Power Lifting Federations

whippet

I am hoping that someone might be able to shed a bit of light on a few things for me.

I have gotten in to a bit of powerlifting recently and am looking to getting in to doing a couple of competitions. However I haven't a clue as to what comp is for what and what federations are all about.

I just joined a local gym about 6 months ago and have taken a real liking to lifting and gotten some decent coaching.

This is where I get totally flummoxed ... it turns out that most of the guys in the gym lift under the guise of the IPO, initially I didn't even know there was any more than the one federation, but it seems there is the IPF and IDFPA as well.

I suppose my questions are .. what are the differences and why does there need to be three in ireland?

I am looking at doing a comp in another gym in december and I don't think I need to be part of any federation to do that .. but there is the IPF and IPO National Championships in Feb and March from what I can see.

Why would you choose one over the other?

I could ask the guys in my gym but it seems their affiliation is with the IPO and I don't think i'd get a unbiased answer.

Alf Veedersane

Someone else will be able to give you a better explanation but first of all, the different feds in Ireland are Irish branches of global feds.

The IDFPA is a tested fed (DF = drug free)

The IPO isn't a tested fed.

The Irish PF comes under the IPF which is the largest powerlifting fed in the world and is also drug tested.

Then there's the GPC but I'm not entirely sure where they differ.


Someone else will be able to fill in all those blanks...

COH

Aside from the drug testing..

IDFPA raw is belt/wrist wraps
IPF raw is belt/neoprene knee sleeves/wrist wraps

They both use squat stands as opposed to a monolift and use a standard 7 foot 20kg bar for all three lefts and are, for the most part stricter on depth.

IPO and GPC both use a 25kg squat bar which is thicker and longer than a standard bar. They use a 7.5 foot deadlift bar also. They both use a monolift for squatting and raw allows up to 2.5 meter knee wraps. IPO allow you to walk your squats out, GPC does not.

Mellor

COH wrote: »

IPO and GPC both use a 25kg squat bar which is thicker and longer than a standard bar. They use a 7.5 foot deadlift bar also.

What's the impact of these bars?
I'd assume the longer DL bar has more whip giving a mechanically advantage to the start position.
But the squat bar?.

COH

Mellor wrote: »

What's the impact of these bars?
I'd assume the longer DL bar has more whip giving a mechanically advantage to the start position.
But the squat bar?.

Squat bar is sightly thicker (so harder to grip/sits a little differently on your back) and is longer/more rigid than a standard 7foot bar so feels slightly different as it doesn't oscillate at all really

Hanley

COH wrote: »

Squat bar is sightly thicker (so harder to grip/sits a little differently on your back) and is longer/more rigid than a standard 7foot bar so feels slightly different as it doesn't oscillate at all really

To expand - it was designed and used originally in multiply feds where they need more room on the bar for weights, and a thicker more rigid bar to prevent it oscillating during the lift because equipped squats are a hell of a lot heavier than regular raw squats.

...at least they used to be, when a 1,000lb equipped squat was a big deal. Now it's becoming common raw!

deadlybuzzman

Does one of those feds already mentioned still ban/excommunicate people that associate with the other feds?
That always seemed like a psycho jealous girlfriend move to me

Hanley

deadlybuzzman wrote: »

Does one of those feds already mentioned still ban/excommunicate people that associate with the other feds?
That always seemed like a psycho jealous girlfriend move to me

One does. And the other says another one will. But won't.