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British Barbell
The Club is confident that all members can see significant Benefits from participating in the sport.
Powerlifting
The sport of powerlifting develops athletes' strength across their entire body. Powerlifting competitions involve lifters demonstrating their maximal strength across three disciplines described below. Lifters interested in entering competition are strongly advised to seek the advice of a qualified referee before entering, as lifts performed in the gym are very rarely to the exactly standards of a competition lift. For more details about powerlifting competitions, results and records, please see the Official Powerlifting Website.
The Three Disciplines of Powerlifting Below we give a some brief details on the performance of each lift. Those considering competing are encouraged to read the rules in full and consult a qualified referee. The full Technical Rulebook, is available on the website for the International Governing Body for Powerlifting, the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF).
Squat
The lifter unracks the bar, with the weight resting across the back of his shoulders. After stepping back into his chosen starting position, the referee will give the signal to commence the lift. The lifter must descend, by bending his knees until the top surface of the leg at the hip joint goes below the top of the knee (the picture (right) is mid ascent). Then by driving through his back, legs and hips he returns the weight to the starting position. The referee will give the signal to return the bar to the rack, when the lifter is standing upright with legs and hips locked.
The first discipline tests every muscle in the body, and frequently involves the heaviest weights. The performance of the lift, and the act of walking with the loaded bar in and out of the rack demonstrates the lifter's control on the weight. For these reasons the squats can be the most impressive lifts to watch.
Bench Press
The lifter unracks the bar, and holds the weight over his chest with arms locked. On the referee's signal the lifter lowers the weight down, bringing the bar to a dead stop on the chest. After a brief pause, the referee instructs the lifter to press. The lifter must then drive the bar back up, in one movement, until his arms are locked. When the bar is motionless and the arms are straightened, the referee gives the signal to return the bar to the rack. Throughout the movement, the lifter must keep his head, shoulders and buttocks in contact with the bench, and his feet flat on the floor.
The second discipline focuses on upper body strength, and typically (although not always) involves the lightest weights of the three lifts. The Bench Press is a very common exercise, and almost everyone who has visited a gym is familiar with the lift. There are also championships for Bench Press alone, and for many athletes this can be their initial introduction to the sport.
Deadlift
With the bar lying loaded on the floor, the lifter must pull the weight in one motion until he is standing upright. When the lifter is standing with his legs and hips locked, and his shoulders back, the referee will give the signal for the lifter to return the bar under control to the floor. There are two different techniques to performing the deadlift, 'Conventional' and 'Sumo'. The Conventional technique is to approach the bar with a narrow stance, gripping the bar outside of the shins. The Sumo technique is to take a wide stance gripping the bar inside of the shins. Both techniques are perfectly acceptable and normally there will be a fairly even split of lifters opting for each technique.
The last discipline is where Championships are won or lost, and can provide a real climax to the competition. Unlike the first two lifts, where the lifter unracks the bar first, and feels the weight, the start of the deadlift is a shock to the system and the lifter feels the full force of the weight for the first time. For this reason, it is very important for lifters to be very focused and attack the weight with all of their power from the outset. Some athletes lift huge personal bests in the deadlift when they have the incentive of a medal.
Competitions
In Championships, the competitors are divided into weight classes (ten for men and nine for women). Every lifter has three attempts in each discipline, with each attempt judged by three referees; the lifter is awarded the lift if it is approved by at least two of the referees. At the start of the competition, the lifter selects his opening attempts; if the lifter is successful in the attempt he can raise the weight for the next attempt, if unsuccessful, he can take same weight again, or increase anyway (but in any case the weight can not be reduced, so opening attempts must be selected carefully). At the end of the competition, each athlete achieves a total, which is the sum of his best (approved) lifts in each discipline; in the event a lifter fails all three attempts in a discipline, he is disqualified from the competition and can not make a total. The Champion for each weight class is determined by the lifter with the largest total (if two lifters have the same total, the lighter lifter will be awarded the title). In addition to the competition within weight classes, an overall Best Lifter is determined, based on a bodyweight linked points system. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
The
Club aims to encourage healthy participation in the sport of
Powerlifting, enabling all our lifters to have full enjoyment and
longevity in the sport. The Club actively encourages members to watch
and take part in competitions; it is an excellent way to motivate and
give focus to training, as well as highlighting the developments
your hard work has produced. Championships are divided by gender, as
well as weight classes (from under 44kg for women to 125kg plus for men)
and age groups (from under 18 right through to 70+), so there is always
room for everyone to compete. 
