Muscular guys with their shirts off straining at 300-pound barbells. What's not to like? It would seem that high school/college weightlifting, aka powerlifting, would be an ideal sport for physique-watching.
But unfortunately, the ideal is far different from the reality.
1. It's not a very common sport. Only a few high schools and colleges offer it.
2. Both boys and girls participate. Sometimes it seems to be mostly girls.
3. The athletes don't compete shirtless, or in tight singlets. Loose-fitting t-shirts and shorts are more common.
4. Weightlifting is not bodybuilding. Muscle size and definition are irrelevant. Being a little chunky is an asset.
5. And since they are evaluated in weight classes, many of the athletes are a bit skinny.
More after the break.
