Powerlifting Competitions 101
Let me guess. You're here to support a friend, a sibling, a son or daughter, a colleague maybe, but it’s the first time you’ve ever been to a powerlifting competition and you have no idea what’s going on, what the schedule is, what the lights mean and what the refs do? Don’t worry, by the end of this blog you’ll be a powerlifting expert yourself!
ORDER OF LIFTS
Before the competition begins, it is important to know that competitors are usually split into two groups of around 8-14 people. In each group, there may be a mixture of competitors from different weight classes and genders. The order of the lifts always starts with the Squat, followed by Bench Press and ending on Deadlifts and in each lift, competitors will have three attempts. The first group (Group A) will do all three attempts of squats first then the second group (Group B) will do their three attempts of squats. This is followed by a short break before the same thing happens for Bench Press and then again for Deadlifts.
Group A - 1st Attempt Squats > 2nd Attempt Squats > 3rd Attempt Squats followed by
Group B - 1st Attempt Squats > 2nd Attempt Squats > 3rd Attempt Squats
then repeat for Bench Press and Deadlifts.
“The order of the lifts always starts with the Squat, followed by Bench Press and ending on Deadlifts and in each lift, competitors will have three attempts.”
rules of powerlifting
For each lift, there are rules and criteria that must be met in order for a lift to be considered a “good” or successful lift. Before we get into the individual differences though, here are some details that apply across all three lifts.
There are always 3 referees. One head referee in the centre that gives the commands and two side referees.
A “good lift” is when the competitor receives 2 or more white lights from the referees. A “no lift” or an unsuccessful attempt is when the competitor receives 2 or more red lights from the referees.
When the MC announces, “the bar is loaded”, the lifter has 1 minute to complete their lift. If the timer runs out before they start the lift, this automatically counts as a “no lift”.
If a competitor fails an attempt, they can either re-attempt the same weight or increase the weight in the next attempt. They cannot, however, reduce the weight.
Squat
In order for a squat to be given white lights by the referees, competitors must:
Obey the referee’s commands. The commands are: “Squat” then “Rack”.
Squat to depth. This is achieved when the crease at the hip joint is lower than the top of the knee joint at the bottom of the squat.
Squat in a continuous upward motion (i.e. at no point does the bar dip downward while going up in the squat).
Bench press
In order for a bench press to be given white lights by the referees, competitors must:
Obey the referee’s commands. The commands are: “Start”, “Press” (once the bar is motionless on chest) then “Rack”.
Keep their butt on the bench and their feet flat on the ground for the entirety of the lift.
Press in a continuous upward motion (i.e. at no point does the bar dip downward while pressing up).
Deadlift
In order for a deadlift to be given white lights by the referees, competitors must:
Obey the referee’s commands. The only command is “Down” once the competitor fully stands up with the bar.
Fully lock out at the top i.e. their hips and shoulders.
Lift the bar in a continuous upward motion (i.e. at no point does the bar dip downward while going up).
Not rest the bar on the thighs or use the thighs to help “hitch” the bar up.
Keep their hands holding the bar when lowering it down. “Slamming” the bar down or letting it drop from a height is not allowed.
If a competitor is not able to complete a lift to these rules, the referee will give them a red light.
There are many other technical rules but we won’t bore you with the nitty gritty!
For now, you know all you need to enjoy the competition so sit back, relax and watch some strong people lift some heavy shit!
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