Powerlifting isn’t just lifting weights and doing squats. On the outside, it may look like it, but that’s only half the truth.
According to coach Heidi Campo, the purpose of powerlifting is to lift the most weight possible. Campo added that there’s not really anything like it, and there ins’t much room for error. It’s a surprisingly mental game.
“It’s you against the barbell,” Campo said. “It really teaches you a lot about yourself, but as far as a sport, you get three chances for one rep, and you get a couple seconds to lift the most weight as you can.”
Two years ago, the University of Utah established the powerlifting club team. Participants get to compete in bench, squat and deadlift, and whoever lifts the most weight in those three lifts is the strongest. With each lift, there are three attempts at each, and whoever is the strongest at each of those three lifts is the winner. However, according to president Anthony Campo, Heidi’s brother, there is more to powerlifting than just that.
“A lot of people might think the essence of powerlifting is being stronger than the guy you are competing against, but really what powerlifting is is being stronger than what you were yesterday,” Anthony said. “With powerlifting, you are just trying to beat whatever you have previously done in a competition or in the gym.”
There are two different kinds of powerlifting — geared and non-geared powerlifting. Anthony explained that geared lifting was originally designed to just support the ball-and-socket joint, whether that was in the shoulder or in the hips, and for longevity in the sport, not for the actual sport itself.
However, once people realized that they could lift a little bit more weight in the gear the idea took off, and was somewhat the peak of geared lifting in the ‘90s.
“The main difference is it is a supportive shirt or suit that you are going to wear, which has a couple of difference functions,” Anthony said. “One, it’s going to support you, and two, it gives your body those cues you need, whether that’s you to keep flaring your knees out at the bottom of a squat, or arching your back at a certain degree in a squat. If you use it efficiently, it acts as a slingshot out of the hole in the squat and the bench.”
Anthony is responsible for getting new members integrated into the team. And he’s responsible for making sure the team is going in the right direction — one that is going to foster the most growth on the team, either through the growth of the number of members or individual growth.
“The mission statement of the powerlifting team is that we want to foster an environment on campus where students can grow stronger, whether that is physically, mentally or emotionally,” Anthony said. “We just want to make sure we are here for everyone, because college can be kind of a tough time for people. I just want to make sure as president that everyone is there for everyone else.”
When deciding where the team’s home base would be for practice, Anthony chose Ironground gym in Murray, because of the knowledge that can be obtained in its environment.
Outside of the Utah team, there is the Ironground powerlifting team, which Anthony and his team train alongside. A lot of the guys who work out there are multiple national — or even world-record holders, so training in that kind of environment is beneficial to the team.
“Another reason why we like to train here is the equipment is much better and is what we actually use in our competitions,” Anthony said. “Training at the Life Center, we wouldn’t get that same level of equipment and expertise that we get at Ironground.”
Aside from that, Anthony loves training with his sister. When a person spots someone of their max effort bench, or that person catches them when they miss a squat, there is a certain amount of trust developed, and there is a certain level of friendship not usually developed outside of training. And being able to share that with his sister is something he finds amazing.
“We are actually training partners most of the time, because he understands my weaknesses the best and I understand his weaknesses the best,” Heidi said. “We both know a lot about the sport, and we know a lot about each other, so he is honestly the best training partner for me, because he knows all my triggers. He knows everything that has been going on in my head that other teammates wouldn’t know.”
Heidi also encourages everyone to get involved, because it is a rewarding experience.
“Everyone here is like family,” Heidi said. “It can be intimidating at first, but only the strong survive, and we are here to support each other. If you aren’t intimidated by the ambiance of the gym then it is a good environment to get stronger.”
@emileewhiteee