Powerlifting vs. Weightlifting: What's The Difference and Which Is Better?

January 11, 2022

4 mins

If you’ve been anywhere near a gym, you've of powerlifting and weightlifting when it comes to weight strength exercise and competition. Both involve lifting heavy weights, but that’s about where the similarities between these training and competing styles end. 

While often used interchangeably, there are distinct differences between weightlifting and powerlifting that can make one better than the other depending on your goals, and how these sports compete is quite different.

Competitive weightlifters (which is an Olympic sport) compete in two lifts for the highest weight they can: the snatch and the clean & jerk, both overhead movements.

Competitive powerlifting involves three movements, or “the big 3”: the squat, deadlift, and bench press, none of which are over head. 

Powerlifting is generally considered a sport of strength and moves are generally done slower, whereas weightlifting is a sport of explosive speed.

Below is a closer look at the differences between powerlifting and weightlifting as well as the pros and cons of each. Every person has a specific goal in mind with their workout regimen, and understanding the differences between powerlifting and weightlifting can allow you to make the right decision for yourself. 

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Muscle Building 101

Muscle growth at a cellular level occurs due to microtears in the muscle tissue. These microtears are then repaired by the body in a way that makes them stronger and slightly bigger. 

Your body adapts when you lift the same weight repeatedly, so weight-based training helps to avoid this adaptation by continually increasing your lifted weight as you grow stronger. With the body constantly trying to adapt and you increasing weight, you can effectively increase strength. 

Powerlifting and weightlifting both center around lifting the heaviest weight possible, and represent some of the best ways to build strength relatively quickly. While muscles can be built fast, it doesn’t come easy, as training and treating your body well through proper nutrition requires a ton of effort if you’re not used to it. 

When done correctly, both approaches to exercise can be an invaluable part of men’s health, allowing you to age gracefully and look & feel your best. Weight lifting in men is particularly beneficial as it can be an effective means of naturally supporting healthy testosterone levels. 

All About Powerlifting

Powerlifting at its most fundamental level is a sport centered around lifting the heaviest weight you can. Competitive powerlifting consists of three different lifts – known as "the big 3" – including the bench press, squat, and deadlift. For each, the athlete lifts the heaviest weights that they can. These are often done at a slower pace than seen in weightlifting.

Unlike a traditional gym workout, powerlifting is concerned with a one-rep (repetition) max rather than ranges. Technique is an important aspect of powerlifting, providing you with optimal leverage, but typically isn’t a part of judging requirements in competition. 

Pros

Powerlifting has a number of benefits, including the ability to relatively quickly increase muscle size and bone density. With strength training, there are two thought-processes on how to gain muscle mass: to focus either on repetition or maximal weight. 

Powerlifting takes the maximal weight approach, which has shown to be most effective for maximizing strength training. This high intensity approach is ideal because it forces your muscles to constantly adapt to heavier and heavier weights throughout your training program, leading to strength gain. 

Additionally, powerlifting adds a competitive edge to your gym visits and provides a goal to strive for: be the winner. When you're in the gym, it can be easy to just go through the motions and not truly work to the best of your abilities. Training for a powerlifting competition, on the other hand, can give you the motivation to give it your all and a goal to constantly strive for. 

Cons

While powerlifting is a great way to get in shape, it isn’t without flaws. One of the greatest cons to powerlifting is the risk of injury. 

When you're constantly pushing your body by throwing up more weight, it can be easy to overwhelm muscles and potentially sustain an injury. 

A cross-sectional study in 2018 of 104 powerlifters found that nearly 90% of participants had experienced an injury within the previous 12 months. This is a common thread amongst competitive powerlifters that are constantly testing the limits of what their body can handle. Injuries to the lower back, shoulder, knee, and hip happen frequently among powerlifters. While technique is typically not one of the criteria used in competitive scoring, it's an important aspect of lifting safely. As with anything in life, ensuring you're working within your means and taking your time through progression is the best way to avoid injury and ensure that you can keep training effectively. 

All About Weightlifting

Weightlifting is another competitive sport that involves weights but only focuses on two movements: the snatch and the clean & jerk. Both forms of weight lifting revolve around a heavy barbell on the ground that's to be lifted overhead. 

With the snatch, the lifter takes the weight from the ground and lifts it above their head in one fluid motion. 

With the clean & jerk the lift is broken down into two components with a pause in-between. The clean refers to squatting and lifting the weight over your shoulders. The jerk refers to taking the barbell from your shoulders and lifting it above your head with outstretched arms. 

Weightlifting might be considered an old-school form of weight-based competition, introduced at the first modern olympic games in 1896. Women's weightlifting was added to the Olympic games in 2000.

Pros

Weightlifting has a number of benefits, including the specifics of the workout it provides and the ability to compete on an international level.

The first benefit of weightlifting is that it provides a full-body workout. Lifting the barbell from the floor to above your head requires muscle groups ranging from your glutes and quads to your biceps, triceps, and back. That's a large part of why the clean-and-jerk attracts so much attention.

The other benefit of weight lifting is that it has broader recognition, meaning you can compete at an international level and even see this sports at its very highest level: the Olympic games.

Cons 

Like powerlifting, competitive weightlifters are also prone to injuries. Any sport that pushes athletes to the edge, particularly when it comes to heaving large weights around, runs the risk of muscle strain or worse. With the right technique and training systems, most weightlifters will be fine of course. If you notice pain or discomfort, give yourself rest days. 

The Takeaway

In summary, weightlifting and powerlifting are similar weight-based exercises. Both involve low reps and high weight but differ in how they are executed at a competitive level. Competitive powerlifting involves the squat, bench press, and deadlift, while weightlifting involves the snatch and the clean and jerk.

SOURCES

Effects of Low- vs. High-Load Resistance Training on Muscle Strength and Hypertrophy in Well-Trained Men | NCBI

Prevalence and Consequences of Injuries in Powerlifting: A Cross-sectional Study | NCBI

'12 Things you may not know about weightlifting | Team USA