Which federation should I join?

[duker4life]

Natural lifter, my stats are in the sig. I want to do 100% raw. What do you guys recommend for a beginner. Thanks.

[SPFjudge]

Natural lifter, my stats are in the sig. I want to do 100% raw. What do you guys recommend for a beginner. Thanks.

Do the "I'll just lift in the gym" Federation.

[elchoi]

Natural lifter, my stats are in the sig. I want to do 100% raw. What do you guys recommend for a beginner. Thanks.

If you can try to join the USAPL or USPA feds. Best and most well known/respected in my opinion.

[duker4life]

Do the "I'll just lift in the gym" Federation.

Thanks?

[arian11]

You can be natural and raw in any federation. Find one that is close to you, at a time when you want to compete, and go compete. USPA and USAPL are very big out in California, so you should be able to find a bunch. For example, USAPL is having their American Open with USA Weightlifting out in Anaheim in December. It's going to be a big event, so you should at least go and watch to see what a powerlifting meet is like. You can probably find other powerlifters in your area as well.

http://www.usapowerlifting.com/american-open/

[duker4life]

Thanks for the tip. I'll look into it. Hell, I may just do the dead lift for fun, just to get the understanding of it all.

[smokinHawk]

Natural lifter, my stats are in the sig. I want to do 100% raw. What do you guys recommend for a beginner. Thanks.

um okay here it is
https://rawpowerlifting.com/

[TomMutaffis]

Natural lifter, my stats are in the sig. I want to do 100% raw. What do you guys recommend for a beginner. Thanks.

I'll cast another vote for USAPL.

They generally have strict judging and would be the best federation for a drug-tested lifter, and they have a lot of participation in the 'raw' divisions.

[duker4life]

I'll cast another vote for USAPL.

They generally have strict judging and would be the best federation for a drug-tested lifter, and they have a lot of participation in the 'raw' divisions.

Awesome. Thanks again.

[koontzla]

USPA/USAPL are generally the most respected. I have lifted in the APF and SPF before, and am training for an RPS meet currently. I'd generally stick to USPA/USAPL, but lift in whatever federation puts on meets closest to where you live.

[Garage Rat]

The AAU is a drug free org but don't have many meets close to your location.
The USPA is one of the largest and one of the best here and just started some drug free meets here in Ca.
They put on well organized meets.
They just had a drug tested CA state championships as well as a non tested one.
They only just started doing some DF meets because of interest from some lifters.

Just get in a meet regardless to establish meet lifts and go from there on trying to increase those lifts.
Lifting with PL rules is a little stricter than gym lifts.
Study the rules carefully from what ever org you choose go to a meet and have fun lifting in it.

[duker4life]

The AAU is a drug free org but don't have many meets close to your location.
The USPA is one of the largest and one of the best here and just started some drug free meets here in Ca.
They put on well organized meets.
They just had a drug tested CA state championships as well as a non tested one.
They only just started doing some DF meets because of interest from some lifters.

Just get in a meet regardless to establish meet lifts and go from there on trying to increase those lifts.
Lifting with PL rules is a little stricter than gym lifts.
Study the rules carefully from what ever org you choose go to a meet and have fun lifting in it.

I noticed they just started drug free meets too. I'm going to do a deadlift only meet in December, for USPL. I just don't want to come in last place blown away by guys who are on gear compared to me. It'll piss me off that my lifts are genuine and theirs is due to an enhancement. I'll see what's around my area. Thanks man. I appreciate it.

[RVAPump]

I noticed they just started drug free meets too. I'm going to do a deadlift only meet in December, for USPL. I just don't want to come in last place blown away by guys who are on gear compared to me. It'll piss me off that my lifts are genuine and theirs is due to an enhancement. I'll see what's around my area. Thanks man. I appreciate it.

Jesus Christ...then do a drug tested meet? so tired of people pissing and moaning about who uses and who doesn't...if you don't want to get beaten by enhanced lifters then compete in a federation that tests or get stronger...but NOTHING is more fukking annoying than some snowflake talking about how whoever is stronger than them must be enhanced

[shimmychongo]

Natural lifter, my stats are in the sig. I want to do 100% raw. What do you guys recommend for a beginner. Thanks.

good strength !

[Jason2459]

Natural lifter, my stats are in the sig. I want to do 100% raw. What do you guys recommend for a beginner. Thanks.

Sign up for what ever is close to you at a time that works for you. Sign up for the open class at what ever weight you are now. Does not mater if it's drug tested or not and raw or geared. The people there will not care how you lift at all. Just get on the platform and get the experience and have fun. Talk with people and learn.

Read this sticky.
https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=5395203

[scotpak1979]

jesus christ...then do a drug tested meet? So tired of people pissing and moaning about who uses and who doesn't...if you don't want to get beaten by enhanced lifters then compete in a federation that tests or get stronger...but nothing is more fukking annoying than some snowflake talking about how whoever is stronger than them must be enhanced

roid rage?

[duker4life]

Jesus Christ...then do a drug tested meet? so tired of people pissing and moaning about who uses and who doesn't...if you don't want to get beaten by enhanced lifters then compete in a federation that tests or get stronger...but NOTHING is more fukking annoying than some snowflake talking about how whoever is stronger than them must be enhanced

I love you. Hugs?

[Zarthon]

You can be natural and raw in any federation. Find one that is close to you, at a time when you want to compete, and go compete. USPA and USAPL are very big out in California, so you should be able to find a bunch. For example, USAPL is having their American Open with USA Weightlifting out in Anaheim in December. It's going to be a big event, so you should at least go and watch to see what a powerlifting meet is like. You can probably find other powerlifters in your area as well.

http://www.usapowerlifting.com/american-open/

Big might be a relative thing. USAPL had nowhere near the number of meets in California that USPA had. Myself and a few others started with the idea of joining USAPL and ended up joining USPA last year due to the much larger availability of meets in California.

[PhantomMaxx]

In California there seems to be more USPA meets, both location and frequency. OP you can compete in Sub-Master (35-39) 242lb weight class. Non-tested meets are larger and more frequent then tested. I would not put to much thought on who is geared and who isn't. I don't think about it, I don't do it, and it has not stopped me from having fun and being competitive. Don't over think it, it's not the Olympics.

[arian11]

Big might be a relative thing. USAPL had nowhere near the number of meets in California that USPA had. Myself and a few others started with the idea of joining USAPL and ended up joining USPA last year due to the much larger availability of meets in California.

I don't know how many members and meets USPA has out there. But USAPL California just broke 1,000 members which is the 2nd highest state in USAPL. They've also already had 8 meets out there with 7 more left for the rest of the year. 15 meets in 1 year in a state is pretty high in the USAPL.

[Jason2459]

I don't know how many members and meets USPA has out there. But USAPL California just broke 1,000 members which is the 2nd highest state in USAPL. They've also already had 8 meets out there with 7 more left for the rest of the year. 15 meets in 1 year in a state is pretty high in the USAPL.

But you don't have 20 meets with 5 people in them. 20 meets is bigger.

[f00d]

You're not gonna be challenging any records yet so it doesn't matter. Whatever is closest to you.

[RVAPump]

roid rage?

not roid rage at all...just lulzy when someone calls their lifts "genuine" compared to someone else or gets some moral high from being natural

the truth is that you could pump the average person full of all the tren and anadrol in the world and they still wouldn't be elite

there's a simple solution to his concern, do a tested meet...it's no different than someone who's enhanced complaining about how they don't want to be drug tested at a drug-free meet...don't want to compete against enhanced guys? do a tested meet...don't want to be tested? do a non-tested meet...don't want to get out deadlifted by Dan Green? don't do a meet where Dan Green's competing...it's not hard