Established 1987 · APA Powerlifting
The federation created by the lifter, for the lifter
The American Powerlifting Association is a U.S. powerlifting federation established in 1987, after our first events in 1986. We sanction meets nationwide, publish the rules we judge by, and keep the records lifters set — for the athlete stepping onto a platform for the first time and the one chasing a world record alike.
The federation at a glance
- Established
- 1987
- First events
- 1986
- Founded in
- Sharon, Vermont
- International arm
- WPA · 60+ nations
Our history
From a Vermont gym to platforms nationwide
APA was not assembled by a governing body. It was built by a lifter who wanted meets run properly, and it has been run for lifters ever since.
APA traces its roots to a small set of events held in 1986 and identifies 1987 as the year the federation became fully established. Founder Scott Taylor formed the American Powerlifting Association in a gym he owned in Sharon, Vermont, housed in a former school building, and served as president from the federation’s formation until his retirement in June 2022. The federation is led today by president Chris Pappillion.
What began there has not changed in the decades since. APA still exists to give lifters a properly run platform: judged to a published standard, recorded honestly, and open to anyone willing to do the work. Nearly four decades on, that same federation sanctions meets across the country and stands as a long-running institutional home for the sport.
Our international arm is the World Powerlifting Alliance (WPA), spanning more than 60 nations. A lifter who joins APA at a hometown gym is joining a powerlifting family that reaches well past the state line.
The founder’s story — the gym, the federation, and the decades between — is told in his own words in the founder biography (PDF) (opens in a new tab).
Milestones
1986
The first events
A small set of powerlifting events lays the groundwork for a federation of our own.
1987
APA is established
Scott Taylor forms the American Powerlifting Association in a gym he owned in Sharon, Vermont, housed in a former school building.
1987
The Hall of Fame opens
Mike Lambert becomes the first inductee. At least one lifter has been added every passing year since.
June 2022
The founder steps back
Scott Taylor retires from the presidency after leading APA from the federation's formation.
Today
Nationwide, and beyond
Sanctioned meets across the United States, affiliated gyms in five states, and lifters connected internationally through the WPA.
Mission and values
Strength on the platform, and everything it builds off it
Our mission is to promote the growth and development of powerlifting as both a sport and a lifestyle.
That mission connects physical strength with mental resilience and self-confidence. The bar does not care how long you have been training, and neither do we: what the platform asks of a first-time competitor is the same thing it asks of an elite lifter, and both are owed the same standard of competition.
It also commits us to a supportive, inclusive environment. Lifters at every level of experience train toward the same standards, compete under the same published rules, and are recognised by the same records. That is what makes APA a federation rather than a series of events.
Strength is measured on the platform.
What it builds — resilience, confidence, the belief that the next attempt is yours — is measured everywhere else. That is the lifestyle half of the sport, and it is the half that keeps lifters in this family for a career.
What we run on
Strength
Physical strength built under the bar, and the mental resilience that comes with it.
Determination
The willingness to keep loading the bar when the last attempt did not go your way.
Perseverance
Long-term progress measured across seasons and careers, not a single meet day.
Education
A published rulebook and free referee certification so lifters understand the standards they are judged against.
Unity
A powerlifting family that spans gyms, states, and — through the WPA — more than 60 nations.
Personal Progress
Every lifter competes against the bar first. Records and rankings follow the work.
Who we serve
Who lifts with APA
Competitive powerlifters, from a first local meet to an elite career. Youth from age eight through masters past eighty. Raw and equipped, tested and non-tested. Our divisions are wide on purpose — a federation created by lifters has no business turning lifters away.
Age Divisions
- Youth (from age 8)
- Teen
- Junior
- Open
- Submaster
- Masters through 80+
Equipment & Testing
- Raw
- Single-Ply
- Multi-Ply
- Unlimited
- Tested
- Non-Tested
Service & Community
- Active-Duty Military
- Military Veterans
- Police
- Firefighters
- Special Olympics
- Paralympic
- Disability Accommodations
Not only lifters
A meet takes more than the athlete under the bar. APA is equally the federation of the people who make contest day happen — and the free referee certification course is open to any adult who wants to learn the standards from the officials’ side.
- Coaches
- Referees
- Meet directors
- State & regional chairs
- Affiliated gyms
- Families of our youngest lifters
How we support the sport
What the federation puts behind every meet
APA does not ask lifters to take its word for anything. The rules are published, the record categories are open, the results are documented, and every event has a named director standing behind it.
Join us
Your place is on the platform
Whether this is your first total or your fiftieth meet, the APA platform is open. Complete your membership, pick a sanctioned meet, and we will see you at weigh-in — the powerlifting family has room for you.
Talk to the federation
Questions about membership, hosting a meet, becoming a referee or bringing your gym into the network? Contact us directly.
- Phone
- 413-212-9112
Membership is $50 a year for adults and $25 a year for lifters age 18 and under, with payment due within 7 days of applying.