The Difference Between Powerlifting and Olympic Weightlifting — The Fast Answer
Are powerlifting and Olympic weightlifting the same?
Powerlifting and Olympic weightlifting are very often confused with one another. Yet, despite their evident similarities, powerlifting and Olympic weightlifting could not be further apart. In this piece, we will get into the details of how powerlifting and Olympic weightlifting are similar and different from one another.
Powerlifting: What is Powerlifting?
I myself am a powerlifter, having learned much of my grasp of weightlifting in general from Mike Matthew’s Bigger Leaner Stronger and Beyond Bigger Leaner Stronger. I am often asked “what exactly is powerlifting? Powerlifting is simply a competitive sport or recreational activity where the athlete in question attempts to get as strong as possible on three specific lifts—namely, the powerlifting big three: the squat, bench, and deadlift. Insofar as you are getting progressively stronger overtime on the squat, bench, and deadlift, you are powerlifting!
