The sport of powerlifting has professional exponents whilst also being practised by the average individual. Which level you strive to achieve very much depends on your own personal goals and even those who simply want to tone up and improve their overall fitness can benefit from powerlifting. It is a non gender specific sport and individual training schedules and programmes can be tailor made taking into account your own needs and requirements.
Powerlifting comprises of three individual events; the squat, the dead lift and the bench press. With strength being the key component in powerlifting, the training can be intense as it is not only strength training the lifter will undertake, but also technique and specialist component enabling explosions of power when it is most needed. This is invariably toned down for the recreational lifter who does it for self achievement as opposed to a competitive one.
By regularly practising the three components of the sport you will gain strength gradually, which in turn leads to better overall health, less body fat, lower blood pressure, strengthened muscle, tendon, cartilage and bone structure and a better posture. It is little wonder with so many health benefits to be gained that powerlifting is becoming so popular in the UK, and more and more gyms are including it in their repertoire.
UK powerlifting is regulated by the GB Powerlifting Federation, who have branches throughout the UK. There is more and powerlifting equipment appearing in gyms all the time, particularly in the south, and with this the federation is too expanding and welcoming new members to the fold all the time. The sport is highly competitive, yields great results and has been called the ultimate adrenaline rush.
The good news today is that anyone wanting to get into powerlifting, at whatever level and for whatever means, be it for fun or at a competitive level, there are more facilities than ever in the UK. Those in the south are literally spoilt for choice and nobody should have to travel more than a few miles to find a quality powerlifting facility that will meet all your requirements and much more besides.
From its humble beginnings back in the US in the 70′s, the sport has literally gone from strength to strength. With governing bodies in all countries that participate on an international level, it is growing in stature as fast as it competitors, and under the international ruling body, the IPF, it has become a clean and exciting sport that attracts huge crowds and participants.
With the UK being one of the last to separate weightlifting and powerlifting, we have been somewhat behind when it comes to competitive terms, but with the influx of new facilities, it shouldn’t be too long before we are producing lifters more than capable of holding their own on the international stage.
If you are considering taking up powerlifting as a sport then do your research and make sure that the gym you intend to use has been endorsed by the GB Powerlifting Federation.
