What is powerlifting?
Powerlifting is a competitive strength sport where three lifts are performed.
These lifts are the big three weight lifting exercises: the
squat, the
deadlift and the
bench press.
Powerlifing is a test of limit strength. Competitors have three attempts
to complete each lift. The best attempt counts as their lift for that event
and is carried on to form their competition total. The competitor who lifts the most weight
across all three lifts wins the competition.
The sport is most popular in the US, UK and Russia.
In a powerlifting contest, the lifts are performed in this order:
Squat first, then bench
press, and finally the deadlift is the last lift.
Points to remember for each lift
Between 2 and 5 spotters must be in attendance for each lift.
Squat
The lifter must not double bounce at the bottom of the lift, nor have
more than one recovery attempt.
The lifter must not step back or forward once the lift has commenced.
This would indicate a stumble.
The lifter must not touch his/her legs with elbows or upper arms
At the bottom of the lift, the top surface of the legs at the hip should
be lower than the knees
The lifter must wait for the referee to call 'squat' before commencing
the descent, and 'rack' before replacing the bar on the rack after finishing
the ascent.
Bench press
Feet must be in contact with the ground/platform surface
Grip width, measured between forefingers, must not exceed 81 cm (this
spacing will be indicated on the bar)
The lifter must wait for referee to call 'press' before pressing upward,
and 'rack' before placing bar back on rack at the top of the lift.
Deadlift
At the top of the lift, the knees should be locked straight, body
motionless and standing erect.
The lifter must wait for the referee to call 'down' before returning the
weight to the ground/platform surface
The lifter must not step or stumble after commencement of the lift
The lifter must not support the weight of the bar on the thighs at any
point
The bar must be returned to the ground/platform surface maintaining
control with both hands
Variations in powerlifting
Some federations have slightly different rules. For example, in a
'push-pull only' event, lifters only perform the bench press and
deadlift.
There are 'single lift' events at which normally only the bench press is
performed. There might also be a 'strict curl' lift which will be performed
before the squat.