Can Federation Rules Effect Deadlifting Records?

Submitted by jon on November 12, 2005 - 9:12am.

An interesting thread going on over at Fortified Iron about why the IPF deadlifting records are so far behind some of the other federations. The current IPF record is 899 pounds while the new WPO record is 970 pounds.

Many people believe that WPO and IPA numbers in the bench, squat and total come from those federations having more lenient rules for equipment and more lax judging.

However, poster ZachG 85 notes that those two reasons shouldn't effect deadlifting so much.

Is it just the caliber of lifters (seems unlikely given that Coan/Siders/Karwoski are names they can claim), or is there more help from equipment than we realize?

Other posters give their opinions on why there's a difference between IPF and other federation world records.

It is behind because the three best deadlifters (Bolton, Frank, Benni) do not lift in the IPF. These 3 men have all broken the deadlift record in the past few years.

Of course, that's circular logic and is therefore flawed.

Finn thing offers his view: