My Powerlifting Accomplishments

Starting and Progressing in Powerlifting:
A Comprehensive Guide to the World’s Strongest Sport
350 page book by Gary F. Zeolla

My Powerlifting Accomplishments

By Gary F. Zeolla

I competed in powerlifting in college. Then I stopped powerlifting when I was 21 and did not compete again until I was 42, then stopped again when I was 48, but restarted at 53. I severely regret not having been able to lift and compete through my 20s and 30s. I will always wonder what I might have accomplished if I had been able to do so. But as it is, this page summarizes my various accomplishments from these three different time periods. Most significant items are in red.

In my late teens to early 20s (1978-85)
This was at the time when the USPF was the only powerlifting federation.

First contest: a bench press meet in 1978
The same bench meet a year later, won a 4th place trophy
First full power contest in 1979
Entered about a dozen full power contests (last in summer of 1982)
First or second place at most every full power contest entered
Two-time Pennsylvania State Collegiate Champion (114s, 1981/ 123s, 1982)
Best Lifter at Pennsylvania State Collegiates (1982)
Seven Pennsylvania State Collegiate records
National Collegiate Champion (114s, 1981)
Runner-up National Collegiates (123s, 1982)
One National Collegiate record (413 squat @ 123s)
Best lifts, 114s: squat: 352, bench: 205, deadlift: 410, total: 953 (single-ply gear, no bench shirt)
Best lifts, 123s: squat: 425, bench: 240, deadlift: 435, total: 1095 (single-ply gear, no bench shirt)
First place at two bench press contests in summer of 1985

In my 40s (2003 - 2009)

Competed in ten contests with six different federations (IPA, WNPF, RPS, APF, NASA, RAWU)
First place at every contest entered
55 different federation records broke or set in the above six federations
Best Lifter at three contests with three different federations (WNPF, APF, RAWU)
Best lifts, 114s: squat: 415, bench: 220, deadlift: 410, total: 1030 (multi-ply gear)
Best lifts, 114s: squat: 331, bench: 187, deadlift: 402, total: 920 (raw, knee sleeves)
Best lifts, 123s: squat: 385, bench: 190, deadlift: 400, total: 975 (raw, knee wraps)

In my 50s (2015 - 2020)

Competed in nine contests with three different federations (IPA, APF/AAPF, RPS)
First place at all nine (Open and Masters)
Nineteen IPA records
Eight AAPF records
Seven APF records
Thirteen RPS records
Best Raw Master Lifter at one contest (IPA)
Best Lightweight Lifter at one contest (RPS)
47 different federation records broke or set in the above three federations
Three All-time Raw Masters American records
Two All-time Raw Masters World records
Best lifts: 114s: squat: 300, bench: 170, deadlift: 400, total: 870 (raw with sleeves)
Best lifts: 114s: squat: 331, bench: 180, deadlift: 405, total: 895 (raw with wraps)

In my 60s (2021 - Present)

Competed in two contests (RPS)
First place (Open and Masters) in both
12 RPS records
Best lifts: 114s: squat: 335, bench: 145, deadlift: 405, total: 895 (raw with wraps)
Best lifts: 123s: squat: 327.5, bench: 160, deadlift: 385, total: 872.5 (raw with wraps)
Two All-time Raw Masters World records

Powerlifting USA Magazine's Top 100 Open (all ages) Charts

This magazine was the premier powerlifting magazine, but it ceased its 35 year publication run in 2012. Its ranking lists grouped lifts done with all types of gear together. By year of publication. Best rankings in red.

1981, 114s: #12 squat, #28 bench, # 8 deadlift, #14 total (single-ply gear)
1982, 123s: #5 squat, #37 bench, #20 deadlift, #12 total (single-ply gear)
2004, 114s: #8 squat, #21 bench, #11 deadlift, #8 total (multi-ply gear)
2005, 114s: #5 squat, #14 bench, #6 deadlift, #5 total (multi-ply gear)
2006, 123s: #16 squat, #66 bench, #19 deadlift, #22 total (raw, knee wraps)
2007, 114s: #4 squat, #25 bench, #7 deadlift, #7 total (multi-ply gear)
2008, 114s: #5 squat, #16 bench, #10 deadlift, #6 total (multi-ply gear)
2009, 114s: #96 squat, #69 bench, #13 deadlift, #28 total (raw, knee sleeves)

Powerlifting USA's Top 20 Masters (40 or older) Charts
By year of publication; lifts performed in previous year.

2004, 114s: #2 squat, #3 bench, #1 deadlift, #2 total (multi-ply gear)
2005, 114s: #1 squat, #3 bench, #1 deadlift, #1 total (multi-ply gear)
2006, 114s: #2 squat, #4 bench, #2 deadlift, #2 total (multi-ply gear)
2007, 114s: #1 squat, #1 bench, #1 deadlift, #1 total (multi-ply gear)
2007, 123s: #3 squat, #15 bench, #3 deadlift, #4 total (raw, knee wraps)
2008, 114s: #2 squat, #4 bench, #2 deadlift, #2 total (multi-ply gear)
2009, 114s: #2 (tie) squat, #5 bench, #2 deadlift, #2 total (raw, knee sleeves)
2010, 114s: #4 squat, #6 bench, #1 deadlift, #2 total (raw, knee sleeves)

Powerlifting Watch's Top 50 Ranking Lists

These lists lump 114s, 123s, and 132s together, but I was at 114s for these contests. But by 2015, they followed my suggestion and started indicating actual weigh-in bodyweights, so in brackets is where I place when only considering those with weigh-in weights of 114.5 pounds or less. Year of publication is the same as year of performance. These lists are only available by subscription on Powerlifting Watch.

2007 (open, multi-ply list): #7 squat, #23 bench, #9 deadlift, #9 total
2007 (master 40+, multi-ply list): #1 squat, #1 bench, #1 deadlift, #1 total
2008 (open, raw list): #6 squat, #44 bench, #10 deadlift, #4 total
2008 (master 40+, raw list): #1 squat, #1 bench, #1 deadlift, #1 total
2009 (open, raw list): #10 squat, #14 deadlift, #14 total
2009 (master 40+, raw list): #1 squat, #1 bench, #1 deadlift, #1 total
2015 (open, raw with wraps list): #19 [#1] squat, #18 [#1] total
2015 (master, 40+, raw with wraps list): #1 [#1] squat, #10 [#2] bench, #3 [#1] deadlift, #2 [#1] total
2015 (master, 50+, raw with wraps list): #1 [#1] squat, #3 [#1] bench, #2 [#1] deadlift, #1 [#1] total
2016 (open, raw with wraps list): #15 [#1] squat, #20 [#1] total
2016 (master, 40+, raw with wraps list): #3 [#1] squat, #14 [#1] bench, #6 [#1] deadlift, #3 [#1] total
2016 (master, 50+, raw with wraps list): #2 [#1] squat, #8 [#1] bench, #3 [#1] deadlift, #2 [#1] total
2017 (open, raw with wraps list): #12 [#1] squat, #21 [#1] total
2017 (master, 40+, raw with wraps list): #1 [#1] squat, #13 [#1] bench, #7 [#1] deadlift, #3 [#1] total
2017 (master, 50+, raw with wraps list): #1 [#1] squat, #3 [#1] bench, #2 [#1] deadlift, #2 [#1] total
2018 (open, raw with wraps list): #23 [#2] squat, [#9] bench, #28 [3] deadlift, #17 [#2] total
2018 (master, 40+, raw with wraps list): #2 [#1] squat, #17 [#1] bench, #7 [#1] deadlift, #2 [#1] total
2018 (master, 50+, raw with wraps list): #2 [#1] squat, #11 [#1] bench, #5 [#1] deadlift, #2 [#1] total

Starting in 2019, Powerlifting Watch separated the above three weight classes, so now there are separate lists for each class. I was very thankful for that. They also now only list master lifters in the appropriate ten year category.

2019 (114s, open, raw with wraps): #1 squat, #11 benches, #3 deadlift, #1 total
2019 (114s, master 50-59, raw with wraps): #1 squat, #1 bench, #1 deadlift, #1 total
2020 (114s, open, raw with wraps): #1 squat, #3 benches, #2 deadlift, #1 total
2020 (114s, master 50-59, raw with wraps): #1 squat, #1 bench, #1 deadlift, #1 total

Powerlifting Watch's Best of the Best Ranking Lists
These list are for from when Powerlifting Watch began its ranking lists in 2007 to the present.
The two multi-ply and raw without wraps are for 132 and under. The two raw with wraps charts are only for 114s.

Open, multi-ply gear: #21 squat, #39 deadlift, #24 total
Masters (40-49), multi-ply gear: #1 squat, #1 bench, #1 deadlift, #1 total
Open, raw without wraps: #12 squat, #48 bench, #17 deadlift, #16 total
Masters (40-49), raw without wraps: #8 squat, #25 bench, #11 deadlift, #10 totalOpen, raw with wraps: #1 squat, #48 bench, #11 deadlift, #3 total
Masters (50-59), raw with wraps: #1 squat, #2 bench, #1 deadlift, #1 total

All-time Open Ranking Lists

These lists are for All-time, meaning from the beginning of the sport of powerlifting in the early 1970s to the present. They are are for all-federations and all ages, but I was in my mid-40s for these lifts. The first is for the United States; the other three are for the world. The first is for all types of gear; the other three are for raw with or without wraps. This info is copied directly from the lists as complied by Michael Soong. Many thanks to him for his effort in maintaining these lists. These lists are available by subscription on Powerlifting Watch. The asterisk indicates exact bodyweight not weight class limit used to calculate weight lifted times bodyweight.

114 Pound (52 Kilogram) Men’s Weight Division -- Squat [as of July 28, 2007; current list is only for Top 20]
Squat X-Bwt Male American Lifter/ YOB/ Date/ Actual Weight/ Exact Bodyweight/ Location/ Federation
#32. 415.0 (188.2) *3.62X Gary Zeolla/61 9/2/06 (415.0 lb. @ 114.5 lb.) (South Park, Pennsylvania) (APF)
[I was using multi-ply gear for this squat.]

114 Pound (52 Kilogram) Men’s Weight Division – RAW Squat
Squat X-Bwt RAW Male Lifter/ Nationality/ YOB/ Date/ Actual Weight/ Exact Bodyweight/ Location/ Federation
#17. 331.1 (150.2) *2.89X Gary Zeolla (US/61) 9/28/19 (150.2 kg. @ 114.4 lb., without a squat suit or knee wraps.) (Tarentum, Pennsylvania) (RPS)

114 Pound (52 Kilogram) Men’s Weight Division – RAW Total
Total X-Bwt RAW Male Lifter/ Nationality/ YOB/ Date/ Actual Weight/ Exact Bodyweight/ Location/ Federation
#16. 920.4 (417.5) *8.07X Gary Zeolla (US/61) 6/7/08 (150.0+85.0+182.5=417.5 kg. @ 114.0 lb. Lifts done without a squat suit, knee wraps or a bench press shirt.) (Washington, Pennsylvania) (NASA)

123 Pound (56 Kilogram) Men’s Weight Division -- RAW Squat
Squat X-Bwt RAW Male Lifter/ Nationality/ YOB/ Date/ Actual Weight/ Exact Bodyweight/ Location/ Federation
#21. 385.0 (174.6) *3.18X Gary Zeolla (US/61) 4/8/06 (385.0 lb. @ 121.0 lb., without a squat suit.) (Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania) (WNPF).

Open Powerlifting's Ranking Lists
All-time Masters Records

Open Powerlifting is a newer powerlifting ranking site, but it is the most comprehensive ever. It lists just about every contest that has ever been contested. Following are my all-time rankings for the various masters categories I have competed in. Where I am listed as #1 means I hold the all-time world record for that lift and category (marked in red).

Weight Class/ Age Category/ Gear/ Lifts

114s: 40-44: Multi-Ply: Squat: 410, #1, Bench: 215, #2, Deadlift: 405, #2, Total: 1030, #2.

114s: 45-49: Multi-Ply: Squat: 400, #1, Bench: 220, #2, Deadlift: 390, #1, Total: 1010, #1.

114s: 45-49: Raw+Wraps: Squat: 331, #1, Bench: 187, #17, Deadlift: 402, #1, Total: 920, #1.

123s: 45-49: Raw+Wraps: Squat: 385, #3, Bench: 190, #29, Deadlift: 400, #6, Total: 975, #6.

114s: 50-54: Raw+Wraps: Squat: 315, #1, Bench: 175, #10, Deadlift: 380, #1, Total: 870, #1.

114s: 55-59: Raw+Wraps: Squat: 325, #1, Bench: 180, #7, Deadlift: 395, #1, Total: 895, #1.

114s: 60-65: Raw+Wraps: Squat: 335, #1, Bench: 145, #7, Deadlift: 405, #2, Total: 885, #2.

123s: 60-65: Raw+Wraps: Squat: 327.5, #1, Bench: 160, #13, Deadlift: 385, #3, Total: 872.5, #2.

In sum, I am #1 in 15 categories, which is to say, I hold 15 all-time masters world records.

I thank the LORD for enabling me to accomplish all of the above despite many adversities.

The above information was first posted on March 1, 2008.
It was last updated September 10, 2024.

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