Still don’t see why this is a bad thing. I’d rather have a sport where there are people of all ages and from both sexes in all weight classes than some 300 pound men equipped lifting. It’s ease to pick up is its asset, why powerlifting is a lot more popular than Oly lifting in most places.
1 Like
I believe most things bring about pros and cons in some way, there’s rarely a situation where it’s all pros. With that being said, it’s accessible and popular. I don’t equate popularity with it being a good thing however. It just means that the likelihood of there being more douches have increased. I’ve literally met people who call themselves competitive powerlifters who go on about how they’ll only use Eleiko bars and calibrated thin metal plates etc. The powerlifting social media boom has brought about these new breed of elitist ass holes who think they’re all hot shit because they happen to lift weights. For the record, most of this people have a Class 1 total at best.
But then again, the social media boom has also gotten a bunch of people off their asses, doing stuff so that’s cool.
Oh and on a side note which might belong on the confessions page instead, I don’t consider anyone who has a below elite total a powerlifter. He/she is just a person who lifts who might’ve competed in a meet or two. The term powerlifter should be a term that has to be earned. Anyone can buy a singlet and pay the registration fee for a meet. You don’t call yourself a chef if you can cook instant ramen, now do you?
most of this people have a Class 1 total at best.
What is a class total? I have never heared of it. Sounds intresting.
I call myself a chef if I don’t burn toast.
I don’t think you can call yourself a “Powerlifter” unless you are at a high level and its how you make income. Something along those lines.
You can’t call yourself athlete if you run track, you have to actually make an income from it as your primary source.
Your not a powerlifter you are someone who powerlifts and competes occasionally. [quote=“Benanything, post:82, topic:227379”]
new breed of elitist ass holes
[/quote]
There are elitist assholes just about everywhere you look, in pretty much all sports.
1 Like
Eh, maybe it’s just me but for some odd reason there seem to more douchey “powerlifters” in my area.
I’m the only person in my whole gym who trains like a powerlifter so maybe I’m biased. Training legs twice a week is almost as unfathomable as not doing arms every other day to them.
Under these qualifications, no one would be a powerlifter. There is no money in the sport.
Edit: Also, you wrote you train “like a powerlifter” and this statement confuses me whenever I see it. At every meet I have been to, everyone trained pretty differently. I did my first meet running DoggCrapp and my final meet running some Frankenstein program with ROM progression. I don’t really know of any codified approach to training that could be like a powerlifter.
Strongman is even crazier, haha.
3 Likes
people make the distinction so that others know, in no uncertain terms, that they are most definitely NOT a bodybuilder
9 Likes
Eh idk about the whole have to make money thing. Thousands of college athletes don’t make money and yet I would call them athletes. Just because they aren’t paid doesn’t mean they aren’t an athlete, just an amateur athlete by definition.
2 Likes
There are exactly zero human beings on this earth who actually make a living wage directly from powerlifting. They make money from online training, supplement endorsements, their own supplement companies, gym ownership, etc.
Also, what exactly do you define as a ‘high level’? This seems arbitrary, and I bet your definition of high level will change as you get stronger. A fluid, arbitrary definition is not a good way to define a word…
To me, you’re a powerlifter if you have stepped on the platform and competed in a sanctioned event. Period.
And your track athlete definition is equally absurd. No college students in America earn income at all from track. Because that’s how college works here. But there are plenty of college students competing in the olympics. You are literally suggesting that a track athlete could medal in the olympics, but if their primary source of income is not directly from track athletics, they are not an athlete. Are you aware that almost ZERO track athletes who compete in the olympics actually make income from it?
I really don’t think you thought this one through.
5 Likes
Yup. I think people are making way too big a deal out of the term.
I will say that, after a certain off peroid, I think you can lose that status. I haven’t done a meet since 2012. I call myself a former powerlifter now.
3 Likes
Yea totally. I call myself a competitive strongman now when people ask ‘what do you do’? I think that’s the best way to describe it. Because when people ask, they are just trying to make the distinction between the concepts of ‘are you a gym rat, do you pose in your underwear and get tan, or do you lift weights competitively?’ if someone more knowledgeable asks me, I say ‘my background is in powerlifting, but I mostly do strongman stuff now’. And you’re absolutely right. I don’t understand why the term ‘powerlifter’ needs to be held in such high regard. It’s such a basic thing. For those who want to get technical, and address the level at which one lifts, that seems just as easy. You can add the prefix of ‘class 1’ or ‘elite’ or ‘internationally elite’ or ‘elite in 3 weight classes’. We have built in descriptors to address the thing that some people here want addressed just by the base term. I think that’s foolish. There are actual concrete numbers that classify you within the sport of powerlifting. Why not just use those, rather than use some abstract, truly unrelated to competitive level concept like ‘making income’ or ‘compete at a high level’. That’s really silly.
4 Likes
When I was 5, my parents made me do a fashion show for some kids clothing brand, for which I was, apparently, paid.
I can call myself a professional model. Yahoo.
5 Likes
I once won $100 in a strongman contest and suddenly became one of the highest paid athletes in my sport.
5 Likes
A concert pianist friend once told me he’d give me 2 dollars if I promised never to “assault his ears like that again” while I was tinkering with the piano on stage after his performance at a very prestigious venue. I took his 2 dollars.
All this was in jest of, course, but I did keep the 2 dollars. Therefore, I made money giving a solo recital at a very fucking prestigious venue.
Thus, henceforth, I shall introduce myself as The Maestro.
4 Likes
Everyone please stop flaming me lol.
I meant if you are at a level where you make income from it and are at a high level.
Not that its your primary or only source of income.
I would say someone is a high level if their on platform total is Master or above.[quote=“T3hPwnisher, post:88, topic:227379”]
“like a powerlifter” and this statement confuses me whenever I see it.
[/quote]
I mean I train primarily for increasing my total. [quote=“Yogi1, post:89, topic:227379”]
definitely NOT a bodybuilder
[/quote]
and this.
Yes this is correct. [quote=“flipcollar, post:91, topic:227379”]
You are literally suggesting that a track athlete could medal in the olympics, but if their primary source of income is not directly from track athletics, they are not an athlete. Are you aware that almost ZERO track athletes who compete in the olympics actually make income from it?
[/quote]
After rereading what I wrote I will take it back, my bad.[quote=“flipcollar, post:91, topic:227379”]
I really don’t think you thought this one through.
[/quote]
That’s probable.
2 Likes
I would approach this more as “the goal of my training is powerlifting” vs “the way that I train is like a powerlifter”. In the case of the latter, you can do all sorts of crazy crap, haha.
1 Like
Yes that’s a better way of describing it.
How do you all feel about assisted lifters giving advice? I could go all Dani Shugart but will refrain.
To me if it’s not where to score and how to use them there is little advice to give.