The Major Powerlifting Organizations and the Athletes Who Compete for Them

Added: 10/01/2006
Powerlifting is part strength but also part mind control. You have to believe you can jerk such huge amounts of weight over your head in order to actually achieve your goal. Powerlifting as an active branch of strength sport became popular from mid twentieth century. Having separated from Olympic Weightlifting, which requires rapid and maximum strength, powerlifting has grown into the network of powerlifting organizations. With its different norms and standards in different countries powerlifting federations were established. The following article gives an overall powerlifting organizations review.

Modern powerlifting includes three main events: the squat, the bench press and the deadlift. Each event requires different force concentration and therefore has certain rules, penalties and restrictions. Despite the fact that powerlifting always uses the mentioned above three events, there are different interpretations of the rules. For instance, some powerlifting federations allow no gear worn by the athlete!


In the course of powerlifting development different standards have been set up. That mostly depends on the geographical factor. Different countries set up different rules and standards. That resulted in the formation of powerlifting organizations. A powerlifting organization has its own rules (although agreed upon with international powerlifting organizations, organizes competitions etc.)

Among the most famous and influential organizations and federations in the US are: 100% Raw Powerlifting, American Drug-Free Powerlifting Federation (ADFPF), Amateur Athletic Union Powerlifting (AAU), Anti Drug Athletes United (ADAU), USA Powerlifting (USAPL), World Natural Powerlifting Federation (WNPF), American Powerlifting Federation (APF), Son Light Power (SLP), American Powerlifting Federation (APF), American Powerlifting Committee (APC), World Association of Benchers and Deadlifters (WABDL) and a number of others.

Canadian powerlifting organizations include Canadian Powerlifting Council (CPC) and Canadian Powerlifting Union (CPU).

Powerlifting organizations review would be incomplete without mentioning of European and international federations and organizations like International Powerlifting Federation (IPF), Global Powerlifting Committee (GPC), World Powerlifting Association (WPA), World Powerlifting Congress (WPC), World Drug-Free Powerlifting Federation (WDFPF) and World Powerlifting Organization (WPO).

The names of half of powerlifting organizations are quite explicable in the sense of drugs use. It is strictly forbidden to use any drugs that might intensify any processes within the human body and also strong painkillers. The differences between these powerlifting organizations are sometimes quite insignificant.

It may include the following discrepancies: some federations allow the athlete not to touch the chest with the bar while doing bench press; other powerlifting organizations allow lifter to touch the stands on his upward movement with the bar. Normally international organizations try to regulate and approximate such standards. The main function of international powerlifting organizations is to promote, organize and control competitions, contests, etc.

Despite obvious benefit from these numerous powerlifting organizations (different competitions, and consequently different approaches and techniques) the use and/or abuse of competition gear and differences in standards makes inclusion of this kind of sport to Olympic Games unlikely. For the time being there is no recognition of the Olympics for powerlifting.

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