Frequently Asked Questions

MINNESOTA

  • To compete, the following must apply:

    • You must be a minimum of 8 years of age October 12, 2024 and identify as a woman

    • You are able to follow bench press commands and lift a minimum of 25 pounds

    • You are able to follow deadlift commands and lift a minimum of 45 pounds

Eligibility

Registration

  • Yes, you can register as an individual. Powerlifting is a sport primarily composed of individuals and the majority participants are not on a team.

  • Team registration from the pool of individual registrations is June 9 through September 28, 2024, 5pm

  • Yes, please join our waitlist. Spots will be offered first-come, first-serve as they become available. When a spot becomes available, a representative from the Women’s Barbell Classic will contact you via email. You will be given a specified timeframe to reply that you are interested in competing and must confirm by the deadline. If you do not reply, you have forfeited your spot and we will move to the next person on the waitlist.

  • Yes, you are able to change information like your weight class, for example, anytime prior to the event. Contact wbc-mn@raisethebarinitiative.com with your updated information.

  • If you are signed up for the event, but are no longer able to compete for any reason, please contact wbc-mn@raisethebarinitiative.com. That allows us to try and backfill your spot with someone on the waitlist.

    Registration for the Women’s Barbell Classic is non-refundable. Upon receipt of your email, we will issue you a tax deductible receipt for your registration fee. You will also not be eligible for the swag bag due to receiving the tax deduction.

  • No, we do not issue refunds under any circumstances. We will provide a donation receipt so you can use the deduction on your 2024 taxes.

  • No, you cannot transfer your spot to another lifter. We have a waitlist so the Women’s Barbell Classic Committee will be selecting your replacement from the waitlist.

Teams

    • A team is a minimum of 5 women/girls on a team (no less).

    • There is no maximum to the number of women/girls that can be on a team.

  • Deadline to make updates to your team is October 5, 2024, 5 pm. You are allowed to update the contact information and age division, weight class or competition of an existing register lifter; to designate another existing member of your team as the team captain; or update your team name. Substitutions and transfers or teammates are not permitted.

    WBC Committee reserves the right to evaluate the lifter changes and determine if the changes suggest a substitution which would forfeit the lifter.

  • No. Refunds are not an option. Substitutions for individual and team registration will not be allowed.

  • WBC uses the Wilks Score. It is a mathematical coefficient based on a person’s relative strength taking into consideration a person’s weight. The team score is created by adding up the top 5 Wilks scores. The highest total wins. Note that if a person on your team competes in bench press or deadlift only, their Wilks score ill be considerably less than someone who competes in both (push/pull).

  • The team captain's responsibility is to be the primary point person between the team and WBC. They will receive all team communications from WBC and it is their responsibility to communicate those updates to the team, as well as to communicate updates to the WBC Committee in regards to roster changes prior to the event.

Preparation

  • Welcome! We want you to love your experience so we have a variety of resources on the WBC Preparation Resources page. On that page you will find free resources such as the WBC Rulebook and command/call videos, as well as more in-depth tutorials and coaching opportunities through 10-week programs and beginner seminars for purchase.

Equipment/Apparel

  • No singlets required, but you must wear form-fitting clothes so the judges can determine whether your attempt meets the applicable standards (for example, whether your butt stays in contact with the bench at all times during a bench press attempt). If you are wearing a shirt that makes it difficult for the judges to determine whether you are meeting the applicable standards, the judges may ask you to tuck it in.

  • Yes, you must wear a shirt during the bench press and deadlift events. A tank top classifies as a shirt. If you are questioning whether your tank top would classify as a sports bra, you need to err on the side of caution.

  • You can wear either! If you chose to wear shorts then you are required to wear deadlift socks. Deadlift socks cover the entire shin and go up just below the knee. If you are wearing leggings then there's no need for deadlift socks.

  • Yes, shoes must be worn for both the bench press and deadlift portion. During the deadlift you can wear deadlift slippers. Socks only are not option.

awards

  • The following awards will be given out at the 2024 Women’s Barbell Classic:

    • 1st, 2nd and 3rd place individual medals for each division and weight class (awards based on total pounds moved)

    • Biggest Bench Press of the Day

    • Biggest Deadlift of the Day

    • Best Lifter (determined by highest Wilks coefficient)

    • 1st, 2nd and 3rd place teams (scoring described above in the teams section)

  • No, although we would love for you to be there. If you know you will not be there, please let one of the WBC leads know ahead of time, or if you have a friend in attendance, ask them to get it on your behalf.

Lifter Photographs

  • No. Invictus Media is the official event photographer for RBI and WBC. No other professional photographers or professional photography equipment is allowed in our events.

    Amateur and personal photography (cell phones, standard camera bodies, etc.) is welcomed and encouraged.

  • Yes. We will have a team of professional photographers on site to take phots throughout the day. A collection of those phots will be available in the weeks following the event, and will be available for purchase.

    There is no guarantee that all individual participants will be photographed.

“Getting women into the gym does more than build physical strength, it also builds mental and emotional strength. It makes you realize you are capable of so much more.”

— Emily N., 2022 WBC Participant

our vision

10,000 by 2025

We want to impact 10,000 women by 2025 which will only be possible through the generous support of our communities.