Is a bench presser a powerlifter?

[firefightertom]

I had this announced on a microphone at a bench press meet.
"a bench presser is not a powerlifter"..."powerlifting is all three lifts".

It kind of hit me wrong.

I realize that a true full meet powerlifter is a three lift competator. I also respect those people that do all three lifts as I also do a bench presser. Face it, america is very a fascinated with the bench press. I think that powerlifting is not an olympic sport and it can and has evolved to include bench press specialists at almost every meet that you can find.

I kind of think that some powerlifters look down on benchers ( I may be wrong it is just what I have noticed).
I think that if they compete at powerlifting meets, are judged by powerlifting judges, wear powerlifting attire and pay powerlifting entry fees then it entitles them to a little respect.

I also want to add that I like all of it....squat, bench, deadlift...whatever. I love the excitement of the lifters and the faces of some of the people in the crowd when they watch. I love the smell of chalk and the feel of polyester.

I also know that there are some serious bench pressers and powerlifters that post here.
I got about a 40% / 60% split on the other forum.

What do you all think?

[maxson]

In my opinion it’s just semantics, whether you’re a “bench specialist” or “full power”, it’s all related to powerlifting.

[Joey Smith]

Is this a serious question?....I goit one statement to make....What is the first question people ask lifters whom they see when asking about lifting?...."Hey man how much can you bench?"....I have never been asked how much I can squat or deadlift....(800# squat, 600# deadlift, not great numbers by no means)....I am a bench only guy and will remain that way....that is like a gun shooter asking a bow hunter if he is a hunter....I respect the full power guys to the fullest....but we all know what people want to see (go to the Arnold and see where everyone is at while the heavy are competing full power....watching the bench bash thats were....hell we had 30 deep up there this year so this is not just my opinion....it was standing room only to see the big doggs battle on the bench....Benchers bring the crowd baby!....

[firefightertom]

Joey:

I couldnt agree with you more.

America loves the bench.

[Stacey Jones]

I think Joey hit the nail on the head!

[gopostal42]

lol, way to go tom. if you look enough places somebody will agree . i of course dont think that way. to be a powerlifter to me you must do 3 lifts in competition balls to the wall. bench only people are bench specialists. if a bench only person occasionally does a full meet then that would qualify but never doing a full meet...... i cant say thats a powerlifter, just a bench specialist.

[gopostal42]

oh btw at the arnold i saw a couple benches but between the squats and the deadlifts i went to the ping pong room upstairs

[firefightertom]

gopostal42 said:

lol, way to go tom. if you look enough places somebody will agree . i of course dont think that way. to be a powerlifter to me you must do 3 lifts in competition balls to the wall. bench only people are bench specialists. if a bench only person occasionally does a full meet then that would qualify but never doing a full meet...... i cant say thats a powerlifter, just a bench specialist.

I got pretty beat up on the NSP board with this subject. It looks like a 40 / 60 with me being the loser. I dont care.
BTW- I only looked two places.
I wanted to hear what joey, cooke and some of the full meet guys and girls here had to say about it. Pretty interesting for me to see though. You would think that the people that I know better and lift with regularly would agree with me more than this board where most are strangers.

[firefightertom]

gopostal42 said:

oh btw at the arnold i saw a couple benches but between the squats and the deadlifts i went to the ping pong room upstairs

That is REAL funny. LOL


You know derek....If you would have stayed and watched them instead of leaving you might get that big bench to go along with that cute arch you have.

I am just cracking on you with you man.
When you get that big bench you will be a complete powerlifter.

I hope this kind of stuff isnt making anybody mad or anything.

It is all about respect. As you can see Joey and I have much respect for full meet lifters but I dont know that much is given back in return.

To me it feels like some would say that a bench presser should not be at a powerlifting meet unless he or she is a spectator.

Try having a local or state meet without the benchers. It aint gonna be pretty.


Tom

[gopostal42]

firefightertom said:

gopostal42 said:

oh btw at the arnold i saw a couple benches but between the squats and the deadlifts i went to the ping pong room upstairs

That is REAL funny. LOL


You know derek....If you would have stayed and watched them instead of leaving you might get that big bench to go along with that cute arch you have.

I am just cracking on you with you man.
When you get that big bench you will be a complete powerlifter.

I hope this kind of stuff isnt making anybody mad or anything.

It is all about respect. As you can see Joey and I have much respect for full meet lifters but I dont know that much is given back in return.

To me it feels like some would say that a bench presser should not be at a powerlifting meet unless he or she is a spectator.

Try having a local or state meet without the benchers. It aint gonna be pretty.


Tom

lol im just loving the discussions on both boards, its great. i definitely am not against all the bench only people at meets, i like having time to rest. i dont look down on benchers at all infact im jealous to a point because i suck at it. to each their own, powerlifting or benching. ;D

[Joey Smith]

Thanks some what on your approval rating on us so called non powerlifters....last time I checked us "non powerlifters" bench guys train just as hard, put in just as many hours and dedication as you so called 3 lift super power powerlifters!....people come to meets to see the benchers....no other way around that. Thats why there are push pull meets not just pull meets....nobaody is coming to watch just deads and no benching....thats why at all full power meets there is bench only, I have never seen squats only or deads only or even squat and deads only meet....the bench is the definition of weightlifting, powerlifting, and power period. Bench pressers have more on the line than full power. We got one shot to hit a PR, one chance to get a world record....more is on the line, more at stake....full power has 9 chances to bring their total to fullfilment....9 chance to break records in 3 different lifts plus breaking a total record....many more chances....we are powerlifters, we are the head turners, we are the meet....without bench only guys there would be no powerlifting....I train as hard as you do and train all three lifts just like you but choose to do the one lift that means the most....the bench....king of the lifts, the one defining lift that makes a man a man....dont hate Derek....one decade from now there might be a Dead bash for cash or squat America or something like that but dont hold your breath....

[firefightertom]

Joey:

I really agree with you. I am a little surprised that you are even more outspoken about it than me.

Derek and I have just been discussing it. He is cool with me. I like him. He has heart.

Derek:
I kind of know where you are coming from. I know you train hard for full meets and you dedicate a lot of your time. I also know that you are not a hater at all.

I just dont like to feel like I am getting looked down on by anybody. I show respect and if I dont get it back then so be it. I still aint changing my opinion.

[COOKE]

why be average at three when you can be great at one!!!!!!!!!! the reason this is even discussed is b/c full power people suck at the bench and it haunts them at every meet. it is the most technical of the three and therefore the king. when you deadlift you are training squat. when you squat you are training deadlift. but there is only one way to train the bench. so put me in my on category that is fine, last i checked i'm in another category anyway, hahaha. just remember next time this comes up, the real ? in everyones mind will remain and continue to be asked, "how much do you bench"?. powerlifter= average

bench only=greatness

[gopostal42]

admin said:

Thanks some what on your approval rating on us so called non powerlifters....last time I checked us "non powerlifters" bench guys train just as hard, put in just as many hours and dedication as you so called 3 lift super power powerlifters!....people come to meets to see the benchers....no other way around that. Thats why there are push pull meets not just pull meets....nobaody is coming to watch just deads and no benching....thats why at all full power meets there is bench only, I have never seen squats only or deads only or even squat and deads only meet....the bench is the definition of weightlifting, powerlifting, and power period. Bench pressers have more on the line than full power. We got one shot to hit a PR, one chance to get a world record....more is on the line, more at stake....full power has 9 chances to bring their total to fullfilment....9 chance to break records in 3 different lifts plus breaking a total record....many more chances....we are powerlifters, we are the head turners, we are the meet....without bench only guys there would be no powerlifting....I train as hard as you do and train all three lifts just like you but choose to do the one lift that means the most....the bench....king of the lifts, the one defining lift that makes a man a man....dont hate Derek....one decade from now there might be a Dead bash for cash or squat America or something like that but dont hold your breath....

lol there's already night of the living dead coming up in late october in tennessee, deadlift only and the squat challenge at the arnold. lil bit of money there 2. people have different tastes and opinions and thats cool, its what makes powerlifting great.

tid bit of info, before i was a 3 lift competitor my first meet was a raw bench only.

[COOKE]

last i heard the whole squat challenge at the arnold was a joke. very few lifters and hardly no spectators. deadlift only might bring 10-12 lifters. nice name though, night of the dead ;D