USPF Adopts all WPF Rules for Nationals

Respect to Steve, he gets the big picture.

so what does this mean you can touch anywhere or its the judges call? I don't like the briefs rule but everything else rocks, you can't win everything!!!

So much for the USPF being single-ply and one of the few feds remaining with traditional powerlifting rules. So now if you want to walk your squats out you have to go to the IPF?

Dan

Many feds allow you to walk out your squat, because they understand not everyone has access to a monolift. But yes if you want to be required to walk it out, it looks like IPF, will be your choice if you want a major federation.

Many USPF meet directors do not have monolift's. Steve is going to follow WPF rules, but he has ER equipment, so squats will still be walked out

Super Training has monolifts and they host USPF meets...

The real question is will world's have a monolift? The monolift vs. walking out definitely changes how you prepare for a meet. Lifters should be told well in advance what the equipment at world's will be.

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ok now what does that mean the chest bone?

I took it as meaning the sternum also.

You always have the OPTION of walking your squats out, it's just not required.

What is the benifit of having a start command?

So no more walked out squats, No more single ply, so why have USPF D2? Now USPF has two double ply divisions. Squats will get stupid like APF etc. This combined with Nationals in Rhode Island is the death of USPF.

Walking the squat out is the reason I joined the USPF in the first place. I know a lot of people will disagree with me, but I hope Steve still uses that rule in California.

Everything sounds good except the socks and baby powder rule. Whats the deal with these? How in the hell do you deadlift heavy without baby powder and who cares if you wear socks? Someone please explain.

no baby powder?
seriously?
seriously...

Don't even get me started on the baby powder thing...(They say you can use pool cue chalk which is the same thing as baby powder but in a block form).

The socks are to prevent blood from getting on the bar. I'm guessing baby powder just makes too much of a mess. We've all been on platforms with zero traction because of it. I see a lot of people using water or pool chalk.

I can't see a single good reason why anyone would want different rules for local and national/world meets. Seems like a bad idea to me.

Socks are for bloody shins.
Baby powder has oil basis in it, pool chalk doesnt.
After trying the chalk I prefer it, and it leaves less slippery bar for next lifts.

I will say I understand the baby powder rule, although I'm not sure it would ever pass as a rule change in most US dominated federations. Baby powder is a bitch to clean-up at meets....much harder to get up off the floor than anything else by far. Chalk is actually pretty easy, it mops or vacuums right up. Baby powder just stays on the floor, even when you mop it, and leaves a slick flim for weeks. I'm not sure I would want to enforce such a rule as I imagine it would be very unpopular with most lifters, but I do understand it from a meet directors perspective.

I can see the sock rule from a health perspective. Plus, who wans to be the one to deadlift after they clean the blood off with bleach? That can't help your grip.

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Staff wrote:

At its annual meeting on Friday, the USPF voted, effective January 1, 2010, to use the WPF rulebook at its National Championships. In addition, the federation will allow each State Chairman to decide whether they will continue to use USPF rules at the local level or move to the WPF rules.

For those lifting under the WPF rules, changes include: squats no longer need to be walked out of a monolift; briefs with legs are allowed; the bench press commands are 'press and rack' versus 'start and rack'; the chest is not defined in the bench press; baby powder is not allowed; knee length socks are required in the deadlift.

California State Chair Steve Denison has indicated that he will use WPF rules beginning January 1 to better prepare lifters for Nationals and Worlds.

I just wanted to clarify something for everyone out there regarding our change in rules to use WPF rules after Jan 1, 2010. Due to all the comments on the powerlifting forums, I felt a need to clarify something, so I just spoke with Dave Jeffrey about it. As Dave specified in our EC meeting (7/3/09) and as he just reiterated to me again this evening (7/8/09), if a meet director wishes to use WPF rules at their meets, the meet must be a regional, national or world event, per WPF rules (as specified by Courtney Stanley in our EC meeting). However, if a meet director wishes to use WPF rules for a state, local or any other type of meet, no USPF State or National records can be broken. Those records can only be broken under USPF rules period. So if a meet director wishes to go WPF rules all the time, lifters are limited in the records they can break. The change to WPF rules after Jan. 1, 2010 was done to eliminate confusion at our National Championships, not for lifters to get around USPF rules.

The WPF rules say “to the chest”, same as the USPF rule did stated before its change this weekend. The chest area is medically defined as the area between the neck and abdomen. This means basically what we have now defined it as in the USPF rules, from the collarbone to the bottom of the pectoral muscles/sternum line. “To the chest” means to the chest, not to the belly. The WPF does not allow belly benching either, period.

Wow. Now that's funny.

so the bottom inch to inch and a half of the sternum isn't part of the chest anymore Ted?

Since the Pectoralis major attaches to the sternum at the 6th or 7th rib, and the sternum continues past that point. Guess that's not part of the chest anymore, I'll be sure to inform my physician.

"To the pectoral muscles/sternum line" is not how it was described to me today via email from the WPF president. He stated to the chest bone. You guys might want to work this out before Vegas.

I'm confused. Nationals and Worlds are done under WPF rules. Does that mean lifters can't set USPF state or national records at USPF nationals or WPF worlds? You can only break USPF state or national records at local meets, because those are the only meets following USPF rules?

If you can set USPF state or national records at USPF nationals or WPF worlds (which are under WPF rules not USPF), then why can't you set USPF records at local meets under WPF rules?

This doesn't eliminate confusion at all. It just created more. Why don't we just call it the Mark Bell benches too much so we can't compete against him rule? The IPF has the rule known as the Ed Coan rule. Now the USPF has the Mark Bell rule. Congrats Mark, you're so good you have a rule named after you now!

Does this mean that we're back to multiple rules depending on if it is a record or not?

I did not say the sternum is not part of the chest. Also where is the 6 & 7 rib located? Under the chest muscle, so that is part of the chest. But we are not asking you to place the bar on your ribs, but we are trying to define the chest area. If you think you can come up with a better definition, than please do so and submit and we will change the rule.

Per the WPF, when using WPF rules, the contest must be at a Regional, National or World level contest. At these levels, ALL RECORDS can be broken. However when using WPF rules at any meet lower than a Regional, National or World level (state or local meet), USPF State or National records cannot be broken. For example, if a lifter at a state or local meet wishes to break a state or national record, the meet has to be run under USPF rules for the records to count.

So I can go to WPF world's, wear briefs with legs, use a monolift (I'm sure at some point a host country will use one), and break USPF state and national records. Then if someone wants to break those USPF records at a local meet, they'd have to wear legless briefs and walkout the squat? That makes tons of sense.

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real messed up just use 1 set of rules.

I am sitting here with my cabeza spinning like a top from reading all this.

Let me assure my fellow lifters that we (The USPF) will get this straightened out...I'm old and that may explain why I am lost...but I am sure we can come to a reasonable definition of where and when the WPF rules are in effect....and where the Fu&%#@g Chest is....Sh##t!!

"USPF....the Legend continues......"

Ted J. Isabella wrote:

Staff wrote:

At its annual meeting on Friday, the USPF voted, effective January 1, 2010, to use the WPF rulebook at its National Championships. In addition, the federation will allow each State Chairman to decide whether they will continue to use USPF rules at the local level or move to the WPF rules.

For those lifting under the WPF rules, changes include: squats no longer need to be walked out of a monolift; briefs with legs are allowed; the bench press commands are 'press and rack' versus 'start and rack'; the chest is not defined in the bench press; baby powder is not allowed; knee length socks are required in the deadlift.

California State Chair Steve Denison has indicated that he will use WPF rules beginning January 1 to better prepare lifters for Nationals and Worlds.

I just wanted to clarify something for everyone out there regarding our change in rules to use WPF rules after Jan 1, 2010. Due to all the comments on the powerlifting forums, I felt a need to clarify something, so I just spoke with Dave Jeffrey about it. As Dave specified in our EC meeting (7/3/09) and as he just reiterated to me again this evening (7/8/09), if a meet director wishes to use WPF rules at their meets, the meet must be a regional, national or world event, per WPF rules (as specified by Courtney Stanley in our EC meeting). However, if a meet director wishes to use WPF rules for a state, local or any other type of meet, no USPF State or National records can be broken. Those records can only be broken under USPF rules period. So if a meet director wishes to go WPF rules all the time, lifters are limited in the records they can break. The change to WPF rules after Jan. 1, 2010 was done to eliminate confusion at our National Championships, not for lifters to get around USPF rules.

so you vote to accept all of the WPF rules but only at the national and worlds level. Your also saying it's up to the meet promoters to apply the WPF or USPF rules at local and regional meets.now if i understand what your saying is WPF RULE THAT WHERE VOTED ON AND PASSED A USPF RECORD CAN NOT BE BROKEN. now explain to me how that is not the USPF trying to have it both ways.

i mean on one hand you voted on accepting all the WPF rule. then you say they don't apply at any meet except nationals and worlds. this seems like the USPF leadership are the ones trying to get around using the WPF RULE that just my opinion.

if you vote to accept the rules then that's what you do.

If you want to be accurate in creating a chest press terminology...

How about from the sternal notch extended to the xyphoid process, and you must decide if it is the chest cavity vs the breast bone(sternum). The sternum extends 1-1.5" below the pec line and is easy to find, it is used in medical practice to perform CPR and the hymelic maneuver(not sure on spelling). You can learn to do this in 2-3 minutes, this is not brain surgery!

In your haste to stop Mark Bell, you made a mess of things, please spare me any excuses, everyone knows why this rule was made and enforced.

But this is not about pointing blame, just get this right before it hurts the USPF and the great lifters who make this organization.

Soon as the uspf starts picking up steam this happens and they ruin themselves.

There is no way you can find my sternum, hell it took 2 minutes for me to find the end of it with any degree of certainty.. let alone a 1 second pause of the bar while wearing a thick shirt which is sturdy enough to stand up by itself.

It seems as if some states just want to be the ipf without drug testing, while others want to be the apf without baby powder.

All of this has been poorly thought out and poorly executed by the EC. Shame on you guys. You have destroyed any confidence we have in you at this point, and as the above poster said, just when the USPF was picking up steam.

Let Steve Dennison run the USPF because we know he still thinks like a lifter. I am amazed that after such a good meet for many, we have this morass of rules bullshit that clouds the efforts of the lifters there and of the solid running of the meet.

Ted J. Isabella wrote:

Staff wrote:

At its annual meeting on Friday, the USPF voted, effective January 1, 2010, to use the WPF rulebook at its National Championships. In addition, the federation will allow each State Chairman to decide whether they will continue to use USPF rules at the local level or move to the WPF rules.

For those lifting under the WPF rules, changes include: squats no longer need to be walked out of a monolift; briefs with legs are allowed; the bench press commands are 'press and rack' versus 'start and rack'; the chest is not defined in the bench press; baby powder is not allowed; knee length socks are required in the deadlift.

California State Chair Steve Denison has indicated that he will use WPF rules beginning January 1 to better prepare lifters for Nationals and Worlds.

I just wanted to clarify something for everyone out there regarding our change in rules to use WPF rules after Jan 1, 2010. Due to all the comments on the powerlifting forums, I felt a need to clarify something, so I just spoke with Dave Jeffrey about it. As Dave specified in our EC meeting (7/3/09) and as he just reiterated to me again this evening (7/8/09), if a meet director wishes to use WPF rules at their meets, the meet must be a regional, national or world event, per WPF rules (as specified by Courtney Stanley in our EC meeting). However, if a meet director wishes to use WPF rules for a state, local or any other type of meet, no USPF State or National records can be broken. Those records can only be broken under USPF rules period. So if a meet director wishes to go WPF rules all the time, lifters are limited in the records they can break. The change to WPF rules after Jan. 1, 2010 was done to eliminate confusion at our National Championships, not for lifters to get around USPF rules.

I thought I was on board and understood these changes until I read your post. I am now totally confused. Are you saying Steve Denison has misinformed us and that by him implementing WPF rules for CA, we will not be able to break USPF records at local meets? How crazy is that? You want us to train in accordance with USPF rules during the year for local meets, then change our training practice to accommodate WPF rules for nationals and worlds? Again, how crazy is that?

2010 comes after 2009, yet these rules have really gone into effect in 2009.

Not only is my head spinning from this post in trying to understand what rules I follow at what meet, but I'm also trying to figure out what the real difference is now between USPF 1 and USPF 2.

I'm also trying to now learn what a chest is -- it used to be easy, anything above the sternum. Now, you're using medical terminology such as the Xhyphoid (or whatever it's called) and other areas that I have no clue as to their exact location. How do you expect us to bench?

I like Courtney's comments in this forum, and I second them. I also liked Marcus' posts too, they make a lot of sense as to how confusing this is.

My two cents, toss it if you like:
Bench = at/above the sternum - no belly benching
Briefs = get rid of them, this is a single ply federation
Monolift = get rid of it. Appears most directors don't have one.
Baby Powder = we will adjust to pool chalk, just have to figure out where to buy it.
Socks = easy to purchase
Bench command = do all three commands, what's the big deal.

Thanks for reading my point of view.

god forbid someone walk out there squats and then walk them in... pling has gone down the shitter

whatever happened to this..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4FMbKDSc_I

Monolift is the safe way to squat and its about time all feds do the same thing for the safety of the lifter.

If you want records just run your own meet with your own judges and don't allow anyone else in the meet except yourself.

well the Earth spun on its axis and went around the sun about 30 times, and the tendency of human beings to use technology to gain an advantage created modern powerlifting.

same as in...oh every other human endeavor, ever.

This makes me sad. Allowing briefs with legs and the use of the monolift fundamentally changes the nature of the squat. I can't say I really care about the other rules one way or the other, but the change in the rules with respect to the squat is really unfortunate. Here's to hoping the USPF makes good on its promise to try to change the WPF rules back to more traditional powerlifting rules. I'm a little skeptical that it will happen, but I truly hope I'm proved wrong.

if you cant walkout what you squat then somethings wrong.. suits shirts and rules in pling have gotten way outta hand..

Its kind of hilarious how the anonymous crowd decries EVERYTHING reported on powerlifting watch as the death of powerlifting.

---
A winner says "I'm good, but not as good as I ought to be;" a loser says "I'm not as bad as a lot of other people".

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Why is there a need for a world affiliate anyway? It seems the WPF rules are totally different from USPF and all it is doing is causing tons of confusion and frustration. The USPF was fine when it was just USPF.

this is getting stupid.
gg@ruining everything @ nationals

Monolift is a savety issue. I agree with no briefs thoug.
And remember. If You insist, you can walk out of a monolift. Dont tell others to risk there, back knees and hips just becouse you do.
A monolift might have saved Ed Koo from his injuries.

There is a significant difference between the bottom of sternum (or xyphoid process) and the pectoral sternal line. A few inches... This drastically changes arm angle in relation to the body, increases shoulder rotation (usually very bad thing for those with previous shoulder injuries), increase the ROM, and DECREASES the amount of weight lifted. Sounds great. The new wording is far to restrictive.

Good things these rule changes cleared things up for everyone!

uhh, how about getting strong enough to wear the guy can walk out the weight he PLANS TO SQUAT...

Koo has destroyed that weight that injured him before, so he is plenty strong to handle that weight. Accidents happen and preventing them should be a main concern. Monolifts are great way to prevent further injuries. Just like football and baseball players wear helmets.

I disagree on the monolift safety issue point. A monolift allows a lifter to try to squat a weight that he or she can't control adequately enough to walk it out. It may save potential injuries on the squat walkout, but increase the likelihood of injuries in other aspects of the lift.

Yeah, and we shouldn't be able to receive a hand off on bench either because that shows that we are attempting a weight that we can't handle. The monolift has nothing to do with people trying weights they can't handle, it is the people themselves, and it happens with or without a monolift. The technology is sound, I don't remember anyone arguing when the IPF started puting catch bars on the bench.

Thanks guys for clearing that up.

Dan

Ditto. If people think the monolifts help lifters set up in the squat, thats because it does. If the argument is said we should not allow mono's in competitions, then why handoffs during bench. The lifter should be able to lift the weight off the racks or not attempt to bench the weight if that is the argument. People say if you cant walk a weight out, then you cant squat it. Again, if you cant take the bar out of the bench racks, dont bench it?

More on topic if a fed is going to associate with an international affiliate then they need to adopt all their rules all the way down to the smallest meet. If the USPF doesn't like the WPF rules then they shouldn't have joined. Its really that simple.

It was a sarcastic remark. Sorry if you didn't get that.

Hehe this is just to funny to read.

Well Ed Koo is a strong guy, but he droped the bar because he got hurt, he did not get hurt because he droped it, so a monolift would likely have saved him.

The clock does not stop until you receive the squat comand, and you are only required to make a bonafide attempt to return the bar to the rack, so the walk out/in is NOT part of the attempt.

I'd rather not see monolifts in the USPF. I myself squat more in a monolift than when walking out, that's a fact. If there's one being used in a competition, I'm going to use it because I'm not going to put myself at a disadvantage against the other lifters, but I'd still rather not see them used.

But come one everyone, how can you not admit that monolifts have essentially changed what now passes as a legal squat in powerlifting. With monolifts, much wider squat stances were adopted, canvas suits came to prominance and as such, much higher squats started being passed as legal. I want to gurgitate everytime I see a lifter wearing a canvas suit bearly being able to stand up in the monolift, violently shaking, and then, squatting a "legal", passed squat. Since I have never used a canvas suit, I will say that this seems like an incredible act of courage to me, especially when the lifter is squatting 100-200 lb or even more, than they could normally walk out and squat. It just seems like the actual lift itself was modified to conform to the new equipment.

I know someone already mentioned this, but monolifts don't protect the lifter, they just allow the lifter to try a weight in the squat that they are at much more risk trying to squat then if they had to walk out the weight. Shit happens either way, people have gotten hurt walking out and using monolifts. There is some risk involved in this sport, everyone knows that.

This debate will not be settled, but I feel that all these "advancements" in powerlifting apparatus have only driven powerlifting further into the underground than if a more genuine demonstration of strength was being performed.

With that said, I now have to stop so I can go find me some pool chalk for my next competition.