Member
choosing a weight class
Hi Rip,
How did you come to decide to lift in the 220s when you competed? Lately I've been interested in how different heights perform best in certain weightclasses - with anything about 165 and under being dominated by guys who are very short, and the upper weight classes still often dominated by guys who are of average height (Ed Coan comes to mind).
This reiterates a point you like to make, that most people need to gain some/a lot of weight in order for them to reach their peak potential at a given height.
I don't have any point other than that, but I think a discussion on height, weight and how they relate to strength performance is pretty interesting
TMPHBITEU
The decision was simple: it became too hard to make weight at 198. Making weight is no fun, I competed for fun, I was in no danger of breaking any records at 198 -- or 220 for that matter -- so there was no reason to stay at 198. I moved up, lifted better, recovered better, and had more fun.
Callador
Ed Coan started under 181, but as he got stronger/bigger, he was very competitive at 181, 198, 220, and evetually 242. He is 5'5" I believe. If you are a taller guy, you are going to have to eventually compete at 275+. Guys like Eric Lilliebrige (great raw lifter) are 5'11 and 265-275lbs. His Dad is just a little bigger and competes at 308. They are near the top of their weight classes, competition wise. If you are doing it for fun, just weigh in and see where you stand.Originally Posted by stronger
I don't know how tall you are, but if you are 6'4"+ you would eventually probably end up at 308 or SHW. Look at Konstantinovs. He is pretty lean for a big powerlifter, and he weighs around 290. He looks even bigger now! I saw a recent vid of him, and I bet his is 310+.
Member
If you want to be truly competitive in (drug free) powerlifting, you'll probably fall into some sort of height range like this.
5'8 - 181/198
5'9 - 198/220
5'10 - 220/242
5'11 - 220/242
6' - 242/275
6'1 - 275/SHW
6'2+ - SHW
The shorter you get the more leeway there is with where you end up. If you're 5'7 you could be anywhere from 165 to 198 and be competitive basedon your frame, but as you get taller you are more and more limited with the weight classes you could be competitive in.
There are some lifters who will buck trends, but generally not by a lot.
Member
Your way seems to be the norm. Mike Bridges ( whom I believe may be the best RAW powerlifter ever) competed in 4 weight classes (148,165,181,198) and won world championships while setting records in all of the classes. It's kind of like SS way of lifting, where you eat to get larger and stronger, the stronger he got the more weight he added as he moved through the weight classes. Cutting much weight to make a weight class is non productive, but it was the norm for wrestlers when I was in H.S.
Member
It stands to reason that an athlete who is 5'10 220, compared to an athlete who is 6'2 220 with the same BF, would have more muscle, therefore more strength capacity, no?
Member
The fact that the taller athlete has a longer ROM and worse leverage is the bigger issue, I believe. Also, non-muscular mass is absolutely helpful with squats and bench pressing - but not with deadlifting. You can see this if you look at the strength standards for different levels of athletes. Bench and squat continue to climb as bodyweight goes up, but there's a distinct leveling off with deads at around 220.
Member
Interesting. How does non-muscular mass enable one to lift more weight in any form?
Member
thanks for the replies guys... I'm about 5'9 and 210lbs, and will compete in the 220s, although I have plenty more muscle to gain -- and fat to loose -- before I am good at it (first meet in late January of 2012)
Member
A gut, fat thighs, and fat calves will give a lifter more rebound out of the hole because those tissues get compressed at the bottom of the squat and store energy - similar to the way a squat suit works. Also, having a gut improves the leverage of the lift by acting as a counterweight allowing the lifter to sit back more and/or stand more erect.
With the bench you get some rebound as well with thick arms, but mainly it is a reduction in the ROM of the movement. The thicker you are (front to back) the less distance the bar has to move to touch. They even wear special belts to push more meat up to the touch point to further reduce the ROM.
It might not seem like these strategies would make much of a difference, but the bottoms of those two lifts are where the mechanical disadvantage is the greatest. Getting a little boost or not having to go as deep can make a pretty big difference.
Powerlifters also do a "bloat" (retain water) after they weigh in to further swell themselves up. If that extra mass wasn't helping then they wouldn't bother.
None of this helps with the deadlift since it starts at the bottom. In fact, it can actually be hindered. All that flesh can get in the way of getting into a good start position. Wendler also claims that when he had gained weight for his powerlifting career his grip strength went to hell because his hands became like fat paws and made the bar effectively thicker.
The deadlift is the most "honest" of the powerlifting strength measurements IMHO.
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