To All WABDL Lifters,
I have had quite a few lifters ask me about 2 ply deadlift suits and bench shirts. Power pants (which are illegal) and a single ply deadlift suit do not make a 2 ply deadlift suit. You can’t sew any kind of extra layer of cloth to make a two ply. A two ply bench shirt can’t be 2 ply only in the sleeve or only in the chest plate. Even if the bench shirt is 2 ply in the chest plate and sleeves it’s still illegal. The shirt and deadlift suit has to be sold by the manufacturer as a stock 2 ply bench shirt or 2 ply deadlift suit not altered any way other than size. Bench shirts are 2 ply entirely in all of the front of the shirt and sleeves and either single ply soft back in the back or open back with Velcro straps or without (this is standard with all manufacturers). The neckline as always has to be one complete circle.
In the beginning of WABDL in 1997 the double ply denim bench shirt was popular. It was double ply in front with a little square to secure the neck line in the back. The rest of the shirt was secured with Velcro straps in the back. The straps didn’t have to be used but just about everybody did. The bottom line is you can’t take a single ply shirt and add layers to the sleeve or chest plate – once a single ply shirt always a single ply shirt. If you want to compete in double ply you have to buy either a stock double ply shirt with the neckline secure not open. Those with 2 ply only in sleeve have a huge advantage because they can easily touch and then get the added boost off the chest. If you want to do double ply deadlift you have to buy a 2 ply deadlift suit.
Regarding push pull the total is not a lift. It’s an accumulation of the deadlift and bench or in Powerlifting a total of squat, bench and deadlift. I entered 82 Powerlifting meets from 1971 to 1986. You could never get a 4th attempt for total and you could never use chips on any attempt. A total is simply what you end up with after the highest bench and deadlift of the first 3 attempts. The 4th attempt doesn’t count towards your total. Not allowing a 4th attempt for a total is standard practice in all of powerlifting.
It is also worth mentioning that if you are entered in Push-Pull and you enter single ply as an example, all bench attempts AND all deadlit attempts must be done in single ply. IT IS ILLEGAL TO ENTER SINGLE PLY PUSH-PULL AND BENCH RAW BUT DEADLIFT IN A SINGLE PLY SUIT. You must use the same gear that you are entered as for all lifts. If the judges see this is happening you will be disqualified from push-pull.
Concerning World Records for Raw, it was originally stated that the highest state records for Raw after 2017 would become the World Records. It was stated by me at the Worlds that we would wait another year and we would start them at the end of 2018 and then it was mistakenly put up on the web that we were going to wait until the end of 2019. I have talked with the board of directors and we have decided to go back to what was originally stated. We will now compile the highest state records from 2017 and those will become the World Raw Records. We have also agreed that from this point forward – once we have turned the highest State Records into World Raw Records that the only place you can set a raw World Record will be at the World Championships. After a 5 year period raw world records can be set at any meet the meets the WABDL requirements. Single and double ply national and world records can still be set at local meets which meet the requirements as outlined in the WABDL rules and which have one of the following certified drug testers present to perform the drug test, Mike Saito, Jim Snodgrass, Mark Webber, Reid Solar, Gus Rethwisch, Jim Presley, and Don Miskinis.
Sincerely,
Gus Rethwisch 12-21-2017