Powerlifting is a strength sport that consists of three attempts at maximal weight on three lifts: squat, bench press, and deadlift. As in the sport of Olympic weightlifting, it involves the athlete attempting a maximal weight single-lift effort of a barbell loaded with weight plates. Powerlifting evolved from a sport known as "odd lifts", which followed the same three-attempt format but used a wider variety of events, akin to strongman competition. Eventually, odd lifts became standardized to the current three.
William Kazmaier is an American former world champion powerlifter, world champion strongman and professional wrestler. During the 1970s and 1980s, he set numerous powerlifting and strongman world records, and won two International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Championships and three World's Strongest Man titles. In the 1980s, Kazmaier became famous for his claim to be "the strongest man who ever lived" by equaling and surpassing spectacular and versatile feats of strength of famous strongmen of the 20th century. He is widely considered to be one of the all-time greatest competitors in strength competitions and was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame in 2017.
The International Powerlifting Federation is an international governing body for the sport of powerlifting as recognized by the General Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF).
Jamie Reeves is a British former coal miner, strongman and professional wrestler. As a strongman, he won the 1989 World's Strongest Man, was World Muscle Power champion, and also had numerous other titles including Europe's Strongest Man and Britain's Strongest Man. Following retirement from competitive sport he continued to be involved in strength athletics as a referee, event promoter and coach.
The Wilks coefficient or Wilks formula is a mathematical coefficient that can be used to measure the relative strengths of powerlifters despite the different weight classes of the lifters. Robert Wilks, CEO of Powerlifting Australia, is the author of the formula.
Donald C. Reinhoudt was an American powerlifter and strongman. He won the IPF World Powerlifting Superheavyweight Championship four consecutive times (1973–1976), and won the World's Strongest Man in 1979.
James Gregory Henderson, also known as Big James Henderson and James "Hollywood" Henderson, is a former American powerlifter who specialized in the bench press. He competed in the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) and was five times Super Heavyweight World Bench Press Champion. He was the second man to bench press over 700 pounds [lb] (317.5 kg) and the second man to bench press over 700 lbs raw. James set numerous world records throughout his career, including the all-time world record in the raw (unassisted) bench press with 711 lb (323 kg).
Ab Wolders is a former strongman and world champion Powerlifter from the Netherlands. He was runner-up at the World's Strongest Man competition on two occasions, placing second to Jón Páll Sigmarsson in 1984 and to Jamie Reeves in 1989. He finished 3rd at the World's Strongest Man games in 1986, 4th in 1988, 1st at Europe's Strongest Man in 1987 and was twice Strongest man of the Netherlands. Ab won the IPF World Powerlifting Championships in 1984 in the 125 kg category.
Edward Coan is an American powerlifter. He is widely regarded throughout the powerlifting world as the greatest powerlifter of all time. Coan has set over 71 world records in powerlifting.
Brian Cameron Siders is an American world champion powerlifter and regular participant in the Arnold Strongman Classic. Brian is regarded as one of the strongest men to ever walk the planet, especially in press-movements.
Alexey Vishnitsky honoured master of sports, champion of Europe, record holder of Europe, 2 times IPF powerlifting world champion, member of the team of strongmen of Ukraine. Multiple winner in the team among 105 kg. Took part in the TV show Fort Boyard in 2004 with Vasiliy Verastuks's team of strongmen.
Lev Susany is a former Australian powerlifter who competed in the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF). He was a member of the Australian Powerlifting Team for 5 years, from 2010 to 2014. He has won numerous Australian, Oceania and Commonwealth Powerlifting Championships over three weight classes.
Brad Gillingham is an American world champion powerlifter and strongman competitor from Minnesota, United States.
Liubou Bialova is a Belarusian weightlifter.
John Haack is an American powerlifter. He is the current world record holder in the raw 90 and 100 kilogram weight class. He set the previous 82.5 kg world record of 907.5 kg on August 3, 2019, at the age of 26 at the Tribute powerlifting meet in San Antonio, Texas. For this total, he squatted 312.5 kg, bench pressed 232.5 kg, and deadlifted 362.5 kg. This total beat his own previous records of 890 kg and 875 kg. The previous record holder in this weight class was Maliek Derstine, with a total of 862.5 kg on January 23, 2016.
Brett Gibbs is a New Zealand powerlifter, competing in the 83 kilogram weight class. He is a 3-time open world champion and 1-time junior world champion in the classic division.
Brady Anthony Stewart is an American weightlifter. He was born on July 21, 1982, in St. Louis Missouri. Stewart is an 8-time US National Bench Press Team member for USA Powerlifting(Luxembourg 2009, Lithuania 2013, Sweden 2015, Denmark 2016, Lithuania 2017, South Africa 2018, Japan 2019, Czech Republic 2020[canceled due to Covid-19]). Stewart is the current American Record holder in the 120 kg / 264 lbs weight class with a press of 356.5 kg or 785.9 lbs. Stewart is the only lifter in US history to have medaled in IPF OPEN World Equipped Bench Press Championship competition in the 264 lbs weight class. He is also a member of the historic 2009 World Champion US National Bench Press Team.
Viktoria Vasylivna Posmitna (Larsson) (Ukrainian: Вікторія Василівна Посмітна (Ларссон); born 7 April 1966 in Kyiv, Ukrainian SSR) – Ukrainian athlete (powerlifting, bodybuilding, fitness), coach, TV host. Honored Master of Sports of Ukraine, Master of Sports of Ukraine of international class, twelve-time champion of Ukraine, multiple winner of the European and World Championships.
Ana Rosa Castellain is a Brazilian powerlifter, seven-time world champion. She became the main Brazilian athlete active in the country after originally being inducted into the IPF Hall of Fame. She currently resides and trains in the city of Garopaba on the coast of Santa Catarina.
Sergey Fedosienko 
Dariusz Wszoła 
Eric Kupperstein 
Takaaki Mizuno 
Franklin León 
Antoine Garcia 
Mehrdad Zafari 
Iván Campano Díaz 
Hsieh Tsung-ting 
Suradzh Chebotar 
Antti Savolainen 
Stephen Cascioli 
Eddie Berglund 
Aliaksandr Hrynkevich-Sudnik 
Lung-Hsin Huang 
Harry Shomalistos 
Yakov Ionin 
Kjell Egil Bakkelund 
Clinton Lee 
Joshua Wright 
Timothy Monigatti 
Owen Hubbard 
Fatah Toubal 
Russel Orhii 
Emilio Cotti Cometti 
Enahoro Asein 
Jiří Horník 
David Coimbra 
Borislav Adov 
Anibal Coimbra 
Alex-Edward Raus 
Abdulla Mohamed Ahmeed Mohamed 
Amandas Paulauskas 
Cenk Koçak 
Stephen Pritchard 
Mārtiņš Krūze 
Jezza Uepa 
Oliva Kirisome 
Temur Samkharadze 
