CFB Kingston, I hope you are ready, because Fitness & Sports (FS) PSP Kingston is preparing to run our first Base wide powerlifting meet in the spring of 2023! This event will be an unsanctioned meet, military personnel only, with plans of expanding the sport within the Canadian Armed Forces to where we can host an Ontario Region/National Championship in the future. This is just the start of what’s to come, but first I think it’s best to introduce you to the sport that is growing at an incredible rate within, and outside, of the military community.
Powerlifting is a strength sport that is focused on three primary lifts; the back squat, bench press, and deadlift. The overall goal is to lift the most amount of weight within those three lifts to give you the best “total”. Each participant is given three attempts at each lift to move the most amount of weight before continuing onto the next movement, in order as noted. For each lift, three officials look for specific requirements you must achieve to denote a successful attempt. For example, when performing the bench press, the bar must pause at the chest on the lowering phase and then the participant must wait for the “up” command from the head judge before the press phase begins. Once each lift is complete, the three judges (one in front, and one on each side) will decide whether the lift was successful or not. A vote of approval by at least two out of the three judges, signals a successful lift.
When it comes to scoring, each meet will be different. Most sanctioned meets are run though a governing body that has a specific weight class within the meet so competitors of similar size compete against each other. For our local FS PSP Kingston meet, we will use the Wilks Formula. The Wilks Formula calculates the relative power of a lifter to level the playing field for powerlifters, despite the different weight classes of the lifters. Awards are presented to the best male and female lifters for both under and over forty (40) years of age.
If you are interested in competing and would like assistance with how to prepare, the FS PSP Kingston Fitness department is running a powerlifting program commencing 16 Jan 2023. A Q&A session will be held Monday 16 Jan, hosted by former powerlifter and Fitness & Sports Instructor, Kristofer Klith. Stay tuned for information and details regarding registration in the New Year. Reach out to Kris (contact info below) if you have any questions.
Happy Holidays!
Article: Kristofer Klith, Fitness & Sports Instructor, klith.kristofer@cfmws.com, 613-541-5010 loc 8747.
Editor(s): Cheryl McKinnon, CFB Kingston, and Janice Keown, A/Fitness Coord, FS PSP Kingston.