Powerlifting: the sport of overall strength

September 17, 2014 · 0 Comments

Thirty-six athletes from around the region arrived at the Athlete Institute to compete in a powerlifting event hosted by the Highlands Power Lifting Club and sanctioned by the Ontario Powerlifting Association on Saturday, September13.
The Highlands’ club members are from Dufferin County as well as Peel and York Regions.
Powerlifting combines three events: the deadlift, the squat, and the bench press.
It is a sport that tests total body strength and athletes achieve a three-lift total to complete the competition.
Highlands club member Tony Fenech lifted an incredible 177.5 kg, or 391 lbs, for his best squat in Saturday’s competition.
“I was trying to play with strongman stuff and lift heavy things,” Fenech said of his start in the sport. “I didn’t really have the proper techniques. When I met my coach (Nelson Sleno) then it started picking up.”
Fenech used to be an amateur boxer at Big Tyme Fitness in Orangeville, but became a trainer and fitness coach when he found being in the ring wasn’t his thing.
“I realized I didn’t have all the right features for a boxer – short arms, big British nose, so I became the strength and conditioning coach for all the pros at the club. I’m a staple at the boxing club. If you get through me you’re on your way to being really good.”
Going into powerlifting, he said the attraction is “the rush” adding, “I’ve got 400 lbs on my back and I’m not really sure where this is going to go. You don’t know if you’re going to make it – and then you do”
After squating 391 lbs, Fenech missing the next lift.
“I missed the 402, but I was already psyched up for that one. It didn’t matter to me at that point.”
The thing about powerlifting is you have to be smart the way you train and how you compete to avoid injury and keep going in the sport.
“The challenges of running a fitness facility and doing powerlifting – they may sound like their in the same neighbourhood, but they’re not. In powerlifting, you do it and relax.”
In many ways, powerlifting can be a very dangerous sport considering the amount of dead weight that is involved. One slip-up could spell disaster so each event has qualified spotters to step in if a lifter runs into trouble.
One thing about powerlifting that separates it from other sports, is that even though they are in a competition, the encouragement shouted out from other competitors in the crowd is something rarely heard at other sports events. They all want competitors to do well and be safe.

By Brian Lockhart