What Is The Difference Between Raw And Equipped Weightlifting?

Over the past two decades, the question of how much equipment and clothing improve the performance of an athlete and the effects this could have on competition has been a major topic of discussion.

At the 2008 Olympic Games, 98 per cent of all medals in swimming and 23 of the 25 world records broken in the Beijing National Aquatics Centre were all achieved by swimmers wearing the same swimming costume. 

Within a year, both the material used and full-length bodysuits were banned from competition.

A decade later, marathon runner Eliud Kipchoge did what was believed to be impossible by running a marathon distance in under two hours, nearly a minute faster than the current world record and nearly two minutes faster than Mr Kipchoge’s personal best time.

Part of this was the unique shoes he was wearing at the time, which have similarly since been banned from competition.

Weightlifting and especially powerlifting have seen countless debates regarding equipment, its effect on performance and how it allows lifters to reach personal bests when heaving barbells laden with Olympic bumper plates.

This has led to a distinction between raw weightlifting and equipped weightlifting. But what is the distinction, and why does it matter?

 

How Does Equipment Affect Weightlifting Performance?

As has been seen whenever modern strength athletes and powerlifters attempt historic weights such as Apollon’s Wheels or the Dinnie Stones, weightlifting is not just about the strength of the lifter or the mass of the weight itself, but how it is standardised and distributed.

Standard Barbells And Weights

A barbell used for Olympic-style lifts has rotating grips, which reduce the stress on the joints, as well as being capable of a degree of flex (often known as whip), which makes it easier to perform certain multi-step lifts such as the clean and jerk.

The weights themselves are of a standard size and width for similar reasons; they ensure that the weight is evenly distributed so a properly performed lift will not create additional strain on one side of the body or the other.

Worn Weightlifting Supportive Equipment

However, equipment is not just limited to the weights athletes lift, but also the clothing and accessories a weightlifter wears.

It can be as simple as athletic tape used to strap a joint in place and support it to avoid injury or a weightlifting belt used to support the back, or as elaborate as bench shirts or entire stretchy suits used to assist with deadlifts.

Squat suits and deadlift suits are often highly elasticised, meaning that they help with the stability of the body, build elastic energy and release it, often giving just enough explosiveness to make a difference between successful and failed lifts, especially in powerlifting.

 

Why Does Equipment Matter?

Whilst the term “technology doping” entered the sporting conversation following the swimsuit controversies of 2008 and 2009, the concept and the debate surrounding “equipped” weightlifting have been a part of weightlifting for several decades.

The dilemma is that supportive equipment was originally intended to help reduce injury, particularly in the wrists, ankles, knees and lower back, but provides such an advantage to lifters that it leads to an expensive and potentially harmful arms race to find the most effective supportive equipment.

In the case of powerlifter Scot Mendelson, the difference between his unequipped bench press record and his record with a stretchy and extremely tight bench shirt is over 300lbs, which highlights just how much of a difference it can make.

At the same time, drawing the line between equipped and unequipped is similarly difficult, as weightlifting belts, wrist strips and knee sleeves are necessary to reduce the risk of injury.

Similarly, the use of chalk to stabilise grip is universally allowed, as it can make certain types of lifts impossible otherwise.

 

What Is Raw Weightlifting?

Before 1983, weightlifting and powerlifting were relatively open when it came to the types of clothing athletes could wear, with belts and rudimentary knee wraps predating the latter sport.

However, the development of the bench shirt, the similar squat and deadlift suits, and other specialised equipment such as the Monolift rack and dedicated squat and deadlift bars, led to a technological arms race and multiple powerlifting competitions which used different equipment and rules from each other.

This complexity led to the development of raw powerlifting divisions, which banned supportive equipment and any equipment a lifter could not put on themselves.

Whilst there are still some distinctions between unequipped powerlifting divisions, typically the only pieces allowed are a leather weightlifting belt, unadjustable knee sleeves and wrist wraps.