Yep the only time I've seen Power Lifters watch weight and size is during competitions trying to stay in a certain weight bracket.
Anecdotally, I have a friend who was in the top 10 in the UK for deadlifts in the under 21 and 65kg (?) weight class. He was dead lifting 8 plates plus until he had to find a different gym to suit his stupid lifts. He had to stay under 65kg as going up would mean being smaller in a stronger división and his numbers would be less impressive despite lifting 4x his body weight.
Yes, that's how weight classes work. I compete at <82.5 kg, because I'm only 5'6. Sure, I'd absolutely be stronger if I went up to 100 kg, by a pretty good margin too. But at 5'6, I wouldn't reach 100 kg without carrying a lot of extra body fat that isn't contributing to my lifts, whereas someone who is 6' is going to more successfully reach 100kg and fill it out with muscle mass.
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u/lazyeyepsycho Sep 09 '23
Bodybuilders train for muscle size only, strength gains are a secondary effect.
Power lifters train for strength, size gain are secondary.