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What is Geared lifting?
Geared lifting is competing in the powerlifting equipment categories — squat suit, bench shirt, and deadlift suit — that store elastic energy and rebound it back into the lift. Instead of relying purely on muscle to move the bar, a geared lifter loads the suit's fabric on the way down and gets some of that energy back on the way up, which is why equipped totals run meaningfully higher than raw totals at the same bodyweight.
How it works
Geared lifting works because the suits and shirts are cut smaller than the lifter's body and made from thick, non-stretch-resistant canvas or polyester. As the lifter descends into the squat or lowers the bar to the chest on bench, the tight fabric stretches and stores energy like a spring; the stiffer the material — and the more layers, or 'ply,' it has — the more that stored energy rebounds and assists the lifter back to lockout. This changes the lift's mechanics too: geared squatters often sit back further to load the suit, and geared bench pressers use a shorter, more explosive touch because the shirt does more work near the bottom of the range. Equipped lifting dominated competitive powerlifting from the 1970s through the early 2000s, when suits and shirts were introduced as the sport grew and totals climbed accordingly; it has since become a smaller, specialized branch of the sport as raw/Classic lifting became the default for most federations.
Types
Single-ply
One layer of supportive fabric; the only equipped category the IPF itself recognizes. Adds a moderate, more controllable amount of carryover.
Multi-ply
Two or more layers, common in USPA/WRPF-style equipped divisions; adds the most carryover but requires the most technique to use safely.
Worked example
Say a 90 kg lifter squats 200 kg raw. Here's a realistic picture of how the same lifter's squat might change moving into gear, based on typical carryover ranges reported by equipped lifters and coaches.
| Squat version | Estimated max | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| Raw (belt + sleeves only) | 200 kg | Baseline — no elastic assistance |
| Single-ply suit | 210-230 kg | ~5-15% carryover from one layer of supportive fabric |
| Multi-ply suit | 230-260+ kg | Additional carryover from stacked layers — highly variable by suit and lifter experience |
Carryover varies enormously by suit brand, fit, and how many meets the lifter has spent learning to use it — these ranges are illustrative, not a guarantee for any individual lifter.
Geared lifting vs raw lifting
| Geared (equipped) | Raw | |
|---|---|---|
| Equipment allowed | Belt, sleeves/wraps, plus squat suit, bench shirt, deadlift suit | Belt, knee sleeves or wraps, wrist wraps, singlet only |
| Totals at the same bodyweight | Higher — suits add elastic carryover | Lower — strength alone moves the bar |
| Skill demand | High — suit technique is its own skill to learn | Lower learning curve for gear; technique focus is on the lift itself |
| Popularity today | Niche; concentrated in a few federations | Dominant — most modern meets, including all IPF-affiliated federations, are Raw/Classic |
A lifter's raw total and geared total aren't directly comparable — federations and coefficients (Wilks, DOTS) generally assume one category or the other.
Common misconceptions
- "Gear lifts the weight for you with no effort." Suits and shirts store and return elastic energy, but the lifter still has to fight the suit's resistance on the way down and time the rebound correctly — bad suit technique can lose weight, not add it.
- "Geared lifting is the powerlifting mainstream today." Raw/Classic lifting is now the dominant format worldwide, including every IPF-affiliated federation; geared meets are a smaller, specialized niche.
- "Single-ply and multi-ply are basically the same thing." They're different competitive categories with very different carryover and technique demands — the IPF only recognizes single-ply as 'Equipped,' while multi-ply is mostly seen in other federations.
Related terms
Geared lifting FAQ
What is geared lifting in powerlifting?
Geared lifting (also called equipped lifting) means competing in supportive squat suits, bench shirts, and deadlift suits that store and return elastic energy, letting a lifter handle more weight than they could unassisted.
How much weight does gear add to a lift?
It varies widely, but a single-ply suit is often estimated to add roughly 5-15% carryover for an experienced lifter, with multi-ply gear typically adding more — exact numbers depend on the suit, fit, and the lifter's suit technique.
Is geared lifting harder than raw lifting?
It's differently hard — geared lifters need less pure strength but must learn suit technique (how to load and time the rebound), which is its own skill separate from raw strength.
Does the IPF allow geared lifting?
The IPF has an Equipped division that allows single-ply suits, shirts and knee wraps, but multi-ply gear isn't part of IPF competition — it's used in some non-IPF federations instead.
Why did geared lifting decline in popularity?
Raw/Classic lifting became the dominant format because it's more accessible, has a shorter learning curve, and better showcases a lifter's own strength without equipment-driven carryover.
Do geared lifters use the same Wilks or DOTS scores as raw lifters?
The same formulas can technically be applied, but because equipped totals run higher at a given bodyweight, most federations and historical comparisons keep raw and geared rankings separate rather than mixing them on one leaderboard.
References
- 2026 IPF Technical Rulebook (effective 1 March 2026). International Powerlifting Federation (PDF)
- Raw Lifting. USA Powerlifting
- Powerlifting. Wikipedia
- Raw vs. Equipped Powerlifting: Key Differences. Lift Vault
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