injury in other physical activities like running and cycling, and is comparable to other aspects of life, such as climbing stairs or walking.

The Powerlifting Technique

1. Powerlifters are concerned with adjusting their movements to recruit as much muscle tissue as possible.

In powerlifting, the goal is not necessarily to isolate a single muscle tissue group when performing a squat, bench press, or deadlift. Instead, the goal is to coordinate your activities to create as much stress as possible by using all of the muscle groups added.

2. Powerlifters aim to minimize the range of motion of the barbell.

If a powerlifter is able to achieve a smaller range of motion, then they will ultimately have less work to accomplish.
For this reason, you will see powerlifters use methods such as bench press arcs to limit how far the barbell moves to the chest during the bench press. This is also why you will see some lifters use sumo deadlifts instead of standard deadlifts, as sumo pulls will certainly reduce the barbell movement from the floor to lockout.

3. Powerlifters always consider maintaining the safest form of exercise to avoid pain and injury.

While this is a goal for all lifters, it is especially important for powerlifters due to the sheer amount of weight they lift.
Powerlifters make it a priority to correct form flaws, including keeping their backs straight while deadlifting, avoiding good morning squat positions, and correcting an unbalanced bench press.

4. Powerlifters must follow certain rules to lift weights in competition.

Unlike the average person who does squats, bench presses, and deadlifts in the gym, powerlifters must implement specific movement standards to successfully lift in competition. The squat, bench press, and deadlift are all specific requirements that powerlifters must adhere to. These rules are so that all lifters are evaluated to the same standard and that no individual lifter has an advantage over another.

Some of the rules for the major powerlifting movements include:

• Squat: The hips must be folded below the plane of the knees, and the bar must continue to move forward (no bouncing or sinking).
• Bench press: The bar should rest on the chest until it stops, and the lifter must maintain some contact with the bench and the floor, including the head, hips, and feet.
• Deadlift: The bar should not rest on the thighs during the lift, and the hips, knees, and shoulders must be “set” in the locked position.

Even if you lift the weight throughout the full range of motion, if you don’t follow the technical requirements, then you will not get a valid lift.

Frequently Asked Questions about Powerlifting

Here are some common questions I often hear when people ask what powerlifting is.

Is powerlifting an Olympic sport?

Currently, powerlifting is not an Olympic sport. That being said, powerlifting does have representation in the Paralympics, where athletes with lower limb disabilities compete in the bench press. The bench press has been a Paralympic sport for men since 1964 and for women since 2000.

What is the point of powerlifting?

The point of powerlifting is to lift as much weight as possible in the squat, bench press, and deadlift.

What is a total powerlifting?

A total powerlifting is the result of adding together the heaviest squat, bench press, and deadlift weights lifted in a competition. The number you get will set you apart from other powerlifters in the same weight and age category.

What age can you start powerlifting?

You can start powerlifting at any age as long as you take the time to learn the correct lifts. Many powerlifters start in their 40s and 30s and finish well into their 50s. You are simply categorized into a given age group because you belong to one.

In the End

Powerlifting is a strength-based sport. Powerlifters aim to improve their 1-rep max on the squat, bench press, and deadlift, and compete in age and weight groups.

The International Powerlifting Federation governs the sport, setting the rules and standards for competitions. If you choose to compete in powerlifting, you can do so in either the raw or complete divisions.

If you don’t want to compete in powerlifting, these concepts still have a wide range of benefits, and many find them useful in guiding their gym training.

Currently, powerlifting is not an Olympic sport. That being said, powerlifting does have a presence in the Paralympics, where athletes with lower limb disabilities compete in the bench press. You can start powerlifting at any age, as long as you take the time to learn proper powerlifting technique.