United States Powerlifting Association

What United States Powerlifting Association does

The United States Powerlifting Association (USPA), operating through legal entity Denison Powerlifting, Inc., is a privately held, founder-owned powerlifting federation headquartered in Irvine, California. Founded in 2010 by Steve Denison — a competitor since 1984 and International Referee — USPA sanctions over 100 powerlifting competitions annually across the United States, spanning both drug-tested (urinalysis) and non-tested divisions. The federation operates a web-based membership, events, and records platform, leverages LiftingCast for event registration, and maintains a public records portal (records.uspa.net) tracking state, national, and IPL world records across Raw, Classic Raw, Single-Ply, and Multi-Ply equipment categories. Its technical infrastructure also includes the DOTS scoring formula, which standardizes lifter rankings and All Stars qualification.

USPA serves five primary customer segments: competitive powerlifters (individual members), powerlifting coaches (USPA University Level 1/2 certification), gym owners (Affiliate and Blue Certified Gym tiers), meet directors and referees (multi-level officiating credentials), and equipment vendors (Featured Equipment List). Revenue derives from recurring subscription streams (memberships, gym certifications at $550-$799/year, equipment vendor listings at $500/year), one-time course fees (Level 1 and Level 2 coach courses at $399 each or $639 bundled), event sanctioning fees, merchandise sales through uspa-estore.com, and supplementary sponsor relationships. Its distribution blends direct-to-consumer digital channels with a physical network of 41+ certified gyms and 41+ certified coaches, plus 8 regional representatives covering all 50 states.

The federation is affiliated with the International Powerlifting League (IPL), which gives USPA lifters a qualification pathway to international competition including the IPL World Championship (540-lifter capacity, 32 countries in 2026) and the IPL Olympia Pro Powerlifting event. USPA also runs the All Stars invite-only division, a Hall of Fame program, and the affiliated USPA Powerlifting Foundation, and it maintains partnerships with equipment brands including Ivanko Barbell, Inzernet, Texas Power, Iron Rebel, A7, SBD Apparel, 2POOD, and Granite Supplements.

Name

United States Powerlifting Association

Legal name

Denison Powerlifting, Inc.

Website

https://uspa.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

USPA is a privately held U.S. powerlifting federation founded in 2010 that sanctions over 100 competitions annually and certifies coaches, gyms, and referees across drug-tested and non-tested divisions, affiliated with the IPL for international competition.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Irvine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Individual annual memberships provide access to competition registration, records tracking, and member benefits including USPA newsletter and community access.
2. Affiliate/Gym Certification: Gyms pay annual certification fees ($799/year or $199.75/quarter) for the right to use USPA branding, receive referrals, and access certified gym benefits including free meet sanctions and coach course seats.
3. Coach Certification Courses: Revenue from Level 1 online courses ($399), Level 2 in-person workshops ($399), and bundled packages. Includes NSCA continuing education credits.
4. Featured Equipment Vendor Listings: Equipment manufacturers pay $500 annual fee to be listed on USPA Featured Equipment List, with proceeds supporting Team USA lifters at IPL World Championships.
5. Event Sanctioning: Meet directors pay sanctioning fees to host USPA-sanctioned competitions. Certified gyms receive complimentary annual meet sanction.
6. Merchandise and Apparel: USPA e-store sells branded merchandise, singlets, and apparel to members and competitors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

United States Powerlifting Association (USPA) operates as a premier powerlifting federation that sanctions over 100 powerlifting competitions annually across the United States. Its core offerings include individual athlete memberships, coach certification through USPA University (Level 1 online and Level 2 hands-on), gym certification, referee certification, meet director programs, and official records tracking. The organization operates both drug-tested and non-tested divisions, with pathways from local meets to international competition through its affiliation with the International Powerlifting League (IPL).

Product overview

The United States Powerlifting Association operates as a premier powerlifting federation offering a comprehensive ecosystem of products and services for the sport. The core offerings include individual and gym memberships, coach certification through USPA University (Level 1 online and Level 2 hands-on), referee certification at State/National/International levels, and meet director programs. Competition products include sanctioned events across tested and non-tested divisions, the elite All Stars invite-only division, and international championships (IPL Worlds, IPL Olympia). Supporting infrastructure includes the USPA Records Database, official Rulebook, Hall of Fame recognition, and a web store for merchandise. The organization provides pathways from beginner to elite competitor through its structured membership tiers, certified facility network, and educational programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 competitions annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• IPL (International Powerlifting League)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010USPA operates as an IPL affiliate, with IPL World Championships representing the pinnacle of international competition featuring 32 countries. USPA lifters qualify for IPL events through tested or non-tested competitions.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCVziZHFadg0ffN3vv4P310g/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/USPA.Powerlifting
• Instagraminstagram.com/uspapower/?hl=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/united-states-powerlifting-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about United States Powerlifting Association