“UP UP UP UP UP!!!!”
The crowd yells at a powerlifter as they try to get the last few inches of their arms extended during a difficult bench press. The lifter succeeds, and the crowd cheers. Had the lifter failed, the crowd would have felt their pain with them. Powerlifting is a sport where your main competition is yourself and your fellow lifters understand and empathize with your successes and failures.
“You’re cheering for everyone, that’s what’s cool,” said Molly Kelly (CAS ’15).
On Saturday Kelly, Beth Luby (CAS ’14), and Edward Ho (CAS ’14) competed in the 17th Annual Revolution Powerlifting Syndicate Power Challenge in Everett, Mass. Each student is a member of BU’s Powerlifting club and all won first place for their weight class and age group. The trio did three different lifts: squat, bench press, and deadlift.
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Luby pulling on her singlet. Singlets are a required fashion choice for all competitors.
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Luby says she wears a belt during lifts because “it holds your guts in for you.”
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“You know what my squat would look like without a belt? It wouldn’t,” joked Kelly. Here she warms up for her squat.
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Luby tightening the belt right before a lift.
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During the squats, three spotters and chains are there to catch the bar in case you drop it.
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Luby and Kelly high-five after Kelly had a good lift.
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Ho practicing his squats before his flight is up. The morning session was divided into three flights. Competitors were placed depending on weight class and how much they can lift.
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Power-lifters are also power-eaters. “If you’re not hungry, you’re not human,” said one the announcer at the event. Here, Kelly munches a cupcake during some downtime.
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Ho mentally preps for his squat attempt as a Cambridge Strength and Conditioning member puts powder on his back so the bar doesn’t catch his shirt too much.
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Kelly preps for the bench press.
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Luby during her bench press. In order for the lift to be good, the back has to remain arched during the lift while the butt can’t leave the bench.
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Ho shows how chalked up his hands get in prep for a lift.
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Ho finishing his lift.
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The last event, the deadlift, requires long socks so the bar doesn’t scratch the shins.
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Kelly practicing her deadlift before her flight is called.
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Luby at the height of a successful lift.
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Ho preps his hands before practicing his deadlift.
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Kelly and Luby both won first place in their weight classes and had to decide which trophies they wanted.
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Fun fact: the woman in grey is 60 years old and can lift a scary amount of weight…
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….and she’ll do it while wearing sparkly shoes.
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Ho attaching his first place decal to his trophy of choice.
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Luby and Kelly show off their trophies.