CrossFit Powerlifting Division

Paul Southern, owner of CrossFit Pleasanton, introduced a new element to the powerlifting and CrossFit communities when he hosted the Southern Powerlifting Federation’s 4-in-1 Powerlifting Event. This was the first powerlifting event with a sanctioned CrossFit division.

The division was created in part by Jesse Burdick of CrossFit Pleasanton, who is an Elite level powerlifter. Burdick has teamed up with Louie Simmons of Westside Barbell on CrossFit’s Powerlifting Seminars, runs the powerlifting program at CrossFit Pleasanton and also publishes a powerlifting workout of the day called PowerWOD.

After trying out their first powerlifting event last year, many CrossFit Pleasanton athletes were on board to compete again. With the help of other big names in the sport, Burdick started the CrossFit Powerlifting Division. His goal was “to make it a little bit more palatable for the CrossFit community to come out to the powerlifting meets, to be able to compete against themselves, get some actual lifts on the book as opposed to kind of gym lifts and hopefully in the future establish some national world records for the CrossFit division in powerlifting.”

7min 59sec

Additional reading: Unleash Your Power by Mike Warkentin, published Jan. 20, 2010.

Ehrinn Cummings Sienna Miller Cindy Taylor Halle Berry Catherine Bell