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McCulloch Coefficient for Powerlifting

Steve Freides

Steve Freides

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The Best Masters Lifter at my most recent PL meet was calculated using this - seems like a good thing to me, but I wonder if it's overly generous.

https://wsf-federation.ru/files/McCulloch_coefficients_WRPF.pdf and other online resources.

USAPL has what looks like the same chart on their website.

The theory is that you get a break if you're under 23 or over 40 years old, a coefficient by which you multiple your lifting total. Mine, at age 69, is 1.61. That means your - if "you" is under 40 years of age - 500 lbs deadlift is my 311 lb deadlift. Two more examples: My 375 lb pull at age 67 (1.543 McC) is your 579 lb deadlift, and my recent 336 lb deadlift is your 541 lb.

I cannot find anything online to say how these coefficients were figured out; a best guess is that, like many other types of classification calculator, they are based on actual competition results. Openpowerlifting.org gives each lifter's actual age, so that raw numbers are out there. If anyone has an actual information about this, I'd love to know.

Personally, I think the table is being too nice to me. I don't feel like the 500 lb deadlifter McCulloch says I'd be if I was younger. The good news for me, though, is that _if_ these numbers are to be believed, I'm doing pretty well for my age.

I'm interested to hear other opinions.

-S-
 
Interesting. It's for your total though. I don't know if you can use the multiplier for an individual lift and say "Yeah, that's what I'd be squatting If I were 20 years younger". I imagine that the formula would be a little different for a single lift (and maybe different for each one).
 
I’m pretty sure it works on any number you want to feed it. That could be a number from a single lift or it could be a total.

-S-
 
Steve Freides said:
The Best Masters Lifter at my most recent PL meet was calculated using this - seems like a good thing to me, but I wonder if it's overly generous.

https://wsf-federation.ru/files/McCulloch_coefficients_WRPF.pdf and other online resources.

USAPL has what looks like the same chart on their website.

The theory is that you get a break if you're under 23 or over 40 years old, a coefficient by which you multiple your lifting total. Mine, at age 69, is 1.61. That means your - if "you" is under 40 years of age - 500 lbs deadlift is my 311 lb deadlift. Two more examples: My 375 lb pull at age 67 (1.543 McC) is your 579 lb deadlift, and my recent 336 lb deadlift is your 541 lb.

I cannot find anything online to say how these coefficients were figured out; a best guess is that, like many other types of classification calculator, they are based on actual competition results. Openpowerlifting.org gives each lifter's actual age, so that raw numbers are out there. If anyone has an actual information about this, I'd love to know.

Personally, I think the table is being too nice to me. I don't feel like the 500 lb deadlifter McCulloch says I'd be if I was younger. The good news for me, though, is that _if_ these numbers are to be believed, I'm doing pretty well for my age.

I'm interested to hear other opinions.

-S-
Click to expand...
Does this take bodyweight into account?
 
Whatever the formula is, I'd think it'd be better the more results we have to formulate it on. So, as the number of participants dwindles with age, I'm afraid the formula becomes less reliable. How much? Can't say.

As an example here in the Finnish version of IPF, we have four all time raw bench pressers at +120M70. The numbers are 75kg, 90kg, 125kg and 203kg. Such a big range with so few lifters.
 
@Steve Freides I'd say there's some truth to that formula. I'm not a powerlifter but I've found that even though I've been training in one fashion or another in my 50s decade (and training with intensity) my poundages are down as I'm hitting 60. Two examples.... my chin/pull ups and my single armed c+p. It had gotten to the point where I could easily rep out a beast, but now I can't. I was always able to maintain double digit pullups/chins. Now it's a major struggle. This at 59 as opposed to 50. Endurance has faded too. But I'm not going to do what so many have done and just throw in the towel. I'm going to give training g my best effort as long as I can.
 
@Antti, my guess is that a worldwide pool of numbers was used to determine the McC coefficients. That would address some of the problem you mention.

-S-
 
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