Women and Powerlifting

[ripitupbaby]

Are there alot of women involved with powerlifting where you guys live? 

I live in New England, and I find it very strange that there aren't many women involved in powerlifting.  And I can't really figure out why they aren't.  I'm not familiar with ALL of the organizations, but I've been involved for a few years with the APF up here (working meets and competing), and I am also familiar with the USPF.  In the last three or so years that I've been attending meets, the largest number of women I have seen compete was FOUR at a bench meet one time, in 2006 or 2007, I think. 
I've also been training up here for years, been to a ton of different gyms, and haven't really met or heard about many women who compete in PL at all.  And I'm talking about all of New England - Maine, NH, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.

At the USPF Meet in Rhode Island a couple weeks ago, there were four women who benched, myself included.  NO women did the full powerlifting meet, which really surprised me.  I asked a few of the guys at the meet, and one of them told me about one woman who lives in CT and competes alot.  Other than that, I can name about 3-5 women who I have met over the last three years in the area who have done some form of competitive powerlifting, but that's about it.

I just think it's strange that more women don't try it out.  I understand that a lot of women have this perception that they are going to get big and bulky if they lift big weight  , but women with experience in the gym know better than this, and I don't know why more of them aren't doing it.  Powerlifting would seem to be a better fit for most people's lifestyles than bodybuilding, and if nothing else, it's a great personal challenge and good way to stay focused and motivated in the gym.

I'm seriously considering doing the full meet at USPF Nationals in June just because there are so few women involved in the sport...I'm hoping that at the very least, maybe I can motivate a few more to try it out by showing them that you don't have to be some sort of mass monster to do it. 

I know that numbers of competitors in general are down in recent years...at least they seem to be up here. 

But I'm wondering is this the case with female competitors everywhere?  Or am I just on the fringe of the competitions and not going to the right meets?  Are there more women competing in different feds?   If there are, where are they?  If there aren't, then why the hell not? 

[Vet]

There are a few around here.   Not many.  My wife is one of about three in the gym where I go.  The last bench competition (a small local one) she did, she was one of two female competitors for about 10 guys.  The year before in the same contest she was one of 5 female competitors for about 15 or 18 guys. 

Heres my take on it---there have never been many women in powerlifting.  I know of at least one really well respected individual who as gone so far as to say something to the effect of "don't train with women if you want a true hardcore gym".  I don't know how many guys buy into that crap, but its been published and its been repeated.  I also respect the hell out of the person who wrote it, I just don't agree with him.   I personally prefer training with a woman, if she is intense.  In my experience, women may be weaker than guys, but they train as hard or harder and they will push the shit out of the guys in the group.   Alot of guys will argue with me about it, but if you push them, they'll also tell you the only woman they've trained with is some silicone barbie doll.  I'm talking hardcore, wants to set records women when I talk about female training partners.  There arent very many women in commercial gyms like that. 

Also, I don't know many women who can hang with a group of 260- 300+ lb sweaty, smelly, grunting guys throwing around thousands of lbs of weight on a given day.  I've been in some powerlifting garage gyms where it gets pretty damned crazy.   It takes a special type of woman to hang with that crowd of guys. 

[ripitupbaby]

There are a few around here.   Not many.  My wife is one of about three in the gym where I go.  The last bench competition (a small local one) she did, she was one of two female competitors for about 10 guys.  The year before in the same contest she was one of 5 female competitors for about 15 or 18 guys. 

Heres my take on it---there have never been many women in powerlifting.  I know of at least one really well respected individual who as gone so far as to say something to the effect of "don't train with women if you want a true hardcore gym".  I don't know how many guys buy into that crap, but its been published and its been repeated.  I also respect the hell out of the person who wrote it, I just don't agree with him.   I personally prefer training with a woman, if she is intense.  In my experience, women may be weaker than guys, but they train as hard or harder and they will push the shit out of the guys in the group.   Alot of guys will argue with me about it, but if you push them, they'll also tell you the only woman they've trained with is some silicone barbie doll.  I'm talking hardcore, wants to set records women when I talk about female training partners.  There arent very many women in commercial gyms like that. 

Also, I don't know many women who can hang with a group of 260- 300+ lb sweaty, smelly, grunting guys throwing around thousands of lbs of weight on a given day.  I've been in some powerlifting garage gyms where it gets pretty damned crazy.   It takes a special type of woman to hang with that crowd of guys. 

I must be one of the weird ones...there is something strangely appealing to me about that kind of scenario.   

I hope that all of you guys encourage your wives/significant others to get involved.  It just seems like a no brainer to me, for any woman who has some experience with weight training and has a competitive kind of nature.  It's not terribly expensive, and it's really no more time consuming than regular training (although obviously much more challenging, but that's what it is supposed to be all about).

At the last bench meet I did, two of the four women who competed didn't even bench more than 115 pounds, but they both did it "for fun" and they both had a great time.  And I was really glad to see them compete. 
Another example - one woman at the bench meet last year competed just because her boyfriend did, and she trained with him.  She didn't get more than 95 pounds on the bench, but she had a blast and left the competition motivated to train for her next one. 

And I agree...women CAN be asskickers in the gym.  I'm glad you recognize that.  Sometimes the guys really need a good asskicking too.   

[nasht5]

I've trained with 4 different chicks over the years, all hardcore serious chicks. I'm down to two of them now. All of them train/trained harder than some of the guys I know and knew. They all have records in multiple feds but none of them care about a trophy or so much about a record.
I have no problem with women in a powerlifting gym as long as they bust their ass.

[bigbadwolfe]

I train with Laura Phelps and Amy Weisberger 2 of the biggest names in Womens powerlifitng and those 2 bust there asses just as hard as any guys I know. I will galdy share the gym with both of them on any given day of the week!!!

They both have my full respect, hell they can both Squat more then me