Powerlifting - what kind of sport?

There are a lot of sports in the sport and if you want to develop your muscles and strength, then information about how powerlifting is what it is and how to properly deal with it to achieve results will be useful and relevant. It is important to know the rules concerning effective training.

What is powerlifting?

First, pay attention to the translation, so "power" means strength, and "lift" is to raise. Powerlifting is a power sport, in which the main task of an athlete is to lift a large weight in the sum of three exercises. Power triathlon includes deadlift, bench press and squats with a barbell. It is important to point out that the main difference between powerlifting and bodybuilding is that the athlete's body structure and appearance are unimportant.

Powerlifting - specifications

In this sport, international competitions are held, where athletes take part, which are divided into weight categories. Powerlifting assumes that with equal amounts of triathlon, the victory will be assigned to an athlete with less weight. By age, according to the rules of the International Federation, the following categories are distinguished:

• boys and girls - 12-18 years;
• juniors and juniors - 19-23 years;
• adults - 23 years and more;
• open age category - 13 years and older.

Powerlifting - women

Among the fair sex this direction in sports is not as popular as among men. This may be due to common myths, for example, many think that the female body after training will become masculine, but this is impossible due to the inability to produce the required amount of testosterone . Another falsehood - female powerlifting is harmful for reproductive function . If you follow the rules and under the supervision of specialists, you can not be afraid of this problem.

Finding out, powerlifting - what it is for women, it is important to point out that with regular exercises you can forget about the elegant waist and female forms, as frequent work with a lot of weight leads to the fact that a man not only develops his strength, but also builds muscle mass and changes externally. In addition, in professional occupations, caloric nutrition is of great importance, which also affects the figure. The basic standards for women are presented in the table.

Powerlifting - men

In gyms, you can see many men working on their body with a lot of weight, but only a few of them are considered to be true powerlifters. Many people confuse the classic powerlifting with bodybuilding, so it will be interesting to consider the main differences:

1. In the first case, the goal is to increase the strength indicators, and in the second case, the growth of muscle mass, taking into account the aesthetic proportions.
2. In powerlifting it does not matter if the exercises are perfect, because the goal is to use the maximum of the muscles to raise the weight, but in bodybuilding the technique must be either clean or with an easy cheating.
3. It is worth mentioning one more difference - the complex includes basic exercises from power triathlon and auxiliary exercises, but in bodybuilding basic and isolating exercises are used .

Powerlifting is good and bad

With regular and correct training, you can count on the following benefits: increased endurance and strength, strengthened muscles, bones and tendons, and the work of the cardiovascular system is also improving. Understanding, powerlifting - what it is and what benefits this sports direction brings for health, it is worth noting that the training positively affects the hormonal system and as a result you can get an excellent physical shape. It is recommended to make an individual training program.

Harm to powerlifting can bring with insufficient physical fitness, use of heavy weight and improper exercise. Beginners are advised to engage with the coach to make a suitable program. If the exercises are incorrectly performed, then the risk of problems in the work of the cardiovascular system and serious injury to ligaments, muscles, tendons and joints increases. In addition, when lifting a large weight, it is possible to shift the discs and the appearance of hernias.

How to start powerlifting?

There are several features of effective training that must be taken into account in order to begin to develop and improve the result:

1. For one training it is impossible to study more than 2-3 muscle groups, and it is inappropriate to apply more than three exercises to each of them.
2. Classes powerlifting implies a gradual increase in the maximum load. It is important to carry out so many approaches that you can keep the technique, pace, number of repetitions and weight.
3. In training, great attention should be paid to the development of the auxiliary and stabilizing muscles that take part in the triathlon.
4. Powerlifting rules include minimizing body fat and increasing muscle mass. It is important not to develop it one-sidedly, that is, all muscle groups should be loaded immediately.

Powerlifting - Exercises

It has already been mentioned that three main exercises are used in this sport:

1. Squats with a barbell . This is the first exercise performed in competitions. Powerlifting for girls and for men is based on the same rules of squatting. First, the bar is taken with a comfortable grip, removed from the posts and located on the upper portion of the trapezoid. The athlete departs from the racks, placing his feet slightly wider than his shoulders and straightening his back. The depth of the squat should be slightly below the parallel with the floor, and the center of gravity must fall on the heels. Lift should be carried out with a flat back.
2. Bench press . In powerlifting, this exercise is performed with some details. The athlete grabs the bar with a wide or medium grip. The first option is more popular, because the longer the distance between the arms, the shorter the rod's path. Remove the bar should be, lifting the pelvis and keeping your hands straight. The speed of the bench press should be maximum, while lowering the projectile, you should reduce the shoulder blades and lower your shoulders. Important nuance - the legs should be as close as possible near the pelvis, and the benches touch only the buttocks. The more the deflection in the back, the shorter the way the bar.
3. Deadlift . The athletes of powerlifting last during their performance perform this exercise. To accept the initial position of the foot should be placed on the width of the shoulders or even further. Records are more often established at the first variant. The athlete bends over with a straight back and takes the bar with a comfortable grip. By raising the legs, the shell rises. The back should always be straight. During the lifting of the bar, the hands should be straight and indifferent. The technique of powerlifting takes into account that it will be possible to lower the projectile only after the knees are straightened and the shoulders are laid back.

Powerlifting Records

Athletes are constantly working to improve their achievements, so new records are set regularly.

1. In the squatting in 2011, Donnie Thompson reached a result of 573.8 kg, and a few months later, his record was beaten by Jonas Rantanen, who overcame a cargo of 575 kg.
2. As powerlifting includes deadlift, we will pay attention and records in this direction. In 2002, Finnish athlete Ano Turthainen set the first record, and he was able to perform the exercise with a weight of 400.5 kg. In 2010, the Icelandic powerlifter installed a new bar, gaining weight of 460 kg.
3. The last world bench press record put in 2013 Taini Meeker, who was able to squeeze 488.5 kg.