Everything You Need To Know About Powerlifting
Powerlifting is a discipline of strength in which we have to lift as much weight as possible in three different basic movements. These movements are the bench press, the squat, and the dead weight.
At the end of the ’50s, this sport began to be practiced in the United States’ mythical bodybuilding gyms. It was a simple way to demonstrate strength without resorting to complex weightlifting movements that required great technique. It began as a demonstration between peers and, little by little; small tournaments were organized until, in the mid-sixties, the first national competition took place. In 1971 the first world championship took place, and in 72, the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) was founded.
The evolution of this sport in Europe was relatively slow. At first, the fool only took hold in England, and it was not until 1977 that the first European championship was held. Of course, it was in Birmingham (on the island of Great Britain).
The competition
Today the competition takes place in three events (squats, bench press, and deadweight) in which each participant has three opportunities to lift the maximum weight possible. The heaviest right lift will be the one that will count for the event and the total, having a winner for each of the movements and the sum of the three. In the event of a tie, the lifter with the lowest body weight will win.
I do not want to go into detail to explain the rules of each of the movements because they vary a lot between each federation. In the IPF, for example, when doing bench presses, the bar must go down to the lowest part of the sternum, at most, while there are federations that allow the bar to be supported even on the abdomen.
As a curiosity, we can only say that in squats, a deep squat is forced, in which the hip must be below the highest part of the knee, and any movement of the bar on the shoulders after starting the activity is prohibited.
For example, in the bench press, you cannot bounce the bar on your chest, lift your buttocks or shoulders off the bench during the movement, or fix your feet on the court, which is proof that your legs assist in a bench press lift.
Beyond the competitive world today, many people in the powerlifting gym in Dallas are doing strength training based on the powerlifting movements and the principles that competitors use to improve their brands.
In the end, thanks to the fact that this sport is based on movements that do not require extraordinary technique, especially if we compare them with weightlifting movements, and that with the three activities we manage to work our whole body there are training like the 5×5 of a mad cow that is based almost exclusively on them. Another very famous workout that comes from the world of Powerlifting is the Boris Sheiko workout.
For better or worse, this type of training is the order of the day in gyms and is a perfect option when looking to gain some strength for later, in the future, return to a program of hypertrophy and continue to progress because we will be able to move more weight.
All powerlifting movements have great transference, and an improvement in these movements and exercises that we do in the powerlifting gym in Dallas has a positive effect on the rest.