USA Powerlifting
USA Powerlifting (USAPL) is the U.S. national governing body for drug-tested powerlifting, founded in 1981 and affiliated with the IPF. It sanctions local through national competitions, certifies coaches, manages 167+ affiliated gyms, and operates a membership platform and Training App for athletes across all 50 states plus Guam.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1981
- HeadquartersColumbia City, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What USA Powerlifting does
USA Powerlifting (USAPL) is the United States' national governing body for drug-tested powerlifting, founded in 1981 and headquartered in Anchorage, Alaska with a mailing office in Summerville, South Carolina. The organization sanctions competitions across the squat, bench press, and deadlift in raw and equipped divisions, operating a tiered competition structure that progresses athletes from local meets through state, regional, and national championships including Raw Nationals, Bench Nationals, High School Nationals, Collegiate Nationals, Masters Nationals, and the Arnold Sports Festival. USAPL is the exclusive U.S. affiliate of the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) and the International Drug Free Powerlifting Association (IDFPA), and maintains the proprietary DOTS coefficient system used to normalize performance scores across weight classes and age groups.
The federation's core technology stack centers on a web-based membership and competition management platform (membership.usapowerlifting.com and register.usapowerlifting.com) backed by the LiftingDatabase.com records system, complemented by a subscription mobile Training App for programming, lift tracking, and body-statistics logging. Supporting modules include the DOTS Calculator, a searchable Gym Finder covering 167+ affiliated facilities, a three-tier Coaching Certification Program (Fundamentals, Level 1 Club Coach, Level 2 National Coach), the Lift Together volunteer mentorship network, and an Athlete Protection Program covering SafeSport, background checks, and conduct standards.
USAPL is structured as a private nonprofit and generates revenue through individual and club membership fees ($75/year), per-event competition registration across local through national meets, coaching certification tuition ($150–$495), Regional Training Center affiliation fees ($100–$500 annually), official merchandise, liability insurance for coaches ($55/year), and Training App subscriptions. Its customer base spans competitive athletes segmented by age (Youth, High School, Collegiate, Masters, Adaptive), certified coaches, registered clubs and collegiate teams, meet directors, and affiliated gym owners, with operations extending across all 50 states plus Guam.
USA Powerlifting firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- USA Powerlifting
- Legal name
- USA Powerlifting
- Website
- https://usapowerlifting.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1981
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- USA Powerlifting (USAPL) is the U.S. national governing body for drug-tested powerlifting, founded in 1981 and affiliated with the IPF. It sanctions local through national competitions, certifies coaches, manages 167+ affiliated gyms, and operates a membership platform and Training App for athletes across all 50 states plus Guam.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
USA Powerlifting industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sports Federation
- NAICS
- Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)
- akta.pro industry
- Strength & Conditioning / Athletic Performance TrainingHome & Personal Services/Fitness, Wellness & Personal Training/Sports Coaching & Athletic PerformanceSports-Specific Group ConditioningStrength & Conditioning / Performance Training
Keywords
Where USA Powerlifting is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Columbia City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
USA Powerlifting business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
Revenue model
- Membership Fees: Annual membership fees charged to athletes, coaches, and clubs for participation in sanctioned competitions and access to organization resources.
- Competition Registration: Fees collected for registration at local meets, regional events, and national championships including Raw Nationals, Bench Nationals, High School Nationals, Collegiate Nationals, and Masters Nationals.
- Coaching Certification: Revenue from coaching education courses including Coaching Fundamentals ($150), Level 1 Club Certification ($495), and Level 2 National Certification ($495).
- Regional Training Center Fees: Annual fees from certified training facilities: Platinum Level ($500), Silver Level ($200), and USAPL Friendly ($100).
- Merchandise Sales: Sales of official USA Powerlifting merchandise through the online store including apparel, gear, and pro athlete exclusive merchandise.
- Training App Subscription: Subscription access to the USA Powerlifting Training App providing programming, tracking, and advanced training metrics with promotional discount codes available.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Individual membership for athletes, coaches, and club members |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Coaching Fundamentals Course - Online prerequisite |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Level 1 Club Certification - Entry-level coach credential |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Level 2 National Certification - Advanced coach credential |
| Subscription | Annual | Coaches General Liability Insurance |
| Subscription | Annual | Platinum Regional Training Center - Highest recognition level |
| Subscription | Annual | Silver Regional Training Center - Mid-tier recognition |
| Subscription | Annual | USAPL Friendly Gym - Entry-level affiliation |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels8 records
USA Powerlifting product offering
Product offeringCore offering
USA Powerlifting operates as the nation's leading drug-tested powerlifting federation, providing sanctioned competitions at local, regional, and national levels. It sells athlete memberships, offers coaching certification programs at Club, National, and International tiers, certifies Regional Training Centers, and runs a subscription Training App and merchandise store. The federation administers anti-doping programs, maintains records, and manages competition pathways for athletes from youth through masters divisions.
Product overview
USA Powerlifting operates as a national governing body for drug-tested powerlifting competition, offering a unified platform for membership management, competition organization, and athlete development. The core product portfolio centers on the main website (usapowerlifting.com) for event management and governance, complemented by the USA Powerlifting Training App for programming and athlete tracking. Supporting modules include the Lift Together Mentorship Program connecting athletes with volunteer handlers, the DOTS Calculator for standardized performance scoring, Coaching Certification Program with three certification levels, Gym Finder for locating affiliated training facilities, Club Directory for team management, Athlete Protection Program for safety compliance, and Meet Director Resources for sanctioned event management. The organization also maintains the LiftingDatabase.com for competition results and records.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- USA Powerlifting Annual Membership
- Competition Registration (Sanctioned Meets and National Championships)
- Coaching Fundamentals Course
- Level 1 Club Certification
- Level 2 National Certification
- Coaches General Liability Insurance
- Platinum Regional Training Center Affiliation
- Silver Regional Training Center Affiliation
- USAPL Friendly Gym Affiliation
- USA Powerlifting Training App Subscription
- USA Powerlifting Merchandise
Companies that use USA Powerlifting
Customer profileSegments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
USA Powerlifting technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
USA Powerlifting partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- IDFPA (International Drug Free Powerlifting Association)coreUSA Powerlifting's international affiliate for drug-tested powerlifting competition. IDFPA organizes World Championships and sets team selection criteria. USA Powerlifting follows IDFPA Technical Committee guidelines and rulebook standards for international competition.
- Arnold Sports FestivalflagshipPremier annual multi-sport festival featuring USA Powerlifting competitions including the Arnold Raw Challenge and Arnold Masters Raw Challenge. Top finishers earn Pro Cards through Best Lifter awards.
- AvancusminorPowerlifting shoe brand that provides team discount codes for USA Powerlifting collegiate teams
- Notorious LiftminorPowerlifting shoe brand that provides team discount codes for USA Powerlifting collegiate teams
- SBDminorProvides team discounts for USA Powerlifting collegiate teams when ordering certain dollar amounts of product
- A7minorProvides team discounts for USA Powerlifting collegiate teams when ordering certain dollar amounts of product
- Titan Support SystemsminorSingle-ply equipment manufacturer offering discounted school pricing for university teams on powerlifting gear with approximately 10-week lead time
- 110 Percent SupplementsminorPre-workout and supplement brand providing discount codes for USA Powerlifting collegiate teams
- Liftinglarge.comminorPowerlifting equipment retailer offering student/school discounts on powerlifting equipment for collegiate teams
- Regional Training Centerscore12 certified training facilities across the country (Platinum and Silver levels) serving as locations for coaching certification courses, training clinics, seminars, and powerlifting meets. Includes Fisher Strength and Health Gym (CA), Freedom Barbell (AZ), LIFT ATX (TX), and others.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
USA Powerlifting competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- CrossFit: Adjacent functional strength/fitness organization that runs the CrossFit Games and affiliates gyms — overlapping athlete demographic in strength and conditioning, with broader consumer-facing scale than USAPL.
- International Powerlifting Federation (IPF): Global governing body for drug-tested powerlifting of which USA Powerlifting is a national affiliate. Directly comparable as the parent federation setting rules, anti-doping standards, and World Championship pathways that USAPL follows.
- USA Boxing: US national governing body for amateur boxing with analogous committee structure (Coaching, Technical, Youth, Masters, Women's, Disabled), membership tiers, SafeSport compliance, and IPF/IBA-style international affiliation.
- National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA): Professional membership and certification organization for strength coaches and athletes — comparable revenue model built on tiered coaching credentials (CSCS), annual memberships, and educational programming.
- USA Track & Field: Large US national federation for track and field with structurally identical operating model — membership tiers, coaching certification, SafeSport, anti-doping, and national championship pathway — illustrating the scale ceiling of federation-led sport.
Direct peers
- Strongman Corporation: US-based governing body for strongman competition with overlapping athlete demographic in strength sports, similar sanctioning and membership model, and competing events for the same grassroots competitor base.
- USA Weightlifting: US national governing body for Olympic weightlifting, structurally identical as a membership-based federation sanctioning competitions, certifying coaches, and serving as the IPF/IWF-affiliated national body — closest analog in operating model.
- USA Climbing: US national governing body for sport climbing with comparable niche-sport federation structure: membership tiers, sanctioned competitions, coaching certification, and international IFSC affiliation.
- WRPF (World Raw Powerlifting Federation): International raw powerlifting federation that sanctions meets in the US with different rules and qualifying standards — actively recruiting athletes who might otherwise compete under USAPL/IPF rules.
- USPA (United States Powerlifting Association): Direct US competitor federation offering sanctioned drug-tested powerlifting competitions with its own membership, meet structure, and athlete base — competing head-to-head with USAPL for the same competitive athlete pool.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
USA Powerlifting social profiles
Digital presenceUSA Powerlifting financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
USA Powerlifting leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
USA Powerlifting funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
USA Powerlifting M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about USA Powerlifting
What does USA Powerlifting do?
USA Powerlifting operates as the nation's leading drug-tested powerlifting federation, providing sanctioned competitions at local, regional, and national levels. It sells athlete memberships, offers coaching certification programs at Club, National, and International tiers, certifies Regional Training Centers, and runs a subscription Training App and merchandise store. The federation administers anti-doping programs, maintains records, and manages competition pathways for athletes from youth through masters divisions.
Is USA Powerlifting a public or private company?
USA Powerlifting is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was USA Powerlifting founded?
USA Powerlifting was founded in 1981. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is USA Powerlifting based?
USA Powerlifting is headquartered in Columbia City, United States, in the North America region.
How does USA Powerlifting make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are competition Registration, coaching Certification, regional Training Center Fees, merchandise Sales and training App Subscription.
Who are USA Powerlifting's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are CrossFit, International Powerlifting Federation (IPF), USA Boxing, National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and USA Track & Field. Direct peers are Strongman Corporation, USA Weightlifting, USA Climbing, WRPF (World Raw Powerlifting Federation) and USPA (United States Powerlifting Association).
Does USA Powerlifting have an API?
No public API is recorded for USA Powerlifting.
What industry is USA Powerlifting in?
USA Powerlifting's product category is Sports Federation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSADAEAB, Strength & Conditioning / Athletic Performance Training, with a secondary code of HSADABAK, Sports-Specific Group Conditioning. Its NAICS code is 611620 and its SIC code is 7997.