A Retrospective Analysis of Powerlifting Performances in the U.S. (1995 - 2005)

In this retrospective study, powerlifting performances in the United States from 1995 – 2005 were taken from annual top 100 rankings published in Powerlifting USA magazine. The rankings included results for the squat, bench press, deadlift, and total for each standard weight class during a calendar year. In the current study, average performances for each weight class were compiled for the #1, #10, #50, and #100 ranks. The weights lifted for each category increased as a function of the competitor’s weight class in a curvilinear pattern, with the heaviest classes showing diminishing improvement in weight lifted with increased body weight. When weights lifted were standardized to the lifter’s weight class, a unimodal curve was observed, with maximal values being in the middle weight classes. The lower mass-specific performance in heavier lifters is the basis for Wilks coefficient and other adjustments for comparing performances among different weight classes. This coefficient is a mathematical formula based on a polynomial transformation of a lifter’s weight class. It was derived to compensate for the curvilinear nature of lifting performance as a function of body weight. Based on the patterns documented, it is proposed that part of this flattening of performance can be attributed to systematic differences in body composition across weight classes. During this 11-year period, significant improvements were observed for some lifts, ranks, and weight classes. However, many did not change, while others showed significant declines. These data demonstrate that U.S. powerlifters at the turn of the century were highly competitive, particularly within the middle through the heaviest weight classes. Overall, the lifting performances in the U.S. during this decade provide an historical reference point, from a time before powerlifting records became more widely available via the internet.