Only the Strong Survive!
See the Strongest People in the Country Move Big Weight at the Toronto Pro SuperShow Powerlifting Open Invitational.
300kg squats, 262kg deadlifts, 175kg bench press...all in a day’s work of regular training at the gym for a special and select group of athletes. Extreme to many, but this is what they do and this is what they are good at. For many of these elite, training regularly with some of the strongest people is just natural. To them it is a normal everyday workout and just part of the routine. Who are these athletes that defy what the human body is capable of lifting? They work and train with athletes similar to themselves who move big weights and this it is standard operating procedure. But why wouldn't it? They are after all part of the powerlifting elite.
Powerlifting equals strength. Strength becomes the primary focus and element of athletic performance. The Powerlifting lifts are the final and definite measure of strength. Powerlifting is the ultimate strength competition. With powerlifting, the athlete must compete in three specific disciplines - the squat, deadlift and bench press. These three disciplines measure different areas of human strength. When Powerlifters talk about why they love the sport, it boils down to this...you compete against the force of iron, and other athletes.
Powerlifting has grown as a sport on the international scale. Male and female athletes, of all ages, races and strength compete in various competitions to showcase and display their gift with their peers and those who are in awe of this super strength. Last year, the Toronto Pro SuperShow held Powerlifting competitions that enabled athletes to advance, set personal records and break records on a larger multi-sport expo, where fans of various other sports were able to watch exactly what these powerlifting athletes do. The Toronto Pro SuperShow provided a unique opportunity for the athletes themselves, to see what the fan sees and understand their sport from a whole other viewpoint. Now you were no longer competing just within your own sport, you were also competing alongside strength athletes from other disciplines such as Olympic Weightlifting, Strongman, Bodybuilding and the Martial Arts. This type of venue brings attention to the sport in a way that regular competitions can't. The Toronto Pro SuperShow brought the best of the best for all to see.
Being the best in any sport truly comes down to dedication, heart and having no fear of the unknown. What makes powerlifting one to watch, is that pretty much anything is possible. Last year, at the Toronto Pro SuperShow, athlete Stephen Jesso wowed the crowds, not only with him breaking two national raw powerlifting records - the first with a 300kg squat, and the second a total lift of 827.5kg, but also that Jesso was one of 14 competitors, all of whom were able bodied in the best pound for pound competition a SuperShow has ever seen, and he is blind. Jesso impressed the crowds and I am sure helped shine a new light on what goes into being an athlete of this sport.
Check out the 2012 Toronto Pro SuperShow Powerlifting Open Invitational to see what records will remain and which will be broken this year?
By: Tina Goinarov
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