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Powerlifting is a strength sport in which three attempts at maximum weight are made on three lifts: the squat, bench press, and deadlift. It includes the athlete performing a maximal weight single-lift effort using a barbell loaded with weight plates, similar to Olympic weightlifting. Powerlifting originated from a sport known as “odd lifts,” which utilized a similar three-attempt structure but a broader range of events, similar to strongman competition. Odd lifts were eventually standardized to the present three.

Lifts can be done equipped or unequipped in competition (in the IPF, this is referred as to as ‘traditional’ or ‘raw’ lifting). A supporting bench shirt, squat/deadlift suit, or briefs are used in this context. Knee wraps are allowed in certain federations only in the equipped division but not in the un-equipped division; in others, they are permitted in both the equipped and un-equipped divisions. Weight belts, knee sleeves, wrist wraps, and special footwear may be used, but they are not kept in mind when determining whether a lift is equipped or not.

Events taking place all around the world. Since 1984, powerlifting has become a Paralympic sport (bench press alone) and a World Games sport (under the IPF). Other federations that are not affiliated with the IPF have sanctioned local, national, and worldwide events.

The origins of powerlifting may be traced all the way back to ancient Greek and Persian strength training practices. Men lifted stones to show their strength and masculinity in ancient Greece, which gave rise to the concept of powerlifting. Since 1896, weightlifting has been a part of the Olympic Games. In the 1950s, contemporary sport was born in the United Kingdom and the United States. Previously, both nations’ weightlifting regulatory organizations accepted a variety of “strange lifts” for competition and record reasons.

Olympic weightlifting declined in popularity in the United States throughout the 1950s, whereas strength sports grew in popularity. The Olympic lifts Clean and Press, Snatch, and Clean and Jerk were not popular. The National Weightlifting Committee of the AAU agreed to start recognizing records for odd lifts in 1958. A national championship was planned for 1959, but it never materialized. Under the sponsorship of the York Barbell Company, the first true national “meet” was held in September 1964. York Barbell owner Bob Hoffman had been a longstanding opponent of the sport, but his firm was now producing powerlifting equipment to make up for lost sales on Olympic equipment.

For men with spinal cord injuries, certain powerlifting disciplines were added to the Tokyo Paralympic Games in 1964. With the passage of time, more lifting categories were introduced. Women were finally allowed to compete in powerlifting in the 2000 Paralympic Games in Sydney. Finally, both men and women were permitted to participate in all ten powerlifting weight classes.

Hoffman’s influence on Olympic lifting and his mostly Olympic-based publication Strength and Health came under increased pressure from Joe Weider’s group in the late 1950s. To counter Weider’s rising influence, Hoffman launched a new publication, Muscular Development, devoted to bodybuilding and the rapidly growing interest in odd lift contests.

John Grimek was the magazine’s first editor. Various odd lift events progressively evolved into the specialized lifts of the bench press, squat, and deadlift in the late 1950s and early 1960s, and they were performed in that order. Hoffman became more important in the growth of this new lifting sport, and in 1964 he created the Weightlifting Tournament of America, which was effectively the first national championship in the United States.

The earliest USA National Championships were held in 1965. Lifting in Britain had divisions at the same time period. In the late 1950s, a breakaway group named the Society of Amateur Weightlifters was created to cater to the needs of lifters who were not especially interested in Olympic lifting since members of the controlling body (BAWLA) were primarily concerned with the growth of Olympic lifting.

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