GOHEAVY.COM Debates Forum

Federation X sucks? Then why do you lift there?

Posted By: Daniel Finkenstadt (manybody.nrl.navy.mil)
Date: Monday, August 13, 2007, @ 8:21 a.m.

There are plenty of federations to choose from. You can choose the rules you like and then find a federation who will run a meet like that. So why all the complaining that I see on this board?

Most of the lifters that I know from the midwest lift at just about every meet they can afford, including WABDL, APF, SLP, APA and rarely the USAPL.

I'm on the east coast now, and my choices are more limited: AAU or USAPL (with a little APA meet or ADAU meet here and there).

So what's to complain about? You've got more choices than you know what to do with:

* WABDL: superbly run meets even at the state level, allowing the most popular gear.
* APF: allowing everything and 24 hour weigh-ins, large meets in the midwest with theoretically an avenue to the WPO.
* USAPL: very strict judging and gear checks for those who appreciate it, and you can qualify for a very respectable nationals.
* AAU: good raw competition and almost the same strictness as USAPL, smaller nationals, but very well run.
* ADAU: lots of raw competition.
* APA: lots of raw competition.
* SLP: cheap, easy, low pressure, perfect for a beginner! Why not!

I just don't get all the complaining. Everyone takes these records so seriously, but anyone can look at the video of a lift these days and decide for themselves who they respect or not. In powerlifting, we'd aspire to have these strict standards for records, and yet everyone believes faithfully that Paul Anderson squatted 1200 lbs. in the 50s wearing nothing but a singlet. How do we know he didn't have a rubber bedsheet sewn into it?

I dunno, it's your time to waste as you see fit. But I think y'all should enjoy this free-for-all while it lasts, before the personal-injury lawsuits start getting filed, and we end up with one federation requiring all lifts to be performed wearing a helmet and using nerf plates.

Messages In This Thread

• Federation X sucks? Then why do you lift there?
  Daniel Finkenstadt (manybody.nrl.navy.mil) -- Monday, August 13, 2007, @ 8:21 a.m.
  • Re: Federation X sucks? Then why do you lift there
    william gregg (pool-68-239-25-238.bos.east.verizon.net) -- Monday, August 13, 2007, @ 11:37 a.m.
  • That's what Moderator Garry kept asking me
    Jim Ray (bench.doit.wisc.edu) -- Monday, August 13, 2007, @ 12:22 p.m.
  • ARE YOU ALITTLE SHY OF THE #1 FEDERATION ?
    Scott Tusic (cdm-75-108-0-231.asbnva.dhcp.suddenlink.net) -- Monday, August 13, 2007, @ 12:47 p.m.