The Basics

The sport of powerlifting consists of three fundamental "gym" lifts. They are the Squat, Bench Press and Deadlift lifted in that order. The athlete has three attempts for each lift for a total of nine possible lifts. When accumulated, their three largest lifts give them their Total. The athlete with the highest total, which is measured in kilograms in his or her own weight class, is deemed the winner.

The nitty-gritty of powerlifting

The sport of powerlifting is a strength sport based on intricate formula known as the Wilks formula (formerly the Schwartz formula) that is used to help determine who is the strongest individual in any one-powerlifting meet. For example, who is stronger a 67.5kg (148 lbs) athlete who totals 600 kg (1,320lbs) or a 125 kg (275lbs) athlete that totals 800 kg (1,762 lbs)? Based on sheer weight it would be easy to say the lighter lifter could not lift as much as the heavier one so in essence the 125 kg athlete must be the greater lifter, despite the obvious weight advantage he has over his competitor. Right?

Wrong! Welcome to the wonderful world of powerlifting. This is where the Wilks formula comes into play. It is used to help quell the debates between powerlifters in different weight categories. The competitor with the highest Wilks score is deemed "the champion of the champions" and receives a trophy for being the overall winner of the competition. Huge trophies are given out at some international competitions for this award, and even though the prize may not be as large in stature, lower level and local competitions do recognize the overall winner as well.

Returning to the above example posted; how do you determine who is the strongest lifter? According to the Wilks formula the strongest lifter is actually the 67.5 kg athlete. His Wilks points equal 462.6 points compared to the 125 kg athlete whom totaled up 455.84 Wilks points. Therefore, the lighter lifter is a better lifter despite being out lifted a staggering 200 kilograms (roughly 441 lbs). This example was certainly an easy comparison as it is between two individuals who are of the same gender. However, much debate and criticism often arises with the crossover of genders and comparing men to women based on lifts. This argument is just for debate purposes and is not actually determined by any powerlifting federation.

The equipment explosion

Most sports have evolved over time through technology, and powerlifting is no exception. What once started out as rather flimsy "injury- preventative" equipment, has now turned into very technical, state of the art apparel. It is used by most powerlifters who try and lift as much weight as humanly possible. Powerlifters shell out big bucks to enable themselves to achieve a higher total than ever before. A few leading powerlifting companies do extensive research to develop and provide the powerlifter with very durable and extremely stretch resistant material for squat suits; deadlift suits and especially bench shirts.

These technological advances have rapidly increased powerlifting records quite dramatically over the last decade or so. The 'true' or 'raw' strength of an athlete can be difficult to determine, when they are lifting in powerlifting equipment. It is unthinkable what modern day powerlifters can achieve in the sport compared to their past counterparts. Today's athletes are eclipsing numbers on their lifts that were for the most part unattainable as little as 5 years ago.

Powerlifting legends like Bill Kazmaier and Ed Coan were lifting weights so heavy it was unfathomable to many people how an athlete could attain these heights. A legitimacy issue is now at the forefront of the sport where it was featured annually in The Guinness Book of World Records where they used to document powerlifting world records in their pages. For example, in the 1986 edition it showed Kazmaier's bench of a whopping 300 kg (661 lbs) relatively close grip without any kind of bench shirt. This number still remains very heavy but it was once considered an extreme rarity, and today it is now becoming a norm for athletes to achieve, due to their bench shirts. The elusive 700 lb club in the bench is defiantly not what it used to be, as now a handful of individuals (according to the IPF result statistics) can handle this type of mind-blowing weight.

For example, Canadian-Shawn O'Halloran; a premier bench presser in his own right, can admit to the added support of the new-aged bench press shirt. His raw bench is roughly 272.5 kg (600 lbs) without a doubt a remarkable feet of strength. However, his Canadian bench press record stands at a whopping 302.5 kg. Shawn even attempted 315 kg (a shade under 700lbs) at the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) 17th World Open Men's Bench Press Championships, Hungary, Miskolc 23-29.05.2006. That's a difference of nearly 45 kg (100 lbs). There are even rumors that some lifters get close to 150 lbs more in their respected shirts.

An argument can be made that the drug testing policy of many events has risen substantially, so that the new equipment somewhat negates drug induced results of the past (only in IPF history). Even so, not just anyone can magically jump into one of these miracle pieces of equipment and shoot up their maximum bench. It takes many months, even years of learning how to train properly and develop the skill set needed to make the equipment work for you. This re-iterates the type of evolution this sport is seeing.

There are now future IPF legislation governing shirts and their stretch resistant material is currently under review. The powers that be in this federation are taking a dramatic stance to limit manufacturing to a somewhat more credible target in the bench. The purpose being to try to regain some legitimacy in the bench records. It is comparable to sports like golf that have also been questioned with the development of long distance balls and clubs that allow the golfer to drive the ball to unprecedented heights resulting in golf courses being re-developed to add extra yards to each hole.

The untouchable, truest lift- the deadlift

Many powerlifting purists agree that the most legitimate lift is the deadlift, as it is the most basic lift where the weight still needs to be picked up from ground. There isn't really any equipment that can change the dynamics of this fundamental motion. The weight of this lift cannot be replicated in any way. Like our caveman ancestors this motion is relatively the same- pick the weight up from the ground. Basically, there are two distinct types of techniques to efficiently accomplish this result a) the sumo and b) the conventional deadlift.

The sumo deadlift is usually preferred by the lighter lifters and by the super- heavyweights. The reasoning is that the lighter lifters like to preserve their back and the larger lifters like doing it to combat their relatively short arm reach in unison with larger mid areas where it makes it easier to bend over and pick up the weight. The hands are placed on the bar usually 12-15" apart and the legs are jettisoned outwards to 45-degree angle. The aim is to drive the bar off the floor mostly done by the primary movers in this lift- the hips and leg drive.

This dramatically reduces the bar height, especially if you're a taller lifter because it cuts the distance from floor to lockout substantially. It is usually less demanding on the back depending from lifter to lifter but it requires an athlete to be more flexible in the groin and hip area. This technique takes longer to master. A quote many sumo deadlifters use is "anyone can deadlift conventional but a sumo deadlifter is born. This is due to the unnatural feeling of the lift itself and the notion that sumo deadlifting is cheating.

Many consider the conventional deadlift the purest form of deadlifting. The lifter has their hands placed further apart on the bar (usually shoulder width) with their legs inwards of the hand positioning. The lifter then crouches down and drives the weight upwards in a squatting fashion. A good way to think about the deadlift is not being a primarily a back movement- like a hinge movement- (Roman Deadlift used in bodybuilding- with legs relatively straight). Envision the lift more like a squat with the weight in your hands or an inclined leg press movement. The leg drive is absolutely key for pounding out heavy weights.

Why this particular lift is greeted with such warm praise of being a "true" lift, is the fact that the there is nothing separating you from lifting the weight off the floor to essentially just under waist level. There is one exception, the hitch where the athlete rests the bar on the thigh and subsequently makes another pulling movement from this new angle. The bar must be pulled upwards in one fluid like motion to the lockout position where arms, back and legs are all fully straight and erect.

Purists especially like this lift as the new modern day equipment does enhance the deadlift a little bit but nothing like the squat and especially the bench. As in squats an athlete wearing tight knee wraps can get upwards of 20-25 kgs (approximately 50lbs or so) from the spring effect. The same athlete will not have the advantage of this springing motion when performing the deadlift. At the top lifting levels, athletes usually don't wear any leg wraps. However, in the deadlift the lifter may choose to wear a deadlifting suit, which is supposed to enhance the lifter's edge by giving them a jolt upwards and to raise the sticking point from off the floor. Although, this may help them initially on the lift, it can severely hamper their lockout abilities. Also no lifting straps are allowed so no matter what, the lifter has to be able to hold on to the weight. Some lifters can depend on straps because they are able to lift more weight than they are able to hold on. A great sports quote comes significantly true as "You're only as strong as your weakest link!"

Evidence of the deadlift being one of the truest tests of strength is right in in the IPF world records. Take a look how long these records have lasted despite the advances in technology. The lift records remain the most untouched out of all records in modern day powerlifting. Compare the deadlift records to the current Bench Press IPF world records below. Note the date on the records, and the ages of the lifters. It seems like the deadlift gets better like a fine wine as the lifter ages, unlike the Bench where it seems like the clock is ticking to get in that big bench.