Barbell Powerlifters to 70kg - How they build strength without increasing bodyweight?

[Kenny Croxdale]

From the 'IWF Technical and Competition Rule and Regulations 2020' (link)

Great information.

Thanks for providing it.

 

[LukeV]

We're entering an interesting era where sports rules are as likely to influenced by the courts in litigation, the insurers in response/anticipation, or the jurisdiction's work health and safety authority than by the rules committee of the sanctioning sport organisation. In contact sports, concerns about concussion are leading the way (particular mounting evidence that every concussion causes brain damage) with consideration being given to the whole range of factors that give rise to concussion risk (eg rules, equipment, tactics, gender, training etc). And in combat sports this extends to factors relevant to the practice and timing of weigh-in such as dehydration and muscle weakness (often mentioned by competitors who don't get their weigh-in tactics correct) and unequal bodyweight at time of competition (which makes a mockery of the purpose of weigh-in in the first place). But it's not just about concussion, it's the modern societal including legal focus on human safety in its entirety finally catching up with endeavours that have long been known to be unsafe but exempted because they were considered to be voluntary and not workplaces. For my part, I struggle to see how combat sports that allow targeting of the head can survive the next decade or two. I think the lawyers and insurers will see the end of them

Edit: on reflection this comment was well off topic but I am settling in with my first beer of the public holiday

 

[MikeTheBear]

Indeed. 'Weightlifting' a dreadfully vague name for something that has become very specific, although in the early days of the sport, there were numerous lifts performed in competition such as one and two-handed lifts, various presses for both maximum weight and repetitions. 'Olympic weightlifting' works to avoid confusion but this is much to the chagrin of my inner pedant who exclaims "But they have other competitions all the time and they're not the Olympics!" (this is without even going into the perilous state that weightlifting is currently in with regards to its continued place in the Olympic program).

This.

My other favorite is people who say that you can't call yourself an "Olympic weightlifter" unless you've been to the Olympics. Fine, but when I just say "weightlifting" I get involved in the following conservations:

"Oh, you mean like bodybuilding?"
Me: No, I'd never parade on stage in a thong.

"How much ya' bench?"
Me: I hardly ever bench.

"Do you use machines or free weights?"
Me: I use a platform, bumper plates, and a squat rack.

My other favorites (I'm just ranting at this point) come from people who have seen the lifts yet provide the following ignorant comments:

"Those guys in the Olympics just use momentum."
Me: Right. As Isaac Newton said, an object at rest tends to magically gain momentum off of the platform.

"Those guys in the Olympics aren't strong, they just have good technique."
Me: And Usain Bolt isn't really fast. He just has good sprinting technique.

"Isn't lifting weights fast dangerous?"
Me: Is running fast dangerous?

"The Olympic lifts won't get you hyooge, bro."
Me: Not really my goal.

"What muscles do those lifts work?"
Me: All of them.

"Do you do the clean and jerk on lower body day or upper body day?"
Me: I do the clean and jerk on clean and jerk day.

 

[Chrisdavisjr]

My favourite:
"Is that heavy? It doesn't look heavy!"

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I mean, they're right; it certainly doesn't.

 

[MikeTheBear]

@Chrisdavisjr There is also the opposite problem, typically seen at Crossfit boxes, where a light weight looks heavy because the lifter stacked on green and yellow plates.

BTW, I have a man crush on Torokhtiy. His technique videos have changed my lifting.