{"id":27507,"date":"2026-08-21T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-21T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=27507"},"modified":"2026-08-21T11:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-08-21T11:00:00","slug":"powerlifting-is-the-fitness-space-where-all-bodies-are-welcome","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=27507","title":{"rendered":"Powerlifting is the fitness space where all bodies are welcome"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Quick: picture a powerlifter. Congrats! No matter the size, gender or shape of the athlete you conjured, you could be correct.
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Fuelled by fatphobia and amplified by social media, mainstream fitness culture often champions a very narrow image of what an athlete should look like. Powerlifting<\/a>, however, leaves room for far more variation.<\/p>\n

\u2018There is no single way that a powerlifter looks,\u2019 says personal trainer and powerlifting coach Mia Nikolajev<\/a>, CSCS, who also competes in powerlifting. \u2018There is no single physical attribute that defines the modality.\u2019<\/p>\n

Powerlifters can be large or small, short or tall, lean or fat, trans or cis, or feminine or masculine \u2013 to name just a few of the many physical differences represented among the barbell slingers.<\/p>\n

For the unfamiliar, powerlifting is a modality centred around three barbell movements: the squat<\/a>, bench press<\/a> and deadlift<\/a>, explains Nikolajev.<\/p>\n

Some compete in the sport of powerlifting, where they receive three attempts at each movement, and their heaviest successful squat, bench press and deadlift are combined into a final total, she explains. Others never step onto the competition platform but still choose to organise their training around the lifts, using them to measure progress over time.<\/p>\n

Certainly, the sport’s straightforward and customisable nature is part of its appeal. Most people already perform some version of a squat and hinge in their daily lives, for instance, while sitting on a toilet or picking a laundry basket off the floor, Nikolajev explains.<\/p>\n

Each lift can also be adapted to an athlete’s specific accessibility and mobility needs.<\/p>\n

\u2018Truly, wherever you are, you can walk in the door of a powerlifting gym and say, \u201cHere\u2019s where I\u2019m at.\u201d And a coach will be able to help you find the best and safest variations for you,\u2019 she says.<\/p>\n

But the sport\u2019s draw runs deeper than its relatively low barrier to entry. While mainstream fitness culture (looking at you, FitTok) remains preoccupied with how a body looks<\/em>, powerlifting redirects attention towards what a body can do.<\/p>\n

\u2018The focus is on how much weight you can lift or the form with which you can lift it and pushing yourself and seeing what you’re capable of,\u2019 Olivia Cadence Luxe, owner of Ground Up Barbell Club<\/a> in Philadelphia, tells Women\u2019s Health<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Indeed, progress and performance are measured by how much weight is on the bar, not how closely an athlete adheres to a particular aesthetic.<\/p>\n

Naturally, that departure from appearances can feel particularly freeing for people who have felt scrutinised, underestimated or outright excluded in traditional fitness spaces \u2013 including bigger-bodied, trans, non-binary, intersex and queer athletes, says Luxe. Rather than treating your body as a problem to be changed, powerlifting invites you to learn what it can accomplish.<\/p>\n

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\u2018The sport of powerlifting is not about aesthetics but instead about power, and the athletic ability of a powerlifter\u2019<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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And as you do? At the best powerlifting gyms, the community will be there to celebrate with you.<\/p>\n

\u2018Immediately, everyone is engaged in saying things like, \u201cHoly crap, that\u2019s a heavy-ass bar,\u201d \u201cGoddamn, that looked amazing,\u201d or \u201cWow, you really had to fight for that,\u201d\u2019 says Nikolajev.<\/p>\n

Of course, powerlifting’s inclusive potential doesn\u2019t mean that every space is safe and welcoming.<\/p>\n

\u2018Are there some individual powerlifting gyms with black marks and negative energy? Absolutely. But that’s true with almost everything,\u2019 says Nikolajev.<\/p>\n

Some competitive federations also maintain policies that restrict or complicate participation for trans, intersex and non-binary athletes, as well as older athletes who use hormone therapy<\/a>, she says.<\/p>\n

But within several pockets of the sport, athletes, coaches and organisers are actively fighting to have those policies rewritten. Some gyms also host unsanctioned local meets, where organisers have greater freedom to create inclusive divisions and participation policies so that people can come as they are and compete.<\/p>\n

For the nine lifters of various sizes, genders and athletic backgrounds below, powerlifting is so much more than a training modality. Rather, it\u2019s a body- and life-affirming practice that offers them a way to take up space, be recognised as athletes and find community in the process.<\/p>\n

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\"A<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Keri Harvey (she\/her)<\/h2>\n

Gym co-founder and personal trainer, 31; Brooklyn, New York<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n

You\u2019d be forgiven for assuming that Keri Harvey<\/a>\u2019s credentials as a NASM-certified trainer and owner of FORM Fitness BK<\/a> mean she always feels fully and completely connected to her body. In reality, she says she spends plenty of time in her head, which is part of why powerlifting is so valuable to her.<\/p>\n

Harvey was first introduced to barbell training four years ago.<\/p>\n

\u2018Once I realised how much I love picking up heavy things and slamming them down, I was hooked,\u2019 she tells Women\u2019s Health<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The daily challenge \u2013 and, with that, the consistent reminders that she\u2019s stronger physically and mentally than she initially thought \u2013 quickly became irresistible.<\/p>\n

\u2018Powerlifting has helped me to turn off my brain in moments where I needed to trust that my body can do the work,\u2019 she says.<\/p>\n

The sport has also helped Harvey detach her sense of self from the number on the scale.<\/p>\n

\u2018The sport of powerlifting is not about aesthetics but instead about power, and the athletic ability of a powerlifter,\u2019 she says.<\/p>\n

Training alongside bodies that look completely different from her own, and seeing each one celebrated for its strength, has offered a powerful counterpoint to the image-focused messaging of toxic fitness culture.<\/p>\n

TIP:<\/strong> Give yourself permission to be bad at something. Whether it’s your first week of powerlifting or you\u2019re in a decades-long affair with the sport, there will be times when all the lifts feel really smooth and others when you question whether you know what you\u2019re doing at all.<\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s so important to keep consistent, especially in the moments where you feel less confident,\u2019 says Harvey. \u2018The repetition and consistency will help you to get back to a strong spot, but the entire journey is important.\u2019<\/p>\n

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\"Athlete<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Brittany Billings (she\/her)<\/h2>\n

Athlete, 39; Fort Wayne, Indiana<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n

Football, ultramarathons, Tough Mudders, triathlons, bodybuilding \u2013 you name it and odds are, before finding powerlifting, Brittany Billings had tried it.<\/p>\n

Yet none of these athletic endeavours held her interest. While bodybuilding sparked her love of lifting weights, she soon realised she wanted to focus on becoming stronger rather than leaner. So, when she discovered powerlifting, something finally clicked.<\/p>\n

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\u2018In the four years I\u2019ve been powerlifting, decades of negative self-talk and looking for ways to fit into a societal mould have nearly vanished.\u2019<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Powerlifting hasn\u2019t just changed what she trains or how she trains; it has also transformed how she understands her body.<\/p>\n

\u2018I grew up in a society that parallels femininity with smallness,\u2019 she tells Women\u2019s Health<\/em>. \u2018In the four years I\u2019ve been powerlifting, decades of negative self-talk and looking for ways to fit into a societal mould have nearly vanished.\u2019<\/p>\n

That permission to take up space has reached far beyond the platform.<\/p>\n

\u2018Powerlifting has given me the gift of growing into the body and mindset I\u2019ve always needed,\u2019 Billings says. \u2018It\u2019s allowed me the space to be strong, assertive, and confident.\u2019<\/p>\n

Although she has historically been shy and softly spoken, the sport has helped her embody another part of herself: \u2018Powerlifting has given me the space to be a confident badass lesbian woman.\u2019<\/p>\n

TIP:<\/strong> Trust the process. Throughout your powerlifting journey, there will be moments of incredible success and others of frustration.<\/p>\n

\u2018Celebrate the wins and move past your failures,\u2019 Billings says. \u2018If you stick with it and move through your plateaus, you\u2019ll reach goals you never believed you could.\u2019<\/p>\n

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\"A<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Annika Hansteen-Izora (she\/they\/he)<\/h2>\n

31; Brooklyn, New York<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n

Annika Hansteen-Izora<\/a> discovered powerlifting through a queer and trans Pride lifting competition recommended by their CrossFit gym. Although they had signed up nervously, their uncertainty disappeared when they stepped onto the platform.<\/p>\n

\u2018Something lit up in me,\u2019 Hansteen-Izora tells Women\u2019s Health<\/em>.<\/p>\n

As a Black, queer, femme non-binary person, Hansteen-Izora had absorbed countless messages instructing them to \u2018contain\u2019 their body, gender, voice and presence. But the competition celebrated the exact opposite.<\/p>\n

\u2018Getting bigger, getting louder, taking up space with your whole chest, yelling and sweating and cheering alongside other queer and trans athletes,\u2019 they say.<\/p>\n

After experiencing that kind of queer sports space for the first time, Hansteen-Izora was hooked. They\u2019ve now trained and competed seriously for more than a year.<\/p>\n

For Hansteen-Izora, building muscle is also deeply gender-affirming.<\/p>\n

\u2018Lifting 300 pounds with my long bejewelled nails curled around the bar is how I get free in my body,\u2019 they say. \u2018Sweat dripping down my lashes, breath ragged, whole body fighting for the lift. It\u2019s strength without apology, and a queer expression of joy I\u2019ll choose again and again.\u2019<\/p>\n

TIP:<\/strong> Start where you are. The term powerlifting \u2013 not to mention the heavy-ass weights and intense-looking equipment \u2013 can make people wonder whether they possess enough power, strength or guts to begin.<\/p>\n

Hansteen-Izora\u2019s answer is simple: \u2018You do. You can start where you\u2019re at. You can start nervously. You can start before you\u2019ve hit some internal measure of \u201cstrong enough\u201d.\u2019<\/p>\n

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\"Athlete<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Olivia Cadence Luxe (she\/her)<\/h2>\n

Gym owner and coach, 42; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n

Olivia Cadence Luxe founded Ground Up Barbell Club in 2014 to create a space where trans people could lift and build community.<\/p>\n

In the 12 years since, the club has grown into a small-group training space in Philadelphia that welcomes and prioritises anyone who has historically been excluded from strength-based spaces, including people with disabilities, fat people and people of colour.<\/p>\n

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\u2018The muscles I have built are gender-affirming for me. I\u2019ve felt more like a woman than I ever have\u2019<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Although Ground Up Barbell Club has members who compete in sanctioned powerlifting events, Luxe also runs unsanctioned in-house events, known as Recitals, where athletes can lift without being categorised by weight or gender.<\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s a space to celebrate strength with 100 people cheering you, whether you\u2019re lifting 60 pounds or 500 pounds,\u2019 she says. \u2018It\u2019s not a competition, but instead a chance for people to show off what they have been working on.\u2019<\/p>\n

For people who haven’t historically been able to compete due to restrictive (read: transphobic) eligibility policies, these Recitals offer a meaningful opportunity to have their strength celebrated and witnessed.<\/p>\n

Throughout her time as both a gym owner and fellow lifter, Luxe has experienced how training the Big Three lifts \u2013 squat, bench press and deadlift \u2013 can support body acceptance.<\/p>\n

\u2018I definitely have found confidence in my body and gender throughout lifting. The muscles I have built are gender-affirming for me. I\u2019ve felt more like a woman than I ever have,\u2019 she tells Women\u2019s Health<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u2018In many ways, lifting for me is a way for me to biohack my body; I\u2019m literally growing my own tits, butt, and hips,\u2019 she says.<\/p>\n

TIP:<\/strong> There\u2019s no doubt that barbells<\/a> can feel intimidating when you\u2019re first incorporating them.<\/p>\n

\u2018Often, part of the intimidation lies in the false belief that barbells are only for men in the weight room,\u2019 says Luxe.<\/p>\n

But it can help to remember that barbells have remained a strength-training staple precisely because they\u2019re one of the simplest tools you can use to get stronger.<\/p>\n

\u2018They actually make a great entry into the larger world of strength sports.\u2019<\/p>\n

Reminding yourself that barbells are, in fact, beginner-friendly \u2013 and that you have every right to use them \u2013 may help you clear that initial hurdle.<\/p>\n

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\"A<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Sydney Crowe (she\/they)<\/h2>\n

Athlete, 30; Toronto, Canada<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n

If there\u2019s one thing that has remained constant throughout Sydney Crowe\u2019s life, it’s that she\u2019s an athlete.<\/p>\n

Throughout primary and secondary school, they competed at a high level in ice hockey and football, before playing football throughout university.<\/p>\n

\u2018After my university soccer career ended, I needed something to keep my body moving and ended up at a CrossFit<\/a> gym,\u2019 she tells Women\u2019s Health<\/em>.<\/p>\n

They quickly realised their favourite part of CrossFit was lifting a heavy barbell, so they decided to give powerlifting a go. It\u2019s been six years since they added \u2018powerlifter\u2019 to their athletic CV, and they show no signs of putting the barbell down.<\/p>\n

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\u2018Powerlifting changed how I view my body, shifting away from how it looks (strong as hell) to what it’s capable of\u2019<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Part of Crowe\u2019s love for powerlifting lies in how the sport helped them navigate life after competitive football.<\/p>\n

\u2018When I stopped playing at a high level for the first time in my life, I had to grapple with what life looked like outside of team sports. There were years of body dysmorphia and struggles with figuring out how to eat properly as my body changed after I stopped training two to three times\/day for soccer,\u2019 says Crowe.<\/p>\n

\u2018Powerlifting changed how I view my body, shifting away from how it looks (strong as hell) to what it’s capable of.\u2019<\/p>\n

The sport also gave them a new team of sorts. Through powerlifting, Crowe has met friends \u2013 now chosen family \u2013 who respect people of all genders and are similarly focused on what their own bodies can do, rather than how they look.<\/p>\n

\u2018We always introduce ourselves with our name and then our pronouns, and it’s normal and respected,\u2019 they say.<\/p>\n

TIP:<\/strong> Don\u2019t be scared of the bigger or stronger lifters around you, says Crowe. They were once in your shoes and remember what it\u2019s like to discover the sport for the first time.<\/p>\n

\u2018They\u2019ll be the first people to call you big dawg and cheer you on while you learn just how capable you are of being a strong badass,\u2019 they say.<\/p>\n

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\"A<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Erika Owen (she\/her)<\/h2>\n

Athlete, 35; Brooklyn, New York<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n

For most of Erika Owen<\/a>\u2019s life, she says she was \u2018force-fed\u2019 a narrow vision of femininity \u2013 one that never felt entirely right when she tried to embrace it.<\/p>\n

Powerlifting offered her a different way to connect with her body.<\/p>\n

\u2018When I started seriously training for meets, I experienced such a beautiful euphoria as muscles started becoming more visible \u2013 it felt like my body and I were finally communicating for the first time in my life,\u2019 she tells Women\u2019s Health<\/em>.<\/p>\n

That mind-body connection has also helped Owen navigate body dysmorphia. Rather than attaching an emotional judgement to every physical change, she has learned to treat those changes as information about her training.<\/p>\n

\u2018Seeing body changes as data instead of emotional reactions has been a massively positive pivot,\u2019 she says.<\/p>\n

TIP:<\/strong> Find a coach who teaches in a way that aligns with your learning style and<\/em> who sees you as a whole person.<\/p>\n

Owen met her coach while recovering from a bicycle injury in 2018. She initially wanted someone who practised body-neutral coaching, but eventually discovered how valuable it was to have a safe environment in which she could also grow into her queerness.<\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s the big picture attitude I wasn\u2019t expecting to get from a coach that really makes the difference,\u2019 Owen says.<\/p>\n

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Audrey Caprio (she\/her)<\/h2>\n

Athlete, 30; Florida<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n

The pool may have been where Audrey Caprio challenged her body growing up, but since discovering powerlifting on social media in 2022, it\u2019s been the platform.<\/p>\n

\u2018What keeps me coming back to the sport is that it encourages me to focus on what my body can do, and not how it looks,\u2019 she says. \u2018It allows me to get out of my head to focus on how far I can push myself physically to be stronger and better than I was the day before.\u2019<\/p>\n

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\u2018Powerlifting is one of the sports that you can truly come as you are\u2019<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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TIP:<\/strong> Just do it. There is no requisite level of fitness or barbell experience.<\/p>\n

\u2018Powerlifting is one of the sports that you can truly come as you are,\u2019 says Caprio.<\/p>\n

With the help of a coach, you\u2019ll gradually learn the three lifts. And if you eventually choose to compete, neither your experience level, weight class nor gender will determine how much support you receive from spectators and fellow lifters.<\/p>\n

\u2018It doesn\u2019t matter if you are competing in different weight classes or lifting drastically different amounts,\u2019 she says. \u2018The other athletes will cheer you on and hype you up even though some of them might be lifting double (or more) what you are.\u2019<\/p>\n

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\"A<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Lizzie (they\/them)<\/h2>\n

Athlete, 30; Seattle, Washington<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n

\u2018I had bounced between a lot of other types of fitness activities throughout my life where even well-meaning instructors didn\u2019t know how to accommodate or instruct people with larger bodies, used language that didn\u2019t align with my gender, or assumed that I was there intending to lose weight,\u2019 Lizzie tells Women\u2019s Health<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u2018In the worst cases, I even had people make disgusting comments about my body to my face.\u2019<\/p>\n

Then, 18 months ago, Lizzie walked past their local powerlifting gym \u2013 home to a queer- and trans-inclusive powerlifting union \u2013 and \u2018thought everyone doing it looked really fucking powerful\u2019, they say.<\/p>\n

So, they decided to give it a go. There, Lizzie has found an environment where they don\u2019t have to contend with the fatphobia or transphobia that had previously marked their experience in fitness spaces.<\/p>\n

In that relatively short time, the sport has already given Lizzie so much.<\/p>\n

\u2018It has helped me separate strength from aesthetics, feel confident in myself, and explore the capabilities of my body without the intrusion of diet culture,\u2019 they say.<\/p>\n

Equally important, the community allows them to show up fully as themselves.<\/p>\n

\u2018I have never felt like my gender and sexuality are something I have to stifle to be included,\u2019 they add.<\/p>\n

TIP:<\/strong> Joining a gym built to foster inclusivity has made all the difference for Lizzie.<\/p>\n

\u2018Lifting at an explicitly queer and trans inclusive powerlifting union means I can compete in a nonbinary category and see other athletes who might not feel accepted in other fitness spaces find a home where they feel celebrated and empowered,\u2019 they say.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why Lizzie recommends finding a gym \u2013 or, at the very least, a coach \u2013 who explicitly welcomes people similar to you.<\/p>\n

A scroll through a gym’s website and social media can reveal a great deal about its clientele and values. But dropping in for a one-off workout will offer even more insight into the language the coach uses, how they adapt exercises for different bodies and whether the community generally feels welcoming.<\/p>\n

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\"Athlete<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Katie Orlic (she\/her)<\/h2>\n

Athlete and coach, 31<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n

Katie Orlic<\/a> found powerlifting while searching for a sense of safety and empowerment after experiencing a life-changing trauma at age 18.<\/p>\n

In 2015, she joined a gym and sampled every free class it offered, hoping to find a form of movement she genuinely enjoyed. Eventually, she wandered into a barbell class \u2013 and the rest is history.<\/p>\n

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\u2018Finding a space where everyone around you is cheering for your capability instead of your appearance was so healing to me\u2019<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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At her first meet in 2016, she hit a 120kg squat, 54kg bench press and 136kg deadlift. Thirteen meets later, Orlic squatted a state-record 175kg, benched 85kg and deadlifted 187kg.<\/p>\n

There is no question that Orlic\u2019s body can do<\/em> a heck of a lot. And it\u2019s that focus on what her body can do \u2013 rather than simply how it looks \u2013 that has been especially meaningful for her, as someone who grew up experiencing anorexia and bulimia.<\/p>\n

\u2018Finding a space where everyone around you is cheering for your capability instead of your appearance was so healing to me,\u2019 she tells Women\u2019s Health<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Orlic has also coached powerlifters for nearly a decade, striving to offer others the same sense of empowerment she found through the sport.<\/p>\n

\u2018I found this sport at such a dark time in my life, and it has been my constant lighthouse in finding my way back to myself,\u2019 Orlic says. \u2018I truly thank powerlifting for making me who I am today and hope to offer that to others.\u2019<\/p>\n

TIP:<\/strong> Don\u2019t wait to feel ready.<\/p>\n

\u2018Ready isn\u2019t a feeling, it\u2019s a decision,\u2019 says Orlic.<\/p>\n

Whether it’s your first-ever class or first-ever meet, most aspiring powerlifters and competitors never feel completely prepared on day one \u2013 they have to decide to try.<\/p>\n

\u2018The atmosphere at a powerlifting meet is unmatched,\u2019 she says, \u2018and you deserve to experience it whether you feel ready or not.\u2019 <\/p>\n

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\"Lettermark\"<\/span><\/p>\n
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Gabrielle Kassel (she\/her) is a sex and wellness journalist who writes at the intersection of queerness, sexual health, and pleasure. In addition to Women\u2019s Health, her work has appeared in publications such as Shape, Cosmopolitan, Well+Good, Health, Self, Men\u2019s Health, Greatist, and more! In her free time, Gabrielle can be found coaching CrossFit, reviewing pleasure products, hiking with her border collie, or recording episodes of the podcast she co-hosts called \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n