If you haven’t already, I recommend reading THE BEGINNERS GUIDE TO POWERLIFTING Part 1 before reading on. I explain what the sport is and how the lifters are divided into their categories. It will give you a good insight into what the sport is about and put into context what I explain here about competition day and individual lift requirements.
Powerlifting competitions are generally a number of full-day events. The number of days depends on the competition. For example, Regionals usually take place over one or two days, Nationals over 2 or 3 days and Internationals can be anywhere from 3 to 6 days. Since the sport is growing quite rapidly and there are more and more lifters to cater for, competitions seem to be getting bigger and the standards and qualifying totals are steadily increasing. Quite often, all females will compete on one day and all males on the other. Lifters are divided into ‘flights’ to compete in on each day. Each flight will consist a maximum of 14 lifters across one or more weight categories (however, you will only ever compete against those in the same weight class as you) and each lifter is allowed three attempts on each lift. The squat is performed first, after every lifter in that flight has completed their three attempts, everyone moves onto the bench press, then finally the deadlift. A maximum therefore, of nine competition lifts will be performed on the day and the lifter’s best valid attempt on each lift will count towards their final competition total.
At every competition, there will be three referees who collectively decide if the lift was “good” or “bad”. A white light is given for a good lift, where the lift is allowed to contribute to the total and a red light given for a bad lift, where the lift is not allowed to contribute to the total. There are a very particular set of requirements each lift must satisfy in order to be given a white light. These lights will be displayed immediately after each attempt, where two or three white lights are sufficient for a good lift and one or less is deemed a bad lift. After all nine lifts, the lifters total is determined by the sum of their best valid squat, bench press and deadlift and unsurprisingly, the lifter with the highest total wins. In the scenario of two lifters achieving the same total, the lifter with the lighter body weight will rank higher. As I have just mentioned, a particular set of requirements must be met for the lift to be deemed good. This makes the manner in which the back squat, bench press and deadlift are performed quite different to how you may have seen them being performed in your average gym. There is no room for knee bends and quarter squats, bouncing or heaving the bar from the chest on the bench press, nor for hitching the bar from the knees on the deadlift. To make very clear the standard each lift must be performed at, I have outlined the reasons for disqualifications below. This should give you an appreciation of how much more difficult it is than the average gym lift.
THREE WHITE LIGHTS: THE SPECIFIC CAUSES OF DISQUALIFICATION IN EACH LIFT ACCORDING TO IPF RULES
Causes for disqualification of the Squat
- Failure to observe the chief referee’s signals before beginning or upon completion of the lift.
- Any downward movement during the ascent.
- Failure to start the lift with knees locked and torso upright or to complete the lift (fully locking the knees out at the top).
- Any movement of the feet (forward, backward or lateral) before the “rack” command.
- Failure to squat deep enough for the crease of the hip to reach below the top surface of the knees.
- Contact with the bar or lifter by the spotters/loaders between the chief referee’s signals.
- Contact of the elbows or upper arm with the legs to support or aid the lifter.
- Dropping or dumping the bar at upon completion of the lift.
Causes for disqualification of the Bench Press
- Failure to observe the chief referee’s signals before beginning or upon completion of the lift.
- Any change in position during the lift (no raising of the head, bum or shoulders from the bench, no movement of the hands along or around the bar and no lifting of any part of the feet from the floor.
- Heaving or sinking the bar into the chest or abdominal area after receiving the “press” command.
- Any downward movement of the bar during the course of it being pressed.
- Failure to lower the bar down fully to touch the chest or abdominal area.
- Failure to complete the lift (pressing the bar to straight arms, elbows fully locked).
- Contact with the bar or lifter by the spotters/loaders between the chief referee’s signals.
- Any contact with the lifter’s feet with any part of the bench or it’s supports.
- Deliberate contact between the bar and the bar rests supports.
Causes for disqualification of the Deadlift
- Failure to observe the chief referee’s signals before beginning or upon completion of the lift.
- Failure to complete the lift (lifting the bar to stand erect with shoulders back)
- Failure to lock the knees upon completion of the lift.
- Supporting the bar on the thighs at any point during the lift.
- Any movement of the feet (forward, back or lateral) before the “down” command.
- Lowering the bar before receiving the Chief Referee’s signal (“down” command)
- Failure to maintain control of the bar back down to the floor (must keep two hands on the bar all the way to the floor so not to drop it).
ROUND UP
Across Part 1 and 2, I have covered the basics of what powerlifting is, how lifters are divided into different classes (according to the IPF) and how the competition is run on the day. Hopefully, you’ll now have a fairly good idea of what sort of quality all your lifts need to be and the requirements they must meet as well as what you’ll be expected to do on competition day. The last post of the series (THE BEGINNERS GUIDE TO POWERLIFTING PART 3) will focus on how find and enter your first competition, what you need to start your powerlifting journey and the necessary equipment for competition day.
