http://www.rawpowerlifting.com/pdf/rules.pdf
If you scroll to the bottom of the .pdf, they have listed their criteria for Elite, Master, Level I and so on.
What are your thoughts, are they reasonable numbers or pretty sissy?
Everything is raw, no drugs, no wrist or knee wraps, suits or shirts. Chalk/Talc, and belt only.
If you’re wearing a belt it isn’t raw. Raw is how you came into this world. I’ll allow you to wear a singlet to cover up your humanity.
I don’t make the rules. I’m going by their standards.
I agree that a belt can definetly be considered supportive gear to add to your lift, certainly in the squat. However, every federation that has a raw division seems to allow a belt.
Looking at the Elite totals it seems comparable to the geared elite totals. For example in the 198’s the difference is 264 pounds. It seems like many people could get that much out of today’s gear.
[quote]suuuperdave wrote:
http://www.rawpowerlifting.com/pdf/rules.pdf
If you scroll to the bottom of the .pdf, they have listed their criteria for Elite, Master, Level I and so on.
What are your thoughts, are they reasonable numbers or pretty sissy?
Everything is raw, no drugs, no wrist or knee wraps, suits or shirts. Chalk/Talc, and belt only.[/quote]
There is only one way to find out, put on a belt and total elite if these numbers are sissy! Me being in the 275 class, I would have to get a 450 bench, 550 squat(way deeper than what the multi-ply feds will pass), and a 680 dead all in just a belt. I am not too far off, but I don’t think these numbers are too sissy. Try it and see. Also for the guys who make the argument that a belt is not raw, I just want to say the belt is for injury prevention. You can lift more in a belt, I agree, but please don’t try to compare a supportive belt with the ever advancing powergear of today this is adding massive amounts of pounds to lifts. I know where you are going with that argument, it doesn’t hold water. I think that any rational person can agree the belt is for safety, and the 30 pound carryover you get out of a belt will pretty much stay the same throughout your career. You don’t have to learn how to work a belt to get more pounds out of it and I don’t see too many double denim belts adding 300 pds to a lift. That is why we consider Raw as having a belt and singlet, it is for safety reasons.
[quote]Seattle_Lifter wrote:
I agree that a belt can definetly be considered supportive gear to add to your lift, certainly in the squat. However, every federation that has a raw division seems to allow a belt.
Looking at the Elite totals it seems comparable to the geared elite totals. For example in the 198’s the difference is 264 pounds. It seems like many people could get that much out of today’s gear.[/quote]
Some people can get 264 just out of a squat suit. Throw in a bench shirt and deadlift suit and the numbers can get a lot bigger.
For example, Sam Byrd at the NERB with knee sleeves(which are illegal in most raw divisions) squatted 705 and recently squatted 1000+ in gear. That is 300 pds from a suit.
The single-ply gear would obviously have a lot less variance. I think a 1600 total raw and drug free is pretty good and would like to think anyone who considers that sissy would have to be a freak.
Those numbers are probbaly reasonable for an elite benchmark. While they are not unattainable, most people would need several years of training to get there. Something to consider about the elite classifications in equipped feds- those charts have been the same for years. This is in spite of the radically better gear (and/or better utilization thereof) that we find today.
I’ll compete in a raw meet on 12th december.
I am pretty sure that I’ll be able to achieve a total of 957lbs which would make me a class 2 lifter in the 148lbs class…
Mhm… not too bad I guess.
And… This is the total of my first equipped meet this februrary 
I’m sitting half way between Class one and two at 1908lb. So I guess that makes me 1.5!!
I’m only 20 so lots of time to go after elite if I want. Equipped lifting is dragging me away tho!
Class two at 198 lbs. Cool stuff 
I’m surprised I stack up well now.
I’m really not familiar with weigh classes or anything, so could someone clarify for me…
When it says 198 weight class, it means from 181-198lbs., right?
[quote]Dedicated_1 wrote:
When it says 198 weight class, it means from 181-198lbs., right?[/quote]
Yes, well, if someone is right at 181 then he still qualifies for the 181 pound class, but I know what you meant.
[quote]SWR-1240 wrote:
Dedicated_1 wrote:
When it says 198 weight class, it means from 181-198lbs., right?
Yes, well, if someone is right at 181 then he still qualifies for the 181 pound class, but I know what you meant.[/quote]
Thanks
I like those numbers. Elite would still be hard as hell to achieve. I just decided to throw down some numbers to see where I’d need to be in the 198 class to make elite.
560 squat
560 deadlift
351 bench
Those are some pretty sick numbers for a raw 198lber.
Something for me to keep in mind.
-MAtt
[quote]Matgic wrote:
I like those numbers. Elite would still be hard as hell to achieve. I just decided to throw down some numbers to see where I’d need to be in the 198 class to make elite.
560 squat
560 deadlift
351 bench
Those are some pretty sick numbers for a raw 198lber.
Something for me to keep in mind.
-MAtt[/quote]
I was just interested in what people thought about the numbers. Never having used equipment, it’s hard to know where you stand when you compare yourself to normal elite status, seeing as those numbers would be pretty dam impressive if you performed them raw. I’m totalling just over 11 at 185lbs, so by no means am I elite, but i don’t consider myself strong either.
since when is a strict curl one of the lifts for powerlifting? Is that relatively new or is this an old tradition of which I’m not aware?
Curls are great and all for bicep development, but I thought the idea was to use movements that allow maximum amounts of weight to be lifted. Wouldn’t something like an overhead press make more sense?
[quote]Scott aka Rice wrote:
since when is a strict curl one of the lifts for powerlifting? Is that relatively new or is this an old tradition of which I’m not aware?
Curls are great and all for bicep development, but I thought the idea was to use movements that allow maximum amounts of weight to be lifted. Wouldn’t something like an overhead press make more sense?[/quote]
A few feds do strict curl comps. I personally don’t think it has anything to do with powerlifting, but it seemed like the kids I saw doing it enjoyed it, so what does it hurt. The feds just do it to get a little extra money out of some of these people, kind of like some of the sucker bets on a craps table, you are a retard if you do it, but it doesn’t bother me either way.
I am doing the Raw World Championship on 12/9/6 in Burlington Vermont in the 181 class. Now way will I total elite but Masters should be doable.
I have not bench pressed in about 17 years due to a really messed up shoulder. I tried to bench a few months ago and damn did it hurt. I had my right shoulder repaired 2 years ago and although it is better, it is not good enough to resume heavy benching.
This is my first meet in 20 years and am basically doing it for fun. I have focused mainly on the squat and will need to focus on my dead if i decide to do it again.
Hehe, I would be in the mighty Class IV division, weighing 207.
hey thats pretty cool. I would be elite at 198 if i competed in that fed. I would love to compete but every meet is way too far from canada.
The only thing up here is the IPF which is fine except its not raw and i wont lift any other way.
[quote]coffee wrote:
hey thats pretty cool. I would be elite at 198 if i competed in that fed. I would love to compete but every meet is way too far from canada.
The only thing up here is the IPF which is fine except its not raw and i wont lift any other way.[/quote]
Most federations alow you to register as raw. There might not be much competition there though.