Finland’s top athletes compete for the equipment powerlifting Finnish championships this weekend in Vuokatti.
At the Vuokatti sports hall, weights are lifted on the weekend that a layman would not suddenly believe to be true.
With the help of equipment developed for the purpose, such as the bench shirt and squat tricots, the athlete can achieve results of over 300 kilograms, which without the equipment, one could only dream of.
For example, a shirt designed for bench press looks like a shirt worn the wrong way around, but it helps in getting the result, says Sotkamon Visa’s competition director Ville Niskanen.
– The shirt is so tight that you don’t want to put it on by yourself. When doing push-ups, a small weight doesn’t even go down enough, while a bigger one goes down and up the right way.
The effect on the result can be illustrated by the fact that the holder of the Finnish record, who has already finished his career by Fredrik Smulter the result with the shirt is 401 kilos and without aids 282 kilos.
The equipment supports the body
Equipment powerlifting differs from classic powerlifting, as the name suggests, in that in equipment powerlifting the athlete can use lifting equipment that supports the body approved by the International Powerlifting Federation.
The equipment includes, among other things, a bench shirt, knee braces and a squat and deadlift jersey. Competition director Ville Niskanen has been practicing the sport for ten years and knows that equipment is useful.
– Aids also have a protective effect. With big irons, the joints are hard. With the right aids, you can lift larger weights without fear of injury.
Finland’s toughest lifters gather in Vuokatti
The domestic top of the sport participates in the equipment powerlifting championships organized by Sotkamo Visa and the Finnish Powerlifting Association. According to Niskanen, 71 powerlifters will participate in the games.
– At the same time, the domestic top also means athletes who are successful in the world. There are European champions and World Championship medalists.
In Niskanen’s opinion, even without knowing the sport in detail, you can find a lot to watch in the games.
– You can research equipment, there are many kinds of them or lifting styles, because there are differences in them too. Of course, the easiest way is to monitor how much iron actually rises.