What is powerlifting, what standards, titles and grades are there?

What is powerlifting? This is a powerlifting event in which athletes compete in three exercises - squat with a barbell on their shoulders, bench press and deadlift. You need to lift the maximum weight for one repetition. The winner is the one with the highest total in three movements in his weight category.

It's also a whole culture. Tournaments that look more like rock concerts, the sky-high thrust of Yuri Belkin, crowds of newcomers and veterans who are 60 years stronger than most of the audience, families with children in the auditorium - all this is powerlifting. This sport can make anyone strong who knows how to endure, work in the gym and plan their life.

What is powerlifting?

At the beginning of the 20th century, strength gymnastics was born in Russia. The athletic club of Dr.Krayevsky promoted simple truths:

• a man must be strong and sturdy, no matter what he does;
• resistance training allows anyone to become strong;
• you need to do it regularly and according to plan, perform squats, deadlifts and presses.

But in the first half of the 20th century, only weightlifting developed. Weightlifters squatted, bench pressed while lying and standing, performed deadlifts with different grips, lifted the barbell to the biceps to become stronger. Among themselves, they competed in these movements behind the scenes. Over time, squats, deadlifts, and bench presses have become popular with casual gym goers. The first unofficial US championship in these three movements was held in 1964. And in 1972, the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) was created.

Since that time, the competitions have been held according to modern rules:

1. Athletes are divided into weight categories.
2. Men and women compete separately.
3. Three attempts are given for each exercise.
4. The tournament begins with a squat, then a bench press, and the deadlift ends.
5. Exercises are performed according to certain rules. The squat starts at the command of the judge. The athlete should reach a seated depth where the pelvic bones are below the knee joint and stand up. In the bench press, according to the rules of different federations, either three (start, bench press, stands) or two teams (bench press and stands), but everywhere you need to touch the chest with the bar and press only on command. In the deadlift, you need to raise the weight and wait for the judge's command, only then lower it.
6. Sets not made on command, with double movements and technical errors (lack of sitting in the squat, separation of the pelvis from the bench in the press, uncommitted shoulders and unstraightened knees in the deadlift) are not counted.
7. The winner is determined by the sum of three exercises in each weight category and in the overall standings. To calculate the weights in absolute terms, coefficients are used - Wilks, Glossbrenner, or the new coefficient used in the IPF.

Powerlifting is a non-Olympic sport... The Paralympics program includes only bench press, but all federations hold World Championships, where the strongest athletes gather.

In Russia there is a system of youth sports schools, where powerlifting sections work and boys and girls train. Adult athletes prepare with commercial trainers and pay for their own training.

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Major federations in Russia

The first federation in Russia was IPF

Its national branch is called the Russian Powerlifting Federation (RFP). (Official site - http://fpr-info.ru/). It is under her auspices that youth powerlifting develops. The ranks and ranks of the FPR are assigned by order of the Ministry of Sports of Russia. A distinctive feature is the absence of open national championships. An athlete must pass and perform well in local, zone competitions in order to qualify for a major tournament or national championship. The RPF adheres to the WADA rules regarding doping in sports and there are no divisions without mandatory testing for the use of prohibited substances.

NAP or National Powerlifting Association

It was created to make sports more open. In this federation, you can pay an annual fee and compete in all open tournaments where the athlete can physically reach. Championships of various levels are held - from city tournaments with the assignment of a title to the CMS to European and World championships. This federation was the first to introduce pulling combined (classic-style deadlift and sumo), powerlifting with the ability to perform a sling-shot press and squat in knee-wraps, began to hold tournaments in recreation areas - which is the epic annual tournament at Aqua Loo in Sochi.

Official site - http://www.powerlifting-russia.ru/

WPC / AWPC / WPA / WUAP / GPC

A large international federation, developed not only in our country, but also in the USA, Finland and Germany. Differs in rather high standards and high cost of doping control in amateur divisions. The athlete pays for it himself, unless he was called for doping control by the judges. There is no doping control in the WPC.

Official site - http://www.wpc-wpo.ru/

IPO / GPA / IPL / WRPF (Union of Powerlifters of Russia, SPR)

Four major world federations have teamed up to hold tournaments for the strongest athletes. The SPR is considered the most developing federation, it is actively promoted in the regions and has a permanent staff of judges and doping commissioners. The WRPF is the first alternative federation to separate professional athletes from ordinary amateurs who are not doping tested. The strongest athletes compete here - Andrey Malanichev, Yury Belkin, Kirill Sarychev, Yulia Medvedeva, Andrey Sapozhonkov, Mikhail Shevlyakov, Kyler Volam. The WRPF has a branch in the USA, and tournaments are hosted by Dan Green and Chaker Holcomb. Boris Ivanovich Sheiko is the chief judge of the international tournaments of the VRPF among professional athletes.

WPU

The youngest alternative federation in Russia among those that hold international competitions. It differs from the rest in that athletes in the VPU do not pay for doping control if they compete in the appropriate category.

The athlete chooses on his own where he will perform and how to train.

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Standards, titles and grades

In the FPR, the digits are assigned from 3rd junior to honored master of sports... In alternative federations, the title "Elite" is assigned instead of the ZMS. The standards differ by weight categories, they are different for men and women. In the NAP and VPU there is a "veteran coefficient" that lowers the requirements of standards for persons over 40 years old.

For example, the following table shows the IPF standards for the discipline "classic powerlifting":

Benefit and harm

Powerlifting benefits:

• All muscle groups are strengthened, an athletic figure is formed.
• Strength indicators are improving.
• Flexibility and coordination develops.
• Posture is corrected.
• You can lose weight or increase muscle mass - it all depends on the diet.
• A good base is being built for practicing any kind of sport.

Potential harm is also present:

• The risk of injury is high enough.
• The workouts are hard and long.
• Becomes dependent on working weights and competition results. This leads to irrational use of sports pharmacology and psychological problems, especially in beginners.

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Advantages and disadvantages

Beginner program

Beginners are offered several schemes for classes:

1. Simple linear progression... The squat, bench press, and deadlift alternate on a daily basis, meaning they are performed on different days (e.g. Monday-Wednesday-Friday). In the first week, the athlete performs 5 repetitions in 5 approaches, from week to week his working weight grows by 2.5-5 kg, and the number of repetitions decreases by 1. After the athlete reaches 2 repetitions, a week of light training and further repeat the cycle. In addition to the basic movements, a certain amount of auxiliary is supposed - exercises that develop the necessary muscles for the three basic movements. This scheme is recommended to be performed first and switch to Sheiko cycles or others, as soon as the athlete stagnates in the growth of strength.
2. B.I.Sheiko's cycles... For pre-CCM athletes, these include sit and bench workouts on Monday and Friday, and deadlifts and bench press workouts on Wednesday. The athlete works in the range of 70-80% of the one-rep maximum for 2-5 reps. The load cycles in waves.
3. Simple undulating periodization... The athlete alternates between light and medium workouts, performing heavy workouts only at the end of the 6 week cycle. For an easy one, he works at 50-60 percent of the maximum in 4-5 reps, for a medium one - 70-80 in three reps. Workouts can be built according to the same weekly layout as Sheiko's. Support exercises are selected for all muscle groups.

Below is a program for beginners in the preparatory period for 4 weeks. To successfully complete it, you need to know your one-repetition maximum (RM) in the main three exercises. The percentages in the complex are indicated exactly from him.

You can download and print the program here.

Powerlifting equipment

Unsupported equipment is permitted in all federations and divisions. It includes a belt, soft knee pads, wrestling shoes, weightlifting shoes, leg warmers to protect the legs when pulling.

Reinforcing (supporting) equipment is allowed only in the equipment division. This includes a heavyweight squat and deadlift jumpsuit, a bench shirt, and bench slingshots. Also included are knee and wrist bandages.

People who rarely encounter powerlifting are often surprised - what kind of sport is it where the equipment itself lifts weights for the athlete. But they are not entirely right. Of course, additional support allows you to throw on a few kilograms in each movement (from 5 to 150 kg and even more), but this requires a solid base, a certain technique and skill.

Watch the video: 3 Powerlifters With The Biggest Arch (January 2025).