What Is Powerlifting?

Powerlifting is an individual sport where the goal is to lift the most amount of weight possible in the squat, bench press, and deadlift in a specific weight and age category. Athletes have three attempts to reach their maximum capacity and must follow strict technique rules so that everyone is compared equally. For example, everyone must squat to a certain depth or else the lift doesn’t count (we’ll cover the powerlifting rules in more detail later). The heaviest squat, bench press, and deadlift that are successfully lifted are added up to give athletes a “powerlifting total”. This total is what’s used to rank athletes amongst each other. So just because someone may have a strong bench press, doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be a good powerlifter.

Worldwide there are several powerlifting federations that govern the sport. Each federation has slightly different technical rules, weigh-in protocols, and policies around drug testing. With that said, the largest governing body is the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF), with just over 100 countries that are affiliated. The IPF provides the most competitive drug-tested federation in the World, attracting the strongest natural powerlifters. In the United States, the IPF affiliate is USA Powerlifting, which has a presence in all 50 states.