What's Wrong with Powerlifting as a sport?

[Powersprinter]

"Don't bash the sport when you are putting yourself in a tiny division, compete open and see how you place. I have never done an open meet and even then I would probably barely break top 10 with a total that would blowout collegiates and hold up well in juniors. If you are seeking true competition give open a shot, should be a good eye opener for you."

Yeah i totally agree, did you check out what i wrote now, my view has definitely changed. I was less aware about my strength and how most athletes rarely lift the kind of weight powerlifters do. I said that i am looking to compete in the open division, and am looking to get the squat record for the open 165 division. I am already right at it. I did not realize that I am just a way better powerlifter than I am a track athlete. I have always lifted for track, but now i see that i squat more than 80lbs more than any football player at my college haha. I am now really motivated to do some big things in powerlifting, my big lifts have increased by an average of 50lbs a piece already since last summer.

[corozco]

Missed your post, good luck on getting those national records man. Also, even if you are beastly strong don't get a big head man, stay humble. I'm glad you came to a realization. Now go and smash them!!! You are doing great for 19, keep at it and you will be a beast in your 20's. At 19 I was a weak stick, didn't even know about powerlifting at the time.

[Powersprinter]

Missed your post, good luck on getting those national records man. Also, even if you are beastly strong don't get a big head man, stay humble. I'm glad you came to a realization. Now go and smash them!!! You are doing great for 19, keep at it and you will be a beast in your 20's. At 19 I was a weak stick, didn't even know about powerlifting at the time.

Thanks alot man! Trust me I wont let any of level of strength get to my head because honestly its all about personal progress, and my main way of thinking is that its not as hard as you may think. Actually I have been able to help many of my friends reach some pretty strong numbers which honestly feels great for me to help others out like that. And i do understand that some powerlifters prolly think my bench is total weak sauce right now haha. But once again thank you very much for the kind words, I am very a very ambitious lifter, i have increased my squat by 100lbs in the past year, so I am not planning on slowing down thats for sure! I want to be one of the only raw, drug free lifters to squat 800 in their life, and do it with being in decent shape. Right now I do track workouts first then lift, so I do think i will be able to lift something really great when i get to keep my legs fresh just for lifting. Because its not easy squatting 400+ after doing 200m repeats thats for sure!

[railgunner22]

Because its kinda...you know....boring i guess.

[24skiddidle]

I don't think our society values physical strength that much anymore to be honest.

Why should they value it?

[Wilsonator]

this was actually a good bump IMO good to hear you came to the dark side OP nice lifts good luck with your PL goals in 2012

[rhyde1990]

Did anyone realize that this was Jonnie Candito posting this thread? lol, I was google searching a powerlifter and this came up.

Does anyone feel like this topic is still accurate? Just to keep conversation going, I feel like since Candito posted this, the sport has definitely grown. There are much bigger names now that compete in drug free feds such as Norton, Gibbs, Lewis, and even Candito is going to be entering the Men's Open now. Even in non tested feds, there are names like Rubish, Wong, Green, Oak, Cummins, and Lillibridge that have made the sport relative.

I still think the sport has tons of room to grow as a whole. I feel personally that the sport is watered down in a lot of areas. But I love that Raw lifting is starting to make its way back and the geared lifting is taking a back seat. I do think the sport of powerlifting is heading in the right direction.

Thoughts?

[McCabesLifts]

Ed Coan is a great athlete from powerlifting who never cared about weight class and he never even tracked what he ate lol

[Aubelift]

Why it's bad:
1. Too many feds
2. Bad judging from a lot of feds.
3. Raw lifting is kinda new. It used to be single or multiply mostly.

Why it's getting better:
1. Golden age of raw lifting and powerlifting in general (increase in popularity)
2. Powerlifting is getting more recognition from IOC and population in general.
3. Ppl are now calling out lifters and feds who encourage bad technique/judging.

[scullin]

This will only happen in my imaginary world, but to improve powerlifting. I think there should be one federation. The records should be split by male or female, weight class, and teen, open, or old (lol). That would pretty much solve all the problems of high squats and a boat load of records.

in on bold

[italianplaya30]

Why it's bad:
1. Too many feds
2. Bad judging from a lot of feds.
3. Raw lifting is kinda new. It used to be single or multiply mostly.

Why it's getting better:
1. Golden age of raw lifting and powerlifting in general (increase in popularity)
2. Powerlifting is getting more recognition from IOC and population in general.
3. Ppl are now calling out lifters and feds who encourage bad technique/judging.

I agree with this!

[breathinglife]

EDIT: whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat bump of peace

[TRexLifts]

**** thread, but now that the subject has been brought up I might as well come out and say it. Until powerlifting is an Olympic Sport, it will always been on the fringes. Too much fragmentation, politics, and not enough exposure. Powerlifting is desperately in need of consolidation.

[adpowah]

It is amusing that Candito started this thread years ago.

[twelveosix]

Holy ****, crazy to see Candito post this. Now he's in love with powerlifting

[untranslatedZA]

EDIT: whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat bump of peace

At least its not a mindless bump, and actually brings up an interesting topic 4 years later.
Honestly other than raw being a bigger thing and making it more "real" to other non serious lifters due to the gear = cheating arguement, it doesnt feel like much has changed.
The problem still remains that the sport itself isnt desirable to practice :\
1. Makes very little money even if you are at the top of the sport.
2. People dont understand why its impressive ( clean&jerk vs deadlift ) and isnt as flashy as other sports.
3. Meets are long and boring , even if you compete in them
4. You may or may not actually look more physically attractive, which puts alot of people off, because why to heavy painfull movements that does not get you laid more often.

Hopefully there will be a new breed opf hyper competitive lifters in lower weight classes that are aesthetically pleasing, and a revision on how meets are run ( 2 attempts per lift vs 3 ), 1 federation that manages to get a monopolistic share without getting corrupt / bureaucratic, more entertaining meets with 2-3 platforms so that the meet itself is 4 hours instead of 8, judges dont WK and WhiteLight friends with high squats.

I think Animal has done a great job of promoting powerlifting with the Cage events. Need more of that without scaring off half the public due to powerlifting = hardcore metalheads with mohawks and 17+% bodyfat only

[Daemonium]

LOL bump of peace.

And yes there are a ton of different feds..but I don't see the issue if its getting people introduced to the sport. The judging/politics is a different story.