An Introduction: by Jon Grove
What is
Powerlifting?
There a very few activities more innate to humans than pushing, pulling and lifting objects. If a large stone needing moved or a heavy log needed picked up, early man had to use their God given strength to do this, but some objects were ponderous and nearly immovable. Some individuals would try and fail but the strongest among them would be revered for their powerful muscles and leverage. They knew how to use the large muscles in the legs, back, chest and arms to lift what others could not. As time passed, man exchanged trees and rocks for barbells and iron weight discs. At first, these challenges were referred to as the “Odd Lifts” but, in 1964, mankind finally organized the first sanctioned event with defined rules of execution, and the sport of Powerlifting was born and has been growing and flourishing worldwide ever since then. Powerlifting consists of three barbell lifts; the Squat, the Bench Press, and the Deadlift.
01
The Squat:
The first lift in a competition is the is the Squat. The Squat, once referred to as a “deep knee bend”, is used to determine who has the strongest lower body. A weighted barbell is placed on a rack in front of the powerlifter. The athlete places this barbell on their upper back draped across their shoulders and lifts the weight off its cradles. Once standing vertically and in control, the athlete descends downward as if sitting onto a chair. Proper execution requires practicing breathing, balance and control. The entire body works in unison. The lifter will lower themselves slightly below 90 degrees, called “below parallel” in powerlifting, then with immense strength and a burst of physical power, they will push the load back to a standing position. Once standing and still in control, the lifter has completed a successful powerlifting Squat. The competitor who stands up with most weight on the barbell has the strongest lower body and is leading going into the Bench Press.
02
The Bench Press:
The second event contested in Powerlifting uses the musculature of the upper body. The barbell Bench Press is the greatest test of chest, shoulder and arm strength. As with all the lifts in a competition, technique is paramount and the entire body is braced and tight. For the Bench Press an Olympic Weight Bench is used to hold the barbell. The athlete lays down with their feet firmly on the floor and their body in contact with the padded bench. The barbell is loaded with a maximum weight on the cradles of the bench at arm’s length. The lifter lifts the bar from the rack and, once under control, begins to lower the bar downward toward their chest. When the bar contacts the chest, the lifter momentarily pauses to exhibit control then thrusts the heavy barbell back up until their arms are fully extended and elbows are locked. Once completed, the powerlifter has executed a successful Bench Press, and the bar is returned to the bench cradles. The person who lifts the heaviest weight in this event has demonstrated superior upper body strength over the other competitors and the field moves on to the last event of the competition, the Deadlift.
03
The Deadlift:
The Deadlift is the third and final lift of the competition. The lifter’s best Deadlift will be added to the highest amount they lifted in the Squat and the Bench Press so this lift can be strategic when attempting to advance over a fellow competitor to round out the competition. The Deadlift is not complex, but it does require an understanding of leverage and proper technique. The barbell is simply loaded with a maximum weight on the lifting platform. The athlete approaches the bar, bends down, grabs the bar firmly and lifts the weight off the floor to a standing position with their knees locked and shoulders upright. The Deadlift is a very primal lift for the human body. It requires a strong back, strong legs and a vice-like grip to hold the weight. It is a very pure, total body mental and physical challenge to end a competition with. The person who lifts the most weight in the Deadlift has displayed these qualities and their weight will be added to their best lifts from the other two disciplines to calculate their overall score, or Total.
04
The Total:
When these tests of strength are completed, the sum of an individual’s best Squat, best Bench Press and best Deadlift are added together for a Total, and the result determines who is the winner. This winner, or champion Powerlifter, might not have been the absolute best in every event but, when added together, they displayed the greatest balance of strength and, therefore, the strongest overall body.
This is Powerlifting and the sport is subdivided into weight divisions and age divisions for both men and women. The sport is accessible to everyone, creates camaraderie and fellowship in a positive environment and promotes a feeling of self-gratification through personal achievement.
