Predictors of Performance in Powerlifting and Weightlifting

It is well known that some anthropometric characteristics are related to increased performance in various sports disciplines. However, establishing an exact correlation is difficult because these disciplines remain relatively under-researched and have historically received less attention.

That is why, in this article we are going to try to shed some light on this subject, since it can be very useful not only for the athletes themselves, but also for coaches and nutritionists who are in charge of the evaluation of body composition, thus allowing us to establish adequate correlations that allow us to correctly advise our athlete in pursuit of improved performance and sporting excellence.
Here we focus on strength disciplines such as powerlifting and weightlifting. The ultimate goal in both disciplines is to lift the greatest possible total weight across all movements. Body mass and muscle mass are the 2 main determinants proposed in the existing literature correlated with the improvement of absolute performance.

In fact, compared to the general population, practitioners of these disciplines have trunk and upper limb perimeters along with a greater amount of fat-free mass (this is especially important in lower weight categories compared to heavier ones). In addition, certain ratios have been proposed such as the proportion that exists between the limbs in relation to height and how it could influence the weight lifted for geometric reasons.

For example, shorter limbs can be advantageous since they reduce the distance that the bar has to be lifted and reduce the moment arm, this also occurs in movements such as the bench press, where perhaps somewhat shorter arms can present a small mechanical advantage (it decreases the travel of the bar, moving less away from the point where we can exert a greater degree of force). However, some of these studies found that these body proportions did not show as strong or reliable data as expected across individuals and all categories. This is because it also depends on the movement in question and what may show a small benefit for movements in which the lower body is more involved, may not be so much for the upper body.

It is important to note that all available studies on anthropometric and performance variables in adult weightlifters have been carried out in the equipped version of the sport (suit, knee pads...), while there are not too many data available for classic powerlifting (IPF).

In particular, data on female athletes is extremely sparse and outdated. In the study by Ferrari et al. 2020, it was intended to respond to all this by being one of the first to choose an intermediate sample in terms of competition experience, mixed in terms of sex (being one of the largest in terms of female sex to date) and located in southern Europe.

The results were as follows:

Male athletes with better marks obtained significantly greater neck circumferences, thigh, relaxed and flexed arm size compared to male athletes with lower lifts. As for female athletes, similar results were observed, correlating those with better marks with higher measurements in terms of chest circumference and relaxed/flexed arm.

In conclusion, we see how a combination of experience, fat mass and muscle mass levels of the different limbs can "accurately" predict performance in a general and individual way. This complements other studies carried out in weightlifters (a small sample as it is a little-studied sector and high competitive level) where we see how lean body mass is closely related to performance and improvement in movements such as clean and jerk and snatch, with lean body mass of the trunk being the best indicator of performance compared to muscle architecture and the area of cross-section of the quadriceps (this is somewhat more indicative but with a lower correlation than the total lean body mass). As an additional note, it seems that the height, speed and power of the CMJ can also serve as a possible predictor of weightlifting performance for both men and women. Therefore, when access to DXA or muscle ultrasound is difficult, the CMJ can provide useful information on possible training adaptations and be a possible variable to be defined in order to predict performance in our athlete.

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Bibliography

• Ferrari L, Colosio AL, Teso M, Pogliaghi S. Performance and Anthropometrics of Classic Powerlifters. J Strength Cond Res. 2020;(c):1.
• Ferland P-M, Pollock A, Swope R, Ryan M, Reeder M, Heumann K, et al. The Relationship Between Physical Characteristics and Maximal Strength in Men Practicing the Back Squat, the Bench Press and the Deadlift.2020;13(4):281–97.
• Maden-Wilkinson, T. M., Balshaw, T. G., Massey, G. J., & Folland, J. P. (2020). What makes long-term resistance-trained individuals so strong? A comparison of skeletal muscle morphology, architecture, and joint mechanics. Journal of Applied Physiology, 128(4), 1000-1011.
• Zaras, N., Stasinaki, A. N., Spiliopoulou, P., Hadjicharalambous, M., & Terzis, G. (2020). Lean Body Mass, Muscle Architecture, and Performance in Well-Trained Female Weightlifters. Sports, 8(5), 67.