Lift How You Want to Lift

The Canadian Powerlifting Federation offers you the lifter a choice in how you want to lift and who you want to compete against.

Open - the CPF offers Raw and Equipped categories in the open class. Most regional or local meets are open meets. The Pro category at the Nationals is an open meet. As of now, there are no qualifying totals required to list in the open Nationals, everyone is welcome.

Raw - means only a lifting belt and a singlet lifting suit are allowed, no knee sleeves or wraps and no elbow sleeves. Wrist wraps are allowed.

Equipped - the basic specifications for the type of lifting equipment a lifter may wear are as follows:

Squat - a one piece lifting suit may be worn made of unlimited number of plys, that is it can be single, double, triple.. and it can be made of polyester, denim, or canvas, but it must all be made of the same type of material. For example, you cannot have a suit made of polyester and canvas together. One pair of briefs may be worn with the same rules as for the lifting suit - unlimited plys and same material throughout. Knee wraps may be up to 1.5 meters long. Knee wraps may only be worn 5.5  inches above and below the knee cap and may not touch the lifting suit or socks. Wrist wraps up to 1 meter long may be worn also as desired. A head covering or hat may be worn but must not have a brim, something like a beanie or scarf can be worn, but not a ball cap. The lifting belt may be up to 6 inches in width but may not have padding in it. Lifting shoes may be of any kind and only one pair of socks may be worn. A t-shirt must be worn under the lifting suit.

Bench - a one piece lifting singlet must be worn. A bench shirt may be worn and may be made of unlimited plys of polyester, denim or canvas but again must be made of only one type of material. The bench shirt sleeves must not cover the elbows and the top of the shirt may not show the armpit crease. The lifter may wear a belt but it must be worn on the outside of the lifting singlet. Wrist wraps may be up to 1 meter in length.

Deadlift - a one piece lifting suit must be worn. It may be a singlet or a supportive lifting suit with the same rules as the squat lifting suit. Lifters do not have to wear a t-shirt under their suits in the deadlift. Knee sleeves or wraps are allowed. Baby powder may be used on the lifters legs. Water may also be allowed but oil, such as baby oil, is not allowed as it would get on the deadlift bar and make the grip slippery for the next lifters. 

Amateur - all the rules are the same for the amateur division as for the open division with the only difference being that the Amateur division is drug tested. Amateur divisions are offered at National meets and at International competitions as well. These are the only places a lifter may set Amateur records. At these meets 10% of the lifters wil be tested. However, a lifter may request to be tested at a local or regional meet but this would have to be arranged two months in advance to give the meet director time to order the drug testing kits. Because we offer the lifter a choice, drugfree lifters have a division where only drugfree lifters lift. We have not had a single positive test in our amateur division.

Raw - same rules for lifting equipment as in the open category

Equipped - same rules for lifting epquipment as in the open category 

The CPF provides an opportunity for each lifter to lift in the way they want to lift. You may actually lift raw and equipped in the same contest. For example, you may open raw and then put on equipment for any of your attempts. You should however advise the head table if you are planniing to set records. To set records the judges will verify that you meet the requirements of lifting raw or equipped.

Canadian records may be set at all CPF meets. World records may only be set at National or World competitions. Raw records may be set at any CPF meet as well. For lifters competing in the U.S. or internationally, you may set reccords in the WPC affiliates, for example in the APF, and they will count as Canadian records, but you should notify a CPF manager after the meet.

The CPF welcomes all lifters from all organizations to lift together, lift how you want to lift with us while you still support your other organizations.