Harper College Health and Recreation Center’s Bench Press Competition will be a powerlifting style meet in which each participant will be allowed a total of 3 attempts to bench press with appropriate form for one maximum repetition. Classes will be divided into male and female weight classes.
1.1 Wednesday, November 8 from 7 – 9 p.m. at the Harper College Health and Recreation
Center (Building M) Gymnasium Court D located at 1200 West Algonquin Road Palatine,
IL 60067.
1.2 Participation Fee: Health and Recreation Center Members $10; Non-Members $20;
Registrants will receive an event t-shirt.
1.3 Last day to register will be Wedensday, November 8 at 12 p.m.
1.4 Non-Member spectators are required to check-in at the Health and Recreation Center
Welcome Desk. No fee is required to observe this event, but spectators are limited
to the fitness floor annex and public restrooms. Children under the age of 14, must
be accompanied by an adult 18 years and over.
1.5 Weigh-ins MUST be completed on the day of the event between 4 – 6 p.m. at the
Weigh-In Table located in M2400. No early or late weigh-ins will be performed; therefore
if a competitor doesn’t weigh in between 4 – 6 p.m., they forfeit competing in the
event.
1.6 Warm-up begins 30 minutes before competition at 6:30 p.m.
1.7 Registration is accepted online or in-person at the welcome desk.
1.8 Awards ceremony will begin immediately after competition ends or however long
it takes the judges to determine the winners.
1.9 For questions or concerns, please contact Harper College Health and Recreation
Center Welcome Desk at 847.925.6825 or email Ryan Zydek.
2.1 Participants can include Health and Recreation Center members and non-members.
2.2 Participants must be 18 years of age or older.
2.3 In order to participate all individuals MUST pay the fee in full based on their
status
(member or non-member).
2.4 Participants will be asked to present, on the day of the event at Welcome Desk,
their active Harper Student ID, Health and Recreation Center ID Card and/or Harper
College Employee ID. Additional verification may be requested such as a driver’s license/state
ID for identification purposes.
3.1 The formula used to determine the winners will be:
● Weight pressed/body weight = adjusted % value
● Example: 260/144.5 = 179.93%
3.2 Trophies will be given to the top male and female OVERALL winners.
3.3 Smaller trophies will be given to the first place male and female in each WEIGHT
CLASS.
3.4 Overall male and female winners will be pulled out of his/her weight class division
to prevent a double win.
3.5 Judges will be appointed by the Director of Campus Recreation at Harper College.
These judges will be in absolute control of the lifting portion of the event. For
other decisions and rulings not outlined in our Bench Press Competition Rules, the
Director of Campus Recreation makes any and all final decisions.
4.1 Competition will be divided into men's and women's divisions with the following weight classes (note that ALL classes are subject to change based on the number of entries in each division):
Male (6 categories)
148lbs & under
149 – 165lbs
166 – 182lbs
183 – 199lbs
200 – 216lbs
217lbs and above
Female (3 categories)
129lbs & under
130 – 149lbs
150lbs & over
4.2 Participants must compete in their weight class regardless of the number of participants
in that class.
4.3 Each participant's official weight will be determined on the day of the tournament
during weigh-in and measured to the tenth of the pound (xxx.x pounds).
5.1 The tournament will use a scale, bench, bar, and weights supplied by Harper College Health and Recreation Center. All lifters must wear athletic shoes — cleats, construction boots, open heel/toe shoes will NOT be permitted.
5.2 Participants are required to dress in recreation attire. No excessively loose
fitting clothes may be worn.
5.3 Weight belts and wrist wraps will be permitted.
5.4 Chalk is allowed and will be provided by Harper College.
5.5 Power lifting grips and gloves will NOT be permitted.
5.6 Any questions about equipment or attire must be addressed during weigh-in only.
If a lifter competes wearing or using any item that is illegal or not approved, the
lifter will lose credit for that lift and may be disqualified from the competition.
6.1 Each lifter will have three (3) attempts.
6.2 Lifters will declare the weight of their first attempt during weigh-ins. The weight submitted for the first attempt may be changed one time. The change may take place at any time up to five minutes before the start of the tournament. The weights for their second and third attempts must be submitted within one minute of completing the preceding attempt.
6.3 The bar will be loaded progressively on the principle of a rising bar. At no time
will the bar be reduced except for errors made by the tournament staff.
6.4 The lifting order will be determined by the weight class and the lifter's choice
of weight on their first attempt. The order will remain the same in the second and
third attempts.
6.5 Whether successful or unsuccessful with an attempt, a lifter must wait until all
other competitors have completed that round before attempting next weight.
6.6 If the equipment becomes disarranged during an attempt and the attempt is successful,
the attempt will be accepted. If the attempt is unsuccessful, the lifter may be granted
a further attempt at the same weight.
6.7 Index fingers must be in contact with the knurl markers for lift to be considered
legal.
6.8 NO reverse or suicide grips allowed.
7.1 Spotters will be designated by Harper College Health and Recreation Center staff.
7.2 If a lifter prefers to use their own spotter, that spotter needs to check in with
Harper College Health and Recreation Center staff and sign a waiver (if not a member
of the Harper College Recreation Center).
7.3 Collars must always be used for each lift.
7.4 The lifter must lie with their head, shoulders and buttocks in contact with the
bench surface. The elected position of the buttocks shall be maintained throughout
the attempt.
7.5 Feet must be in contact with the floor and remain in the same position throughout
the lift.
7.6 Competitor will be called to the bench with the audible command “BAR IS READY”,
which means you are up and you have 1 minute to get in position.
8.1 The lift-off must be to arm's length and not down to the chest. After unracking the bar at arm's length, the lifter shall lower the bar to the chest and await the head judge's signal.
8.2 The signal will be the audible command "PRESS", and will be given as soon as the
bar is motionless on the chest at which they have one -minute to complete the lift.
8.3 After the signal to "PRESS" has been given, the bar should be pressed upward.
The lifter will press the bar to straight-arm's length and hold it motionless until
the audible command "RACK" is given. The bar may move horizontally and may stop during
the ascent, but may not move downward toward the chest.
8.4 The following will result in the disqualification of a lift:
a) Failure to observe the judge's signals at the commencement or completion of the
lift
b) Any change in the elected lifting position or the raising of the buttocks off the
bench
c) Lateral movement of the hands
d) Excessive movement or change of contact of the feet
e) Bouncing the bar off the chest
f) Allowing the bar to sink into the chest after receiving the referee's signal
g) Pronounced uneven extension of the arms during or at the completion of the lift
h) Any downward motion of the bar during the course of being pressed
i) Contact with the bar by the spotters between the referee's signals
j) Deliberate contact between the bar and the bench supports during the lift
k) Index fingers NOT in contact with the knurl markers
8.5 Each judge will use a thumbs-up for a "good lift" and a thumbs-down for a "no lift".
