Explanation of Absolute Records
Absolute records are those performances for which no lifter of lighter bodyweight has lifted more weight. It is superior to weight-class records for recognizing the best all-time lifts.Absolute records are independent of bodyweight-class category and restructuring thereof. The IWF changed the weight classes in 1993, and again in 1998. Absolute records allow for inclusion of performances before and after weight class changes. There is no need to start over with new records, and there is no need for "world standards."
I accept lifts from all legitimate powerlifting federations for my lists. When bodyweight is unknown, the lifter is assumed to weigh the weight class.
For record purposes, I round the bodyweight up to the nearest .5kg, but I record the actual bodyweight for the Siff formula. Entries are ordered as follows: weight lifted @ bodyweight, name, nationality/affiliation, date, place, federation or competition.
The concept of absolute records has been roughly developed from "Strength and Speed Ratings" by Dale Harder. I appreciate the addition of information provided by Georgi Tchilikov and Sanie Pengili. Please send additional corrections or additions to Tony Dziepak.
The primary purpose of weight classes should be to facilitate head-to-head competition at the big meets. They are (and should be) used to coordinate the weights of the athletes. The athletes decide beforehand at what weight class they will compete, and then target their weight toward the upper limit of the class in order to take full advantage of the allowable limit. This puts everyone on a level playing field.
Weight classes also facilitate team selection and composition at major meets. In order to increase spectator interest and to facilitate team scoring, weight classes are used to balance the weight variety of athletes selected from each country. For instance, standards encourage a country to develop lifters of all weights, but allows two lifters in the same country and weight class if they are both medal contenders.
Weight class increments should be separated enough so that there is significant difference in the amount of weight lifted in each class, so that athletes do not choose among adjacent classes to avoid head-to-head competition, and so that athletes do not regularly flip from class to class within a season. Weight classes should be close enough so that any athete can compete close to his/her ideal bodyweight, and is not forced to lose excess bodyweight to make a class or forced to put on inneficient size to compete against larger-framed competitors.
The increments should be consistent, with each higher class about the same percentage increase over the lower class. Weight classes for women or younger age groups may be different. Here is a comparison of the old (pre1993) revised (1993-97) weightlifting weight classes. Note: this combines weight classes for men's, women's and schoolage:
Powerlifting basically followed weightlifting, and also added 125 kg in the 1980's and some federations also now recognize the 140-kg weight class. Plus some have a women's 90-kg class.
I would suggest that powerlifting adopt similar new weight classes. The IOC may force them to do so, as it wants to limit the number of all weight class sports, including boxing, wrestling, and judo. The new weight classes should have smooth, regular increments. Each successive class should be about 10-12 percent greater than the previous.
The weight classes should go down to just a little bit beyond the point at which lifters can total the greatest percentage of bodyweight, on average. According to the Siff formulas, this occurs at about 60kg for men and about 50kg for women. These are the bodyweights at which humans lift the greatest multiple of their bodyweight. Lighter athletes have to sacrifice a greater proportion of their muscle mass relative to their frame (nonmuscle lean bodymass, i.e. bone). As a result, they are less efficient.
There should be lower weight classes for age-group lifters. What is the purpose of keeping separate 90 and +90 records/classes for teen girls, or separate 125 and +125 for teen boys, if performances are not significantly different? One has to take into account the participation rates at various bodyweights and classes among age groups and masters groups, and determine what weight classes are necessary.
NEW: Lately (in weightlifting, 1998-2001), it has been evident that the new women's weight classes are not high enough in the upper weight classes. In the superheavyweights, there are outstanding performances by athletes in the 80-90kg bodyweight range (such as Khomich) that are overshadowed by the super-superheavyweights weighing above 110kg. I recommend the women's weight classes be revised to the following: Option I (more progressive change): 48, 53, 59, 66, 74, 83, +83; OR Option II (more conservative change): 48, 53, 59, 65, 72, 80, +80.
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Weight Class Opinion
I think when it comes to records, weight classes are overemphasized. Many weight class records are "nonabsolute", i.e. there is a lighter weight class record that is more than a heavier weight class. Furthermore, there are outstanding performances that go unrecognized when the lifter had a bodyweight on the light side of the category, especially in the superheavyweight class.
pre-1993 kg % 1993-97 kg %
40 (88) 42 (92)
44 (97) 4 10.0 46 (101) 4 9.5
48 (105) 4 9.1 50 (110) 4 8.7
52 (114) 4 8.3 54 (119) 4 8.0
56 (123) 4 7.7* 59 (130) 5 9.3
60 (132) 4 7.1* 64 (141) 5 8.5
67.5 (148) 7.5 12.5# 70 (154) 6 9.4
75 (165) 7.5 11.1 76 (167) 6 8.6
82.5 (181) 7.5 10.0 83 (183) 7 9.2
90 (198) 7.5 9.1 91 (200) 8 9.6
100 (220) 10 11.1 99 (218) 8 8.8
110 (242) 10 10.0 108 (238) 9 9.1
+110 +108
In the old classes, it was clear that the increments between classes were highly irregular. There was only a 7.1 percent increase from 56 to 60 kilos, while there was a 12.5 percent increase between 60 and 67.5 kilos. This was due to the historical adding of weight classes. The first weight classes were lightweight (60), middleweight (75), and heavyweight (+75). Then light-heavyweight (90) was added, followed by bantamweight (52). Then heavyweights were separated into heavyweight (110) and superheavyweight (+110). Then came flyweight (56), light-middleweight (67.5), then 82.5. The last class to be added, in the 1970's, was the 100-kg class, bringing the number of weight classes to 10. When women were added in the 1980's, they took the lightest 7 men's classes, plus 44- and 48-kg.
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