Data Analysis and Probability

During training it is important to train at different level in order to work on form, technique, speed, and performance. For example during my training I have light, moderate and heavy days. ( I always warm up to desired weights using lighter weights with more reps)

On Light days I tend to lift around 60 - 75% of my Personal Record (for a specific lift) for 6-15 reps

On Moderate days I lift from 75 - 85 % of my Personal Record (for a specific lift) for 2-6 reps

On Heavy days I lift from 85 - 100% of my Personal Record for a specific lift 1-4 reps

There are days where I attempt to exceed 100% and create a new Personal Record, which is on Testing Days (Testing Days do not occur very often; you lift small reps of increasing weights until you reach your maximum weight). Notice that the there is a correlation between the % and the Reps as the Weights increase Reps go down and as the Weights decrease the Reps go up.

100% at 1 Rep

95% at 1 Rep

85% from 2-4 Reps

80% from 4-6 Reps

75% from 6-8 Reps

70% from 8-10 Reps

65% from 10-12 Reps

60% from 12+ Reps

If I were going to have a Moderate Day of Squatting, with a Personal Record at 265 lbs (I give myself 1 to 3 minutes of rest in-between lifts)

I would warm-up starting at 135 lbs with 10 reps and 155 with 8 reps

I would then go to 75% of my Personal record for 6 Reps (2 times):

.75 * 265lb = 185.5 lb for 6 Reps (Twice)

I would then go to 80% of my Personal record for 4 Reps (2 Times):

.80 * 265lb = 212lb for 4 Reps (Twice)

I would then finish with 85 % of my Personal record for 2 Reps (2 Times):

.85 * 265 lb = 225.25 lb for 2 Reps (Twice)

That would be the end of my moderate Squat workout day.

Number and Operations

Lights, Judging, Spotting!

During a competition in order to complete a lift properly you have to get three yellow lights from the three different judges.

There is Left Side Judge, Front Judge, and Right Side Judge.

Each Judge has a yellow and red light! In order to pass your lift a lifter must get at least 2 yellow lights otherwise the lift doesn't count.

There are different possibilities  that will create a passing and failing lift in correspondence to the judges and their lights. [If a judge is in the color yellow then they gave a yellow light, if a judge is in the color red then they gave a red light; Green means pass and Orange means fail]

Lift Side Judge + Front Judge + Right Side Judge =  Pass

Lift Side Judge + Front Judge + Right Side Judge = Pass

Lift Side Judge + Front Judge + Right Side Judge = Pass

Lift Side Judge + Front Judge + Right Side Judge = Pass

Lift Side Judge + Front Judge + Right Side Judge = Fail

Lift Side Judge + Front Judge + Right Side Judge = Fail

Lift Side Judge + Front Judge + Right Side Judge = Fail

Lift Side Judge + Front Judge + Right Side Judge = Fail

As Long as lifters follow commands, pay attention and follow rules, and complete their lift, then the Competitor should pass and their lift should count towards their powerlifting score!

Number and Operation

When a Power Lifter Competes in a competition the must enter into a gender, weight class, and division (divisions are also known as age brackets).

When a lifter competes there records are categorized under that specific weight class and division.  Therefore if you wanted to beat a world or state record you would have to look at the division and weight class you pertain to. 

For example, I am currently a member of the Women's 198 lb Junior Division.

There are many combinations because each gender is split into different weight classes, and every weight class hold a different record for each division.

For example, the Women's 198lb weight class can contain 17 different divisions that could hold their own record.

An entry form could look like this:

CIRCLE WEIGHT CLASS:
WOMEN	66		77	88		97	105		114			123		132		148		165		181		198			198+
MEN	66		77	88		97	105		114			123		132		148		165		181		198			220	242		275	308		SHW
AGE Group 25-29 and 30-34 are only available as a Crossover – Be sure to indicate this on your entry if desired!
DIVISIONS (CHECK AS MANY AS YOU WANT TO ENTER): Each Division has all weight classes.
YOUTH 11 & UNDER:						TEEN: 12-13					14-15				16-17			18-19			JUNIOR: 20-24
MASTERS:		40-44			45-49			50-54					55-59				60-64		65-69					70-74			75-79			80-84
OPEN:  (25-34 & ALL AGES)										LAW / FIRE / MILITARY:													SUB MASTERS: 35–39

For Women there are a total of 13 weight classes and 17 divisions, which would equal 221 different combinations because 13 * 17 = 221.

For Men there are a total of 17 weight classes and 17 divisions, which would equal 289 different combinations because 17 * 12 = 289.

Altogether there are a total of 510 different combinations for Lifters to be a Competitor in because 221 + 289 = 510

Data Analysis and Probability 


When lifters tie in an age and weight class then they sometimes resort to calculating the persons pounds to bodyweight (this is done in more in informal competitions). This calculation is also created when one wants to determine the strongest lifter of a competition. (Plus it is just a fun fact, especially when you are lifting a lot of weight)

First  we have to refer to the competitors data for their body weight and the amount of weight they lifted for each event.

For example:

Erika's Weight = 192 lbs

Erika's Lift: Squat = 265 lbs

Abby's Weight = 196 lbs

Abby's Lift: Squat = 265 lbs


It is important that all of the data have the same units otherwise we must convert to a common unit. In this case all of the data uses pounds as their unit.

Next is the computation:  (Weight Lifted / Body Weight) * 100 = % of Body Weight Lifted

Erika's Data Computation: (265 / 192) * 100 = 138.02%

Abby's Data Computation: (265 / 196) * 100 = 135.20%

If Erika and Abby competed in the same competition, Erika would have been deemed the stronger lifter because she was able to bench more in comparison to her body weight

Geometry 

(Squat)

The squat is my favorite lift! A squat is when a competitor has the bar and desired weight on their back they must then squat down until their quad makes a 90 degree angle or less with the floor [angle Knee-Hip-Floor would be created - See picture below]

If a squat does not reach 90 degrees or less then the lift does not count, therefore will not score for this lift and their total score will "bomb." The more weight you have on the bar the easier it is to go down, but the harder it is to go up; thank you gravity! Watch and see if my lifts make it to or below 90 degrees!

Due to gravity it is very difficult to impossible  to reach a 90 degree angle if you simple bend at the knee keeping your lower leg and torso perpendicular to the floor [as if you were sitting properly in a char]. Therefore when squatting it is important to move your body using different angles in order to maintain balance. See picture below.

As you can see in order to create a 90 degree angle with me knee-hip-foor,  I need to create a 58 degree angle at my knee and and a 55 degree angle at my waist. Then all that is left to do is drive up through the center of my feet, push my hips floor and stand tall!

Geometry

(Bench)

Below is a video of a light pause bench press. A pause bench press is when the bar reaches the lifters chest the lifter must pause until the bar is stable the lifter has been given the command to press the bar and weight up. It would be effective to re-watch the video after the following information in order to analyze my technique.

When benching it is important for the competitors technique that the competitor keeps the bar level, which means that the bar is parallel with the bench fame [refer to the picture below the bottom of the yellow box should represent the frame of the bench and the top of the line should represent the bar. The we know that these two lines are parallel because opposite sides of a box are parallel].

If the bar is not parallel then one arm will be lifting more weight than the other, which can be seen in the image below and in the video. My left arm tends to drop more than my right which causes the bar to lean and not be parallel. This means that my left arm is working harder to push up the weight (it is also my stronger and more relaxed arm). I want the bar to be balanced so I try to use my fore-arms and wrists as another set of parallel lines. When these lines are perpendicular to the bar and the frame then they create the other corresponding sides of my rectangle. When my arms are perpendicular to to the bar and the bench frame then I create a rectangle that shortens and lengthens [imagine the yellow box on the picture below when you re-watch the video; the box is growing and shrinking due to my arms dropping]. But when the lines are not longer perpendicular a trapezoid is made, like in the picture below when the actual bar replaces the top line.

My Lift would be more efficient and I would get better results if the bar was parallel to the bench frame and my forearms remained perpendicular to those parallel lines because the weight of the bench press would be equally distributed to both arms, therefore one arm wouldn't have to work more than the other.