About Powerlifting
Powerlifting involves 3 seperate events, the squat, the bench press and the deadlift.
Each competitor is allowed three attempts on each lift. The lifter’s best valid attempt on each lift counts toward
his competition total. If two or more lifters achieve the same total, the lighter lifter ranks above the heavier lifter.
Each of the three events are described below.
The Squat
The athlete stands under a racked barbell which is loaded with weight. Grabbing the bar from behind, the bar is put onto the
top of the back, resting on the trapezius muscles. The athlete walks clear of the rack (unless competing in a federation using
a "monolift", a device which supports the bar in place until the lifter is ready), and squats down until the top of the
thigh at the hip joint is lower than the top of the knee. Although the bottom position is sometimes described as having
the thigh "below parallel" to the floor, the lower thigh may not necessarily appear to be beneath parallel.
The lifter then stands up again, and carefully returns the weight to the rack. Disqualification results from
the bar making any downward movement after the lifter has started upwards, if the spotters touch the bar in any way,
if the lifter does not descend far enough, or if the lifter makes no effort to re-rack the weight under his or her own power.
The Bench Press
The athlete lies on a bench. A loaded barbell rests on stands built into the bench above the eye level of the lifter when lying
supine on the bench. The athlete removes the bar from the supports with the aid of one or more spotters, lowers it to the chest,
pauses, and then presses it up to the full extension of the arms, then carefully returns the weight to the rack.
Disqualification results if the bar is placed too low on the body (varies by federation), if the bar does not pause on the
chest before being lifted upward (in some federations, an explicit "press" command is given, and the athlete cannot lift upwards
until it is given), if the bar fails to touch the chest, if the bar hits the uprights of the rack on the ascent, or if the
bar makes any downward motion during the ascent. In addition, the lift is nullified if the feet move during the lift, if the
buttocks lift off the bench, or if the body makes any extraneous movement during the lift.
The Deadlift
A loaded barbell is placed on the floor. The athlete reaches down, grasps the bar, and lifts it until the legs and back are
straight and upright, and the chest proud. The bar is then returned to the floor in a controlled manner normally at the command
of one of the judges. The end of the lift is referred to as 'locking out', which means to straighten the back and lock the knees
into a balanced position. Disqualification results from the athlete failing to stand completely upright, or if the bar makes any
downward motion during the ascent, or for using the thighs to assist the lift (hitching). Many judges have been known to
disqualify lifters who drop the bar to the floor after the lift is finished, due to the danger involved in dropping such a
heavy amount of weight and the fact that it damages the floor of the gyms that meets are commonly held in.