Australian Powerlifting Union thread

WoodyAllen said:

I know that when I first started competing I had zero interest in going to a world championship, competing in any international comp or even travelling out of state. I was just focused in on getting better at competing on a platform and improving my results. It was me vs the barbell, nothing else. So, certainly, for most, if not all, beginners, the whole IPF issue is just foreign politics.

Fortunately, there are lots of opportunities to lift including "real" competitions and "unofficial" beginners events. (I think, but I'm not certain, that Marcos from PTC started that.)

Once a beginner aspires to the next level, National comps, they then start to look higher at regional and international comps. That's when the big divide happens.

But, RIGHT NOW, as in, AT THIS MOMENT, there is only one drug tested powerlifting fed (PA) with APU yet to nail down any sort of testing at all, in any comp or out of comp. Only PA has whereabouts info locked in place, only PA has actual drug testing taking place on a regular basis (or any basis, I believe), only PA has out of comp testing, only PA has legal power to identify and suspend/ban failed lifters and only PA has government backing (and financing) for such.

At worlds in Calgary, Canada, next month, APU lifters will be able to be tested via the self funded IPF testing system in place for international comps.

That's how things are at the moment, for better or worse. I'm sure that will change, one way or the other. I, for one, am looking forward to that changing.

But, lifters need to know that AT THE MOMENT, RIGHT NOW there is no drug testing in APU and for some (hi Chris Lewis) it is disingenuous to avoid this unpleasant fact, or to indicate, by omission, that there is no current drug testing for any APU athletes.

This is not a political jab, just stating the facts in an even handed manner. I am, currently, an APU member. I am not, but have been, a current PA member. If I'm wrong about any of that, I'm happy to be educated.

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I agree with all of that, but it doesn’t really have anything to do with my post lol.

And a a lot of lifters don’t really rate testing as the most important factor when choosing a fed, even when they’re clean.

well you are wrong sticky. i know what apu has in place. looks like the slander has started.

fortunately apu members, besides woody, can trust the apu leadership. comments from people and other feds about our lack of credible testing should be ignored.

it has been a rocky start, but things are in place.

any apu member should contact the apu leadership if they are uncertain of events.

it would be totally unfair for anyone to expect, given the deliberate obstruction of domestic sources, to expect rome to be built in one day.

i note kevin aitken has nothing to say about the abc story.

all i can say is that domestic testing has been set up, although i am not at liberty to provide the details yet. kevin aitken expects the apu to tell everyone what the drug testing protocol is. i mean, how stupid would that be.

if you read the previous posts, the apu and ipf are in talks with relevant govt agencies. there is also an alternative approach in place. i have seen the details.

read my lips, the APU is here to stay as the only ipf fed. the rest can do as they please, drug testing or no drug testing.

i am hoping that more pa members join the apu in coming months as momentum builds. you can have faith that the apu is 100% committed to drug free sport.

spartacus said:

well you are wrong sticky. i know what apu has in place. looks like the slander has started.

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What am I wrong about? I think you may have mistaken Woodys post for me.

Im not trying to slander anyone. I want APU to succeed lol.

spartacus said:

i am hoping that more pa members join the apu in coming months as momentum builds. you can have faith that the apu is 100% committed to drug free sport.

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I know lots of people aren’t joining due to the lack of competition, but without them joining, the competitions won’t grow.
APU has the chicken and egg problem at the moment, but hopefully by years end they will be big enough.

Sticky said:

What am I wrong about?

Im not trying to slander anyone. I want APU to succeed lol.

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you agreed with entire post, so i will take it you agree that apu has no testing protocol in place. i have heard this also from others in gpc.

again, why would the apu announce what it has in place. did the pa announce when it was going to test.

spartacus said:

you agreed with entire post, so i will take it you agree that apu has no testing protocol in place. i have heard this also from others in gpc.

again, why would the apu announce what it has in place. did the pa announce when it was going to test.

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Whether they have it or not, it’s not where near up to standard.

Hopefully it will be sooner rather then later.

Sticky said:

I know lots of people aren’t joining due to the lack of competition, but without them joining, the competitions won’t grow.
APU has the chicken and egg problem at the moment, but hopefully by years end they will be big enough.

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of course, they have not joined yet, but we are growing with 150 members as of two weeks ago. we also have some gun lifters who are committed to drug free sport. that is all we want. lifters of all standards who want reform in terms of the best drug tested fed, and one that is aligned with the ipf.

but, let us see where we are next year, same time. i am very confident we will be much bigger.

Sticky said:

Whether they have it or not, it’s not where near up to standard.

Hopefully it will be sooner rather then later.

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well it will be. it will certainly be better than most ipf affiliates. in fact, from june, it will be on a par with many.

but, like i said, comments that undermine the difficulty that a new fed have very little worth besides telling anyone the bleeding obvious.

you have to fight hard to flourish, especially against some competitors, just as we have given recent events that are now the focus of govt attention.


hopefully, given media interest, there is more to come. the public deserves to be informed of all events.

spartacus said:

of course, they have not joined yet, but we are growing with 150 members as of two weeks ago. we also have some gun lifters who are committed to drug free sport. that is all we want. lifters of all standards who want reform in terms of the best drug tested fed, and one that is aligned with the ipf.

but, let us see where we are next year, same time. i am very confident we will be much bigger.

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How come you refer to APU as "We"?
Do you have a stake in APU? Are you on the board?

i am a member, no stake beyond seeing it flourish as a leading not for profit sporting org committed to drug free sport.

why shrek, do you have a problem with that. maybe i should just mind my business.

fortunately, apu leadership supports my efforts as an apu member. check with them if you have any objections.

Is there a transcript available for the ABC interview?

spartacus said:

well you are wrong sticky. i know what apu has in place. looks like the slander has started.

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Well, why don't you tell us? If APU has full drug testing in place, that's great news!!

But has it? You know, a whereabouts program (I haven't fill in any forms and I know sure as shit you haven't either), drug testing at comps, drug testing of those on the whereabouts list out of comp, out of comp random tests for others, a qualified independent lab to do the hard testing stuff, legally enforceable suspension or banning for those that fail, appeal system, etc.

If they do, then please enlighten the entire world. I, for one, would applaud you for that. Not sure why Sean has not mentioned it on Facebook though......

Sounds like someone is trying to big note themselves. Those who can lift do, those who can't lift, teach, or criticize those that do lift.

I have no idea how [MENTION=4221]Sticky[/MENTION] has slandered anyone, or myself for that matter. But there seems to be some smell of fraud going on by Chris Lewis. Making it appear as if you talk for the APU when all you are is a Joe Basic member (like myself) without any authority to declare APU fully drug test compliant or even what colour the new track suit may be (It's green and gold, by the way. You heard it first from APU member Woody who saw it on the APU Facebook page, or mebbe insta or the web site, like everyphukkinone else.)

For some reason, Chris Lewis seems to be intent on painting members of this forum as anti APU, when non of the posts have suggested such a thing. I'm a member ferphucksake you dipstick AND a member of the world powerlifting championships team heading to Calgary next month. Meanwhile, Sparty is heading to McDonalds.

Get yer head out of yer arse and stop being such a whiney self serving beeatch. "We" at the APU would appreciate if you would not spread slander and fraudulent claims, especially against another APU member, not to mention someone of such high standing as [MENTION=4221]Sticky[/MENTION] who has actually lifted in many comps and runs a fed. Your max deadlift is [MENTION=4221]Sticky[/MENTION] 's first warmup set. For curls.

But as I said, if I'm wrong and there IS an official drug testing system in place, (not just the intention to get one, we all know that APU is trying very hard to do just that) then please make us all feel warm and fuzzy.

Oh, and my comment on the ABC interview? I thought there was going to be something new there. It's all old news.

I've been watching this thread since the start, trying to decide which fed to join, and I'm glad I didn't pull the trigger earlier.

I'll probably be told I'm not qualified to speak on either of those two feds, but my opinion as an outsider is that this is a stinking mess. I can't believe people cheered when Wilks announced a new global federation. They probably know more than I do but as an outsider I can't possibly see how even more federations and fragmentation can be a good thing.

The bickering going on in this thread, it's obvious the IPF is dead in Australia for the next few years until one or the other feds wins the battle. As a new lifter I would be mad if I didn't join the GPC right now, then I can unsubscribe from this thread and not worry about it

Sticky is right this IS good for GPC, and that's a good thing because at least there will be one largest fed as the standard place to compete with good comps in the country and life can continue without politics.

Lifter_Dan said:

I've been watching this thread since the start, trying to decide which fed to join, and I'm glad I didn't pull the trigger earlier.

I'll probably be told I'm not qualified to speak on either of those two feds, but my opinion as an outsider is that this is a stinking mess.

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Agreed. It's a stinking mess with no solution in sight. Just ask Kimberley Walford.

I can't believe people cheered when Wilks announced a new global federation. They probably know more than I do but as an outsider I can't possibly see how even more federations and fragmentation can be a good thing.

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Agreed. But with no way to compete as an IPF sanctioned fed while being a PA member, most had no direction or purpose in their lifting. Hence the cheers when they saw light at the end of the tunnel. But as I have said before more than once, and as you have just clearly stated, this just dilutes powerlifting more and takes great lifters out of the international game.

The bickering going on in this thread, it's obvious the IPF is dead in Australia for the next few years until one or the other feds wins the battle. As a new lifter I would be mad if I didn't join the GPC right now, then I can unsubscribe from this thread and not worry about it

Sticky is right this IS good for GPC, and that's a good thing because at least there will be one largest fed as the standard place to compete with good comps in the country and life can continue without politics.

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Yep. Have fun lifting. It is, after all, a sport for personal development more than a team sport. But don't worry, politics is not confined to the IPF/APU/PA. It will bite you in the arse at some point.

spartacus said:

i am a member, no stake beyond seeing it flourish as a leading not for profit sporting org committed to drug free sport.

why shrek, do you have a problem with that. maybe i should just mind my business.

fortunately, apu leadership supports my efforts as an apu member. check with them if you have any objections.

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Why on the defensive when asked a question.

I don't care which FED, Org, Union, Affiliate, Group or whatever they wish to call themselves.
Do as you bloody well like.

onslaught said:

Is there a transcript available for the ABC interview?

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no, i dont think so.

i am not going to make any more comment about apu. it seems i am a shit stirrer for what i did. the apu was supposed to lay down and die after someone obstructed our domestic testing bid.

i also supposedly lied about apu having a drug testing protocol in place, even though i have seen the arrangement. i am supposed to provide details of who and when lifters are being tested. as if the apu would be ever doing that.

but i will try and make a contribution for the apu where i can.

in the end, the politics of the sport will settle somewhat, although the issue of drug testing or no drug testing will never go away.

that is my last word on this thread.

long live the apu.

if anyone on this site has some interest in powertlifting, i advise to also contact apu executive in opening thread just to ask questions and get feedback.

i have known a few people of note in sport of powerlifting for near 20 years, and i think the apu team will be as good as it gets, at least for those interested in a drug tested federation.

in 12 months time, i am sure the apu will be going strong.

Personally, the state of tested PL has squashed any aspirations I have for the sport of Powerlifting.

[MENTION=4221]Sticky[/MENTION]; would GPC be keen to implement tested+sleeves div?
Would it dilute things too much (acknowledging that concentrating the competition is one of the fundamental strengths of GPC).

canned tuna said:

Personally, the state of tested PL has squashed any aspirations I have for the sport of Powerlifting.

@Sticky; would GPC be keen to implement tested+sleeves div?
Would it dilute things too much (acknowledging that concentrating the competition is one of the fundamental strengths of GPC).

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I don't see us doing that any time soon.

CAPO tried it, it just made everything really hard.

Keep it simple, it's more fun that way.

Makes sense, thx mate