How to Fix Powerlifting? | Mark Rippetoe

[Ben Roberts]

I have 2 questions

1. What does it mean to "heave" a bench press, and how could that be judged?
2. How exactly does it benefit a lifter to gain weight in a 24 hour weigh-in? I know it does but I'm not sure how to explain it. It isn't like he's actually gaining 15 pounds of contractile tissue, right?

[markus1]

The sumo deadlift isn't generally speaking any easier to perform than conventional. And simply widening your stance to the plates does not make the lift generally easier than using a shorter sumo stance.

The requirement for consistency is necessary and I get the point but it shouldn't be taken so far as to take all uniqueness away from a lifter. Its not the Olympics. Everyone is allowed to lift either sumo or conventional. The playing field is equal in that sense.

Who is actually complaining here? Are conventional lifters complaining about their competitors using sumo because it's easier?

[crc]

I have 2 questions

1. What does it mean to "heave" a bench press, and how could that be judged?
2. How exactly does it benefit a lifter to gain weight in a 24 hour weigh-in? I know it does but I'm not sure how to explain it. It isn't like he's actually gaining 15 pounds of contractile tissue, right?

An athlete who cuts weight in order to qualify for a lower weight class does so through dehydration, then rehydrates back up to his normal performance weight. They can then compete in a weight class below their actual competition weight and enjoy a size advantage over anyone who didn't do the same. It's got nothing to do with gaining muscle in a day, it's about unnaturally wringing as much water out of the body as possible and then spending 24 hours getting back to their normal, which ideally is a bigger and presumably stronger normal than their competition.

[heman]

Great article!

Quite many of the issues and suggestions are already implemented in the US strengthlifting.

- weigh out after last deadlift, instead of a weigh in.
- only conventional deadlift
- no judge commands, just do the lift and then the judges judge.
- bench press replaced by overhead press, (not suggested in the article but solves several of the issues mentioned on the bench press. I don't know the exact rules but wonder if they can avoid the issues that got the press removed from weightlifting).
- only non-supportive singlets allowed.
- walk out, and walk back in the squat, restriction on number of spotters (not exactly as the article describes but in that general direciton).


Did you have any involvement in the creation of strengthlifting or did their changes perhaps influence your views on the topic?

[Nick Delgadillo]

Great article!

Quite many of the issues and suggestions are already implemented in the US strengthlifting.

- weigh out after last deadlift, instead of a weigh in.
- only conventional deadlift
- no judge commands, just do the lift and then the judges judge.
- bench press replaced by overhead press, (not suggested in the article but solves several of the issues mentioned on the bench press. I don't know the exact rules but wonder if they can avoid the issues that got the press removed from weightlifting).
- only non-supportive singlets allowed.
- walk out, and walk back in the squat, restriction on number of spotters (not exactly as the article describes but in that general direciton).


Did you have any involvement in the creation of strengthlifting or did their changes perhaps influence your views on the topic?

The origins of Strengthlifting: Rippetoe Invitational

and

http://library.crossfit.com/free/pdf...06_CFTotal.pdf

[sugapablo]

Spot on. I would like to add one more rules that would definitely earn me some anger: weight never comes off the bar, like Olympic lifting. Makes for a little more strategy and interest as a sport to watch.

[meetch]

I'm a little late to reading/responding to this, but the proper indictment of RPE and its dogma within the IPF circle brought me here. This post may be a tad long, but please, indulge with me.

When I was involved in the sport, I remember watching a video leading up to the 2014 World Championships. I watched the "Head Coach" of the Canadian team give a recap of the first day. This coach spoke about the performance of a teenage female lifter in the lighter weight classes. The majority of the coach's commentary focused on her weight cut. This buttplug of a human being went on and on about the resilience of the lifter in how she got back in the sauna to cut weight because "she is so tough." If that is not a sophisticated form of abuse, I don't know what is.

I want to repeat that this was a teenage female lifter at the time. Weight cutting is horrible and needs to be eliminated.

While we're at it, RPE sucks, too.