PTC Headquarters

ProRawXI 60kg Women's class podium.

1. Stefi Cohen 562.5kg
2. Laura Tedeschi 532.5kg
3. Jen Smith 520kg

Petr Petras, one of the most heavily muscled individuals I've ever met. This was him winning Big Dogs 3. He totalled 1120kg.

I've seen some comments that all of Paul Anderson's squats were high. Firstly, he wasnt a powerlifter as the sport didn't exist back then. He squatted because he was an Olympic weightlifter, and the squat was an exercise not a competition lift. Now he is credited with some incredible numbers in the squat, but nothing official for the reason I just gave. All I know is that he must have been doing something right because he won a Gold Medal at the 1956 Olympics here in Melbourne. He was revered more in Russia than he was in the USA. We can only imagine what sort of numbers he would have posted in powerlifting. Another legend in strength sports.

Shane Hamman is one of the greatest strength athletes ever produced by the US. Starting powerlifting in the 90s, this 5'9" 167kg man squatted a then IPF World Record of 457.5kg in 1996 in single ply. It stood for 16 years.This was nearly 20 years before IPF introduced its raw category, would have loved to seen him compete in raw. His best competition bench is 250kg and deadlift 332.5kg. He totalled 1025kg. He podiumed twice at IPF Worlds.

In 1997 he switched to Olympic Weightlifting. He won 9 US Nationals and competed at the Olympics in 2000 for 10th and 2004 for 7th. He holds all the American SHW class records.

As illustrated in this pic, clearly an explosive athlete, who's squats had to be seen to be believed.

A freak of nature.

Biggest Raw squats in full power competition ever, all 3 definitions. Make of it what you will.

Bare 424kg Don Reinhoudt
Sleeves 490kg Ray Williams
Wraps 505kg Vlad Alhazov

Pic is Don just before setting this record

I'm assuming those that follow this page have now realised my love of the history of powerlifting. When l started ProRaw Powerlifting back in 2010, l had a clean slate when it came to rules regarding equipment. Back then the GPC and WPC had run a raw Worlds in 2009, both allowed wraps. Then in 2010 WPC changed its definition to bare knees only. GPC has continued with wraps.

The IPF missed the boat early on. Not realising this movement back to the early days of lifting, which was always just wraps and a belt, would become so popular. Around 2013 they held their first "Classic Raw" Worlds. They introduced sleeves, a great business decision, but has since created mass confusion with new lifters, not realising sleeves were never a thing in powerlifting competition until then. Nothing classic about them.

At the first AAU Worlds in 1971, it was wraps and a belt. When the IPF formed a couple of years later, it was wraps and a belt. It remained that way until the Marathon suit came around, followed by the bench shirts. This was never labelled as equipped in the only Fed around at the time, the IPF, it was simply powerlifting. The WPC formed in the mid 80s and over time we saw multiply shirts and suits. It got to the point where some felt that the equipment was now aiding the lifter too much and they longed for the days prior to equipment.

Raw was born. Maybe it should have been called unequipped, which would have been more accurate, but it wasn't sexy. So it was called Raw.

So 15 years since, we now have Feds that offer 3 definitions of Raw, wraps, sleeves and bare knees. What a mess.

So back in 2010 when l started ProRaw l had a decision to make. It was a no brainer for me, go back to the OG rules of powerlifting. And every day since l get ridiculed..."how is it raw if they're wearing wraps"

F**k my life

I'm well aware that prior to 2009 there were raw meets run. I'm just sticking to the governing bodies Worlds as a reference point.

Don Reinhoudt
4 x IPF World Championship
1 x WSM

Bill Kazmeir
2 x IPF World Championship
3 x WSM

These are the only 2 strength athletes to win an IPF Worlds and WSM title. Both can lay claim to the strongest man to ever live. I can't split them, but geez l would have loved to have seen them go head to head on the platform. Same rules, same equipment. WSM is different, the choice of events can sway the result.

Do you guys have a favourite?

This is Stephen McMurray. He is the oldest man in history to squat 300kg in competition at 63. He also benched 200kg at 64. I post a lot of videos of Steve because he is a marvel. A few young guys are disrespectful, as like most of us, he got heavier as he got older. Steve just laughs it off. He has spent a lifetime with the iron. Very, very few lifters will ever achieve both the physique that he had 34 years ago, or ever squat 300kg and bench 200kg in their 60s.

It's why you should never criticise the man in the arena, because you don't know their story.