World and international records
This is a plain-English guide. The official IPF Technical Rules are the final word.
World and international records can only be set at competitions sanctioned and recognised by the IPF.
What makes a record valid
- The competition is held under IPF sanction
- Three referees from three different nations referee the lift, each with a current IPF card
- A three-member jury is present
- Only approved bars, discs and racks are used
- A single-lift record comes with a full total (except bench-only records at a bench-press championship)
- The new record beats the old one by at least 0.5 kg
Ties for a record
If two lifters ask for the same record weight, the lower lot number goes first. If they succeed, a small amount is added for the next lifter. The record holder is whoever reaches it first.
Records across age groups
A strong lift can set records in more than one group at once. A Master record that beats the Open record counts as both. A Junior record that beats the Open record counts as both. The same idea runs through all the groups.