Powerlifting

powerlifting, an offshoot of Olympic weightlifting and weight training that emphasizes sheer strength more than technique, flexibility, and speed.

Powerlifting (formerly called odd lifts or strength sets) was developed primarily in the United States and England by weightlifters who felt that Olympic weightlifting events placed too much emphasis on technique and not enough on sheer strength. In 1965 the first national powerlifting championships, hosted by York Barbell Company and sanctioned by the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) of the United States, were held in York, Pennsylvania. The first world powerlifting event was also conducted at York, in 1971, and in that same year the International Powerlifting Federation was formed. Though plagued by the proliferation of performance-enhancing drugs, the use of artificial lifting aids, and divisions between numerous (including drug-free) federations, the sport has become more widely practiced in the United States than Olympic weightlifting and has been dominated by Americans since its inception.

A competition consists of three lifts. The squat, or deep knee bend, where the top of the lifter’s thighs must drop to or below parallel with the ground, demonstrates leg power. The bench press, done from a prone position and requiring a pause of the barbell at the chest, shows upper-body strength. The two-handed dead lift, in which the lifter raises the weight from the floor to hip level in one movement, displays overall back and gripping power. Lifters are allowed three attempts in each lift at weights of their own choosing, and the highest poundage in each category is added to produce a total, thereby determining the winner in each weight class.