Female Powerlifters

[fitlover]

I was discussing this topic today with someone else, and we were trying to figure out why there are not more female powerlifters. It's a really fun sport and very challenging. The results of the training speak for themselves too. Women who train for powerlifting and don't go crazy with their diet look amazing.

So I figure I might as well ask the ladies. What is it exactly that would make you want to give powerlifting a try? What is it about the sport that would not make you want to give it a try?

Being a powerlifter myself and having a passion for converting other ladies to "the dark side", I'd love to hear your thoughts on the subject and answer any questions you might have regarding the training/lifestle. Would love to see more women involved in heavy lifting.

For inspiration:

[illiniStrive]

This is probably a tired excuse, but right now I have so much going on with school and work etc. My training has been sporadic the past couple months, and I wouldn't want to sign up for a competition unless I was going to seriously train for it. I'm a competitive person

[itsagoodday]

I must admit I'm eyeballing it for the future. If my options were to specialize in something like bikini/figure or powerlifting, I would be much more inclined to try the latter. But I still feel like such a beginner right now, it seems a bit silly to look that far ahead.

[bethanyboo]

I'd like to do a powerlifting competition one day but it's hard to get my lifts up when I cut for at least a few months every year. Right now my lift numbers aren't really worthy of competing with. But I really hope that one day I can get them high enough to be worthy.

[MrB1g]

It's a real shame it isn't more popular. It's an outstanding way to train and (IMO) a much better overall atmosphere than bodybuilding.

I must admit I'm eyeballing it for the future. If my options were to specialize in something like bikini/figure or powerlifting, I would be much more inclined to try the latter. But I still feel like such a beginner right now, it seems a bit silly to look that far ahead.

It isn't silly! Powerlifting is (again, IMO) the absolute best way for any beginner to train. You will see the fastest results on your lifts unquestionably, and from that stems a whole range of benefits.

[fitlover]

This is probably a tired excuse, but right now I have so much going on with school and work etc. My training has been sporadic the past couple months, and I wouldn't want to sign up for a competition unless I was going to seriously train for it. I'm a competitive person

Understandable, and you have to put major priorities first. I know how that competitiveness feels But sometimes you just gotta go out there and get the first meet done anyway. It's always a learning experience the first few times anyway!

I must admit I'm eyeballing it for the future. If my options were to specialize in something like bikini/figure or powerlifting, I would be much more inclined to try the latter. But I still feel like such a beginner right now, it seems a bit silly to look that far ahead.

Why would it be silly? If you begin with a strength program you'd be building a good strength base as well as a good muscle base. Pretty much everyone can benefit when training in a powerlifting style, even a lot of BBers/figure competitors. If you start now you'll be further ahead in the game by the time you decide to specialize in one thing.

I'd like to do a powerlifting competition one day but it's hard to get my lifts up when I cut for at least a few months every year. Right now my lift numbers aren't really worthy of competing with. But I really hope that one day I can get them high enough to be worthy.

Why do you cut for a few months every year? Also, cutting can be done while on a strength program. All you have to do is cut slowly. I know of people who competed a week after their BBing shows and still made PR's And you can start at any numbers with powerlifting. You don't need to reach a certain range before you compete. It's more about competing against yourself than competing against other people

It's a real shame it isn't more popular. It's an outstanding way to train and (IMO) a much better overall atmosphere than bodybuilding.



It isn't silly! Powerlifting is (again, IMO) the absolute best way for any beginner to train. You will see the fastest results on your lifts unquestionably, and from that stems a whole range of benefits.

Agreed 100%

[birdiefu]

I think its a shame that people think they need to be lifting at least 2x BW or something to enter a competition. There is no set number you should start competing at, and if one has ever been to a meet, one would see that lifters get cheered on for their effort and not so much the #s. If you can lift the bar, go at it, I say

What I like about powerlifting is many things. First of all - it's based on numbers, something I can track well over time, and compare old lift #s to current. If I was going for aesthetics, I could see that would be a lot harder to see the small changes. But aesthetics sure as hell come along with PL training eventually! I also love the technical aspect - trying to perfect form and find the best training techniques that work for me. And the PRs, what else could you ask for?

My next meet is in 3 weeks and even if I don't get #s I had hoped to get, I'm just gonna have a damn good old time trying. And it's always fun to hang out with happy, fat, bald, strong dudes, LOL.

[itsagoodday]

My aim right now is just to follow through with what I've already started and meet my original goals, which I'm getting awfully close to. I've got a trainer that I enjoy working with, and have been getting great results with her in every way that I wanted, which was to lose weight / add muscles / improve overall fitness. When I meet my original goals, it's going to be time to find some new ones. Good to know that powerlifting is also beginner appropriate, and moving from hypertrophy to strength training is quite an appealing thought. Hmmmm.

[Big_Sky_Guy]

I think its a shame that people think they need to be lifting at least 2x BW or something to enter a competition. There is no set number you should start competing at, and if one has ever been to a meet, one would see that lifters get cheered on for their effort and not so much the #s. If you can lift the bar, go at it, I say

What I like about powerlifting is many things. First of all - it's based on numbers, something I can track well over time, and compare old lift #s to current. If I was going for aesthetics, I could see that would be a lot harder to see the small changes. But aesthetics sure as hell come along with PL training eventually! I also love the technical aspect - trying to perfect form and find the best training techniques that work for me. And the PRs, what else could you ask for?

My next meet is in 3 weeks and even if I don't get #s I had hoped to get, I'm just gonna have a damn good old time trying. And it's always fun to hang out with happy, fat, bald, strong dudes, LOL.

I resemble that remark!

Going in and doing your best at a meet should be respected by everyone! Being based on the numbers rather than "the look" makes it so much easier to judge our own personal progress. Plus, you will be laying the foundation of muscle that you are looking for aesthetically.

Hoping the wife enters the PL comp I am doing this August!

[CathyVee]

Fitlover, those videos are very inspriring! I'm intrigued by the idea of powerlifting but haven't a clue how to go about getting involved in the sport. Can you tell us about how you got started, how you even find an event to participate in and any other information that would be helpful to know.

[JustaGirl78]

As you know from FB, I'm seriously considering a competition later this year or early next year. Been researching competitions over here and there are a couple I'm interested in. Need to get my big lifts up a little more though, my bench is severely lagging behind my squat and deadlift!

[kjake55]

I love powerlifting! I love being able to track my progress from one training session to the next. I love seeing the increases in weight and volume of work. I love stepping up to a loaded bar and knowing ~ knowing ~ that my heart has to meet my head in order for me to lift it off the ground and then actually lifting the bar off the ground! There's just nothing like it. I love the PR's and the feeling of exhiliration you get from lifting weights thart you've never lifted before. I love that most of the competition to do better is againt yourself and that there's usually someone around to cheer you on when you're trying to best your last weight. I love the companionship of it all and the fact that it is such a welcoming community of people. All in all there's not a better sport to participate in.

And to you ladies who are thinking about competing my advise to you is this.....do it! I signed up for a competiton myself with no clue how I am going to do or ever having done one in the past and it's been such a unique experience that I'm already wondering about getting into another one before I've even gotten through this one.

[Big_Sky_Guy]

Helpful site for finding a meet in your area:

http://www.powerliftingwatch.com



And there is an entire PL section here at BB dot com

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/forumdisplay.php?f=33

[SilverSun]

I used to have a trainer for a couple months who was teaching me to deadlift, squat and bench. He also started teaching me the Olympic lifts, and I loved all of it. He left my gym though and I've been on my own a while now...progress is slow and my numbers aren't anything to write home about

If I knew of a good powerlifting gym in my area where I could find a good coach, I'd go for it. I feel like I'm not doing well enough on my own to start thinking of competing.

[mrshester]

Love those videos!! Okay, so in laymans terms, what is the difference between "regular" lifting and powerlifting? And what would be a good guesstimate of where you could start with a DL? I finally got up to a 12 rep of 120 on my squat this afternoon...

[sonti]

Why I love PL...

#1- nothing more satisfying than consistently breaking PR's
#2- being able to compete at shows/meets without the stress of BB dieting (it's far more casual obviously)
#3- I feel it's a better role model to women (eating for health/fitness rather than looks, let's be honest - BB is ridden with ED girls)
#4- basic workouts, basic lifts

I really miss PL, I've had to give it up (I'm 4 months pregnant, avoiding bench/deadlit and squats are very reduced weight) but look forward to getting back into it as soon as I can.

[sonti]

Love those videos!! Okay, so in laymans terms, what is the difference between "regular" lifting and powerlifting? And what would be a good guesstimate of where you could start with a DL? I finally got up to a 12 rep of 120 on my squat this afternoon...

In very basic terms, PL is this: 3 lifts - squat, bench, deadlift (in that order). 1 rep max, 3 attempts each. form and timing matters - you will be disqualified for incorrect form and must hold the lifts for a minimum time (help me? 3 seconds?). That's it!

[rdferguson]

In very basic terms, PL is this: 3 lifts - squat, bench, deadlift (in that order). 1 rep max, 3 attempts each. form and timing matters - you will be disqualified for incorrect form and must hold the lifts for a minimum time (help me? 3 seconds?). That's it!

Different federations might have different rules, but I'm not aware of any strict time requirements in standard PL rules. There often will be a 1-4 sec hold before you're cleared to move into the next phase of the lift, but as far as I'm aware it's just until the judges are satisfied that you're in the correct position.

OP, one of the big things that would dissuade a lot of women from PL is the fear of losing their femininity in the process. It goes deeper than "but teh barbellz will make me le bulkiez!!" -- it's the perceived attitudes that go hand-in-hand with the sport. Let's face it, it IS an aggressive, gruelling sport that truly demands maximal effort, and when it comes to the way the competition is scored, at the end of the day it really does come down to "mine's bigger than yours." In a lot of ways, when you look at a serious PL meet, you see machismo at its peak. A lot of women, even if they're perfectly okay with training to be stronger in the squat, bench press and deadlift for the functional, health and aesthetic benefits, will not be comfortable with the idea of going into powerlifting because of the machismo inherent in the sport.

[Cvrchak]

I love pl
I was in the gym on and off, and never trained constantly until now. I got a program, I can track my progress, and I love it when I fell strong, and do another PR.
Pl is relativly new here, we have had a couple of contests for guys, but now more and more girls are insterested, and I think there wil be some female category next year.

[mellie369]

I think about it from time to time, lol, and may head in that direction one day. My deadlift sucks but my bench and squat are decent. I can bench 200 for a couple reps and can squat ATG squat 225. I dunno... I like bodybuilding though. I like the leaness and shape of bodybuilders. But if I had someone to properly introduce me to powerlifting, maybe I'd get into it!

[ilovethe80s]

I just do the best I can and if I make progress from meet to meet, I'm happy. Even if I suck at a meet I am glad it happened and learn from it, and will give me new fire in the gym. My numbers might not be the best out there, but I'm always really proud of my lifts when I consider the circumstances (baby and young kids, 9 times out of 10 my workouts are truncated, I never get more than 30 minutes to train and rarely get more than a few hours sleep, etc). If I waited for the 'perfect' time when I could give it me all - that would be never haha. You truly are only competing with yourself.

Also as a marker. I did my first meet 6 months postpartum and my second meet 1 year postpartum and it was really cool to see the difference in numbers on print. It is so exciting to train for something. And focus on performance rather than body issues that arise after having a baby.

At meets I see all kinds of body types, so I don't think being a powerlifter means you need to turn to flubber. Some people look like bodybuilders. I know I don't have the physique of someone who does bodybuilding competitions and things, but I do think that if I wanted to - it might take a month or so of fine tuning to get closer to that look.

And a great way to meet friends. If you see another female at a powerlifting meet, chances are you have a LOT in common!

When watching a meet I get just as excited for the person pushing 100 pounds as the person pushing 500. I love watching people struggle to get a lift, the amount of weight is actually irrelevant.

[gwnorth]

I've just started training for strength after dieting for a year. I'm just a few weeks into it and find my progression slow, but then as Rippitoe would say I'm not "doing the program" lol since I'm eating at maintenance, not bulking. I'd be lying if I said that aesthetics weren't important to me, but if being strong wasn't important, I'd be training for hypertrophy like BB's instead of strength. My PT is entering his first PL competition this spring and mentioned it would be a good long term goal for me. I have at least a year of training ahead of me before I would even consider competing. At least with PL'ing I wouldn't have to worry about power cleans lol.

As an aside, I've been following Gillian Mounsey's blog in her switch from crossfit to Oly lifting. That girl can lift.

[fitlover]

Fitlover, those videos are very inspriring! I'm intrigued by the idea of powerlifting but haven't a clue how to go about getting involved in the sport. Can you tell us about how you got started, how you even find an event to participate in and any other information that would be helpful to know.

I would say start with a very basic strength program, stick with it for a good 4-6 months, and then once you've built up a good base strength and technique for the different exercises, start looking into local competitions. The most important thing is not how much you're lifting, but that you are aware of the rules of competition, the technique for each lift, etc. The meets are all about having fun and testing your limits, and I say nothing should stop you if you want to enter one! Starting Strength is a good program to start with generally speaking.

Love those videos!! Okay, so in laymans terms, what is the difference between "regular" lifting and powerlifting? And what would be a good guesstimate of where you could start with a DL? I finally got up to a 12 rep of 120 on my squat this afternoon...

Powerlifting focuses more specifically on the increase of the squat, bench, and deadlift. It targets weaknesses directly from an athletic/competitive POV, rather than a hypertrophy/physical improvement standpoint. Of course if you're doing a program such as Westside there will be hypertrophy aspects included into the training, but the focus is set on getting as strong as possible.

It depends what you mean by that. Start with a weight that is very light for you and work your way up to a top set of 2-5.

OP, one of the big things that would dissuade a lot of women from PL is the fear of losing their femininity in the process. It goes deeper than "but teh barbellz will make me le bulkiez!!" -- it's the perceived attitudes that go hand-in-hand with the sport. Let's face it, it IS an aggressive, gruelling sport that truly demands maximal effort, and when it comes to the way the competition is scored, at the end of the day it really does come down to "mine's bigger than yours." In a lot of ways, when you look at a serious PL meet, you see machismo at its peak. A lot of women, even if they're perfectly okay with training to be stronger in the squat, bench press and deadlift for the functional, health and aesthetic benefits, will not be comfortable with the idea of going into powerlifting because of the machismo inherent in the sport.

I'm here to help dispell the myth that you will lose your femininity. I agree and disagree with some of your points. Of course it is an intense sport, but I don't think it's ever about "mine's bigger than yours". In every single meet I have been to, and having known and networked with many different athletes, they're all very helpful, supportive, and friendly. It's not about competing against other people. Everyone is there to help each other. Sure one might be battling for a record, but it's never in ill nature.

A lot of people get very riled up, angry, psyched, etc. at the meet so that they can mentally prepare for the lift, but it doesn't mean they are actually angry or that they are being over aggressive with other people. At the end of the day everyone gets a handshake and a "Great lifting today!"

It's a very misunderstood sport, and I find that the aggressiveness, competitiveness, contempt, or "machismo" you speak of is more commonly found in bodybuilding/figure sports more than anything else.

[mrshester]

Thanks for the answers! Can you go to meets to just watch? I'm in a small town, and it looks like all the meets in my state for this year are at least 2 hours from me, at least an hour from any of the gyms listed. I don't even know that there are any guys at my gym who do PL (definitely no women that I've ever seen...its the typical gym...very few women do anything but cardio :/ )

[SophieM]

To all those saying you're not strong enough to compete. I am ALWAYS the weakest one at meets by FAR but I still enjoy myself and learn from the other lifters. No one makes fun of me or laughs because I am weak. Everyone is very encouraging.

Granted, one of these days when life stops interferring with living my numbers won't be as pathetic, but for now, it is what it is.

[Romina81]

I like the powerlifting style of training it's actually really fun and interesting in so many levels!
Currently doing sheiko cycles....I dont think I'd ever want to sign up to a meet or anything like that though...just no interest really

[Cvrchak]

I think about it from time to time, lol, and may head in that direction one day. My deadlift sucks but my bench and squat are decent. I can bench 200 for a couple reps and can squat ATG squat 225. I dunno... I like bodybuilding though. I like the leaness and shape of bodybuilders. But if I had someone to properly introduce me to powerlifting, maybe I'd get into it!

I also like the leaness of bodybuillder, and I try to fiind some compromise between the leaness and the strength

[rdferguson]

I'm here to help dispell the myth that you will lose your femininity. I agree and disagree with some of your points. Of course it is an intense sport, but I don't think it's ever about "mine's bigger than yours". In every single meet I have been to, and having known and networked with many different athletes, they're all very helpful, supportive, and friendly. It's not about competing against other people. Everyone is there to help each other. Sure one might be battling for a record, but it's never in ill nature.

A lot of people get very riled up, angry, psyched, etc. at the meet so that they can mentally prepare for the lift, but it doesn't mean they are actually angry or that they are being over aggressive with other people. At the end of the day everyone gets a handshake and a "Great lifting today!"

It's a very misunderstood sport, and I find that the aggressiveness, competitiveness, contempt, or "machismo" you speak of is more commonly found in bodybuilding/figure sports more than anything else.

The culture in a competition may be focused on beating PR's rather than beating the next person, but at the end of the day the gold medal doesn't go to the person who's improved the most or tried the hardest, it goes to the person with the best lifts. So the score-board is still based on whose is biggest. Compare that to dance or gymnastics (you know, things that are much more traditionally accepted by women as fitting athletic pursuits), where if there is any competition involved it's based largely on subjective qualities, rather than racking up a certain number of points (or lifting a certain weight). As an aside, I've noticed that when it comes to competition, it actually is a very supportive environment so long as everyone plays fair and gives their all...often times, this isn't the case so much outside of competition, where you get a lot of the "if you can't squat xyz you fail at life" type attitudes. But I never actually talked about any contempt in the sport, that was your spin on things (though I can see why you'd interpret my post as implying that).

Aggression does not mean attacking (mentally or physically) another person or being hostile. It does mean having a target and pushing for it. Aggression isn't a bad thing until it gets misused, and I get the impression that you've read my use of the word aggression to mean "misused aggression." In any case, aggression can be a very positive thing, but, right or wrong, the aggression required to do well in competition (both the aggression used in the meet and the aggression used in training, the latter of which might actually be more intimidating) can be off-putting to a lot of women, and how it may carry over into the rest of their lives (or how the sport may take over the rest of their lives, which is a very real possibility once the aggressive spark for the sport is lit) can be even more off-putting.

For the record, I'm not intending to promote or push the idea that powerlifting and femininity cannot go together. But it's not a sport that many women will intuitively think of as something aligned with their womanhood. Alas the videos posted at the start of the thread don't help much because, as I said before, the issue for a lot of women goes deeper than fear of becoming bulky. The women in those videos are hot as -- physically there's no doubt that they're women, and good looking ones at that -- but just as manliness has significantly more to it than being born with testes, femininity has significantly more to it than being trim and having a nice butt.

[dreahere]

The culture in a competition may be focused on beating PR's rather than beating the next person, but at the end of the day the gold medal doesn't go to the person who's improved the most or tried the hardest, it goes to the person with the best lifts. So the score-board is still based on whose is biggest. Compare that to dance or gymnastics (you know, things that are much more traditionally accepted by women as fitting athletic pursuits), where if there is any competition involved it's based largely on subjective qualities, rather than racking up a certain number of points (or lifting a certain weight).

Wut? How about the many many other sports women have competed in for the last 50 or 100 years, like track and field, swimming, basketball, field hockey, tennis, golf, softball, etc etc? Do you really think in 2012 women actually find competitive athletics unfeminine?

Aggression does not mean attacking (mentally or physically) another person or being hostile. It does mean having a target and pushing for it. Aggression isn't a bad thing until it gets misused, and I get the impression that you've read my use of the word aggression to mean "misused aggression." In any case, aggression can be a very positive thing, but, right or wrong, the aggression required to do well in competition (both the aggression used in the meet and the aggression used in training, the latter of which might actually be more intimidating) can be off-putting to a lot of women, and how it may carry over into the rest of their lives (or how the sport may take over the rest of their lives, which is a very real possibility once the aggressive spark for the sport is lit) can be even more off-putting.

Again, wut? See above.

For the record, I'm not intending to promote or push the idea that powerlifting and femininity cannot go together. But it's not a sport that many women will intuitively think of as something aligned with their womanhood. Alas the videos posted at the start of the thread don't help much because, as I said before, the issue for a lot of women goes deeper than fear of becoming bulky. The women in those videos are hot as -- physically there's no doubt that they're women, and good looking ones at that -- but just as manliness has significantly more to it than being born with testes, femininity has significantly more to it than being trim and having a nice butt.

Like what? Being helpless, passive, or weak? I'm not getting this.

[Miranda]

Do you really think in 2012 women actually find competitive athletics unfeminine?

i'd like to see actual statistics on that one . . . and i'd venture to guess the answer would be yes-ish.

hint: this board is not representative of the majority of women

Like what? Being helpless, passive, or weak? I'm not getting this.

i think he does have a point.

if you're not proactive and competitive and strong, then you must be helpless, passive and weak? personality traits are spread across a continuum, not either/or.

competitive sports are largely a physical manifestation of strength, team work, determination et cetera, but they are not the only way to be such. in this day and age, women surely have the opportunity to choose what type activities they wish to participate in.

if a woman doesn't want to participate in competitive strength sports, so be it. it has little to do with being a confused little mouse.

an off-tangent would be that i personally find the idea that women have to be told that they are strong extremely talking-down and condescending. like, they should be able to figure it out themselves.