What exactly IS a powerlifting-friendly gym???
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Which would the powerlifter want? Hundreds of pounds squatted out of a monolift or a "fitness center" to "tone up?"
Let's face it--powerlifters are "special" people, haha. Seriously though, powerlifters require a certain training environment that is very much different than the average gym rat. We use ALOT of weight. We need heavy duty bars. We need to use chalk. And very importantly, we need a decent place to do the three powerlifts of the squat, bench press, and deadlift. That means a decent squat rack, a quality bench, and a place to do some heavy deadlifts with some quality bars to do that lifting.
So, the list of gyms on ChicagoPowerlifting.com was created so powerlifters in the area can find a place where they can do their powerlifting. So what qualifies a gym to get on the list. Here is a list of qualities that a powerlifting gym should have, minimally:
-Quality barbells
-Quality squat racks or stands
-Quality bench press
-A place to do deadlifts from the floor
-Plenty of pig iron weights
-Use of chalk allowed
-Heavy lifting allowed
-Use of other personal powerlifting aids allowed
Those are the minimal requirements for a powerlifting-friendly gym. Some of those items are a bit subjective. The definition of "quality" in relation to a squat rack or a bench bress is definately subjective. For a powerlifter, however, "quality" means that the peice of equipment allows a powerlifter to perform their heavy lifts without unnecessary problems. Personal powerlifting aids are things like boards, bands, chains, specialized bars, suits, shirts and other extra equipment a powerlifter might bring in for his or her training.
In addition to the minimum equipment allowed, here is a list of some additional powerlifting-related equipment which would be helpful for a powerlifter to use in his or her training. This list is not all-inclusive, it is simply some additional items that would make a gym even more "powerlifting-friendly":
-Monolift squat rack
-Adjustable competition bench press
-Power bars
-Deadlift bars
-55-pound squat bars
-Deadlift helpers
-Deadlift platform
-Reverse hyper bench
-Glute-ham bench
-Heavy DBs up to 120 lbs and above
-Boards
-Bands
-Chains
-Heavy duty rack for lockouts
-Sauna (for cutting weight)
-And the list could go on...
Above all, a true powerlifter knows when they walk into a gym if it is truely is "powerlifting-friendly." Those types of gyms have a certain "aura" about them. If you know of or run/own one in the Chicago-area you think should be added to the list, drop an email to thestone@chicagopowerlifting.com with the details.
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