{"id":33491,"date":"2026-11-05T22:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-11-05T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=33491"},"modified":"2026-11-05T22:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-11-05T22:00:00","slug":"powerlifters-will-take-center-stage-at-idaho-falls-championship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=33491","title":{"rendered":"Powerlifters will take center stage at Idaho Falls championship"},"content":{"rendered":"


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IDAHO FALLS \u2013 Empire Strength & Fitness Gym is partnering with Center Stage Theater for the 2026 \u201cBattle for the Throne\u201d powerlifting championship, sanctioned by the U.S. Powerlifting Association.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s happening on Saturday at Center Stage Theater, 3175 Lockheed Circle in Idaho Falls. Lifting begins at 9 a.m. and will feature more than 30 athletes across Idaho competing in squat, bench press, and deadlift competitions.<\/p>\n

The squat participants will kick off the tournament, followed by bench press and deadlift.<\/p>\n

Scottie Cooper, owner of the strength and fitness gym, tells EastIdahoNews.com the championship is the culmination of multiple powerlifting events held throughout the year. It\u2019s not a \u201clast man standing\u201d event, meaning the contestants are not competing against each other. Rather, they\u2019re competing against themselves to try and break a previous record.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very specific to their size and age,\u201d Cooper explains. \u201cEach weight class, kind of like a track meet \u2014 they go one at a time. If they make it, they can move on to the next weight.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Powerlifter
Powerlifter at a previous event in Idaho Falls. | Courtesy Scottie Cooper<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Many of the participants are returning athletes who have competed in this or similar events before. Carl Lovell, Idaho USPA chairman, will be judging the event. Cooper says he\u2019s one of the main draws for the show.<\/p>\n

The 70-year-old Idaho Falls man is a world-ranked powerlifter who\u2019s competed for 35 years. Earlier this year, he set a national record<\/a> in his age bracket at the 10th annual FitCon Expo in Salt Lake City.<\/p>\n

Lovell says he started working with Empire when it opened at its original location on Lockheed Circle near Center Stage Theater. In 2023, it moved to a 9,500-square-foot building at 1539 Piper Street directly across from iPull.<\/p>\n

RELATED | An expanding Empire: Local gym is more than doubling its space<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

He started judging the gym\u2019s powerlifting events about two years ago and played a role in it becoming a USPA-sanctioned competition.<\/p>\n

Lovell says Saturday\u2019s championship is of the same caliber as a regional or world event.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo me, what they\u2019re doing rivals the (Mr. Olympia) contest in Las Vegas, but for the powerlifting platform,\u201d Lovell says. \u201cThey put on a show, and the lifters are the stars.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Carl
Carl Lovell doing a deadlift at a recent competition. | Courtesy Carl Lovell<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n

Those who have attended the gym\u2019s Strongman competition, typically held the weekend after the Fourth of July, are familiar with the entertainment value. Cooper says they invest tens of thousands of dollars to make it a quality show. It\u2019s attracted world-famous strongmen, such as Robert Oberst and Brian Shaw, in the past.<\/p>\n

Cooper says their partnership with Center Stage allows them to use lighting, music and pyrotechnics to make the powerlifting championship a world-class show for those who attend.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe go all out for events. We love hosting these types of shows,\u201d says Cooper.<\/p>\n

Saturday\u2019s powerlifting tournament is free for anyone who\u2019d like to attend. It will last until about 3 p.m. The presentation of awards will immediately follow and end around 4 p.m.<\/p>\n

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\"Carl
Carl Lovell wrapping his hands before a powerlifting competition. | Courtesy Carl Lovell<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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