Bench press competitions are held both in conjunction with powerlifting tournaments, and independently. Depending on the category and the federation that the athlete represents, the category standards differ.
Bench press without equipment
There are 9 categories in the bench press, 12 categories for men and 10 categories for women. Two youth categories, three sports, Candidate Master of Sports, MS, MSMK and Elite. The minimum category is up to 52 kg, the maximum category is over 140 kg. Women's categories range from 44 kg to 90+ kg.
The no-load bench press means that the athlete does not use a special jersey during the exercise, which does part of the work for the athlete, thereby improving strength performance. For example, in the AWPC association, a man in the category up to 82.5 kg for III category must squeeze 87.5 kg. For the II category, the weight will be equal to 102.5 kg, and for the I category - 112.5 kg. To fulfill the master of sports standard in this category, an athlete must squeeze 145 kg. If you are competing in lightweight, then the standards for you will be correspondingly lower. To perform the I category in the category up to 67.5 kg, you just need to squeeze 97.5 kg. For the standard KMS - 107.5 kg. The MS standard can be obtained by squeezing 125 kg in this category.
In the heaviest category 140+, athletes must squeeze 187.5 kg to achieve the master category. To become a master of sports of international class, an athlete must cope with a weight of 215 kg. In order to be called an elite athlete, you need to squeeze a barbell weighing 250 kg.
To fulfill the standard of the master of sports in the category up to 60 kg, women need to squeeze a barbell weighing 67.5 kg. In the category up to 52 kg, the athlete must submit to a barbell weighing 57.5 kg to fulfill the master standard. Ladies in the category up to 82.5 kg squeeze 85 kg to achieve the coveted master standard.
It is worth clarifying why the standards depending on the federation can vary significantly. There are federations with and without doping control. To perform the same rank in a federation without doping control, more weight must be lifted. For example, to perform the I category in a federation without doping control, an athlete weighing up to 82.5 kg must squeeze a barbell weighing 132.5 kg.
Bench press in equipment
Equipment can be single-layer and multi-layer. Both are designed to improve athletic performance. In order to fulfill the standard of a master of sports in single-layer equipment in the category up to 82, 5 kg, an athlete must squeeze a barbell weighing 190 kg while lying down. Multilayer - 205 kg. For comparison, in the heaviest category 140+ in single-layer equipment to get an elite category, you need to squeeze 355 kg, and in multilayer - 382.5 kg.
Summing up, it is worth remembering that in order to understand the bench press standard you need, you need to know your category, federation (with or without doping control) and decide on the presence or absence of equipment.
