The Joe Weider Olympia Fitness and Performance Weekend is about more than bodybuilding, it’s become a destination of gathering for all strength sports, especially powerlifting. Numerous records for the squat, bench, and deadlift have been broken on the hallowed ground of the Olympia World Fitness Expo, and that will continue in 2026.
When and Where Is the 2026 IPL Olympia Pro Powerlifting Meet?
The International Powerlifting League (IPL) and United States Powerlifting Association (USPA) will hold the 2026 IPL Olympia Pro powerlifting meet in the South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV on September 25-26 as part of the historic 62nd Olympia Weekend.
This full meet, led by meet directors Steve Denison & Tyler Van Loon, will feature qualified Open, Junior, and Masters competitors, who earned their positions by posting a required total at an IPL-sanctioned meet October 5, 2024 and August 23, 2026. It will also feature Equipped, Raw, and Classic Raw competitors. Raw lifters will not have access to assistant equipment such as single-ply bench shirts and squat suits. They will wear singlets, knee sleeves, wrist wraps, and weight belts. Classic Raw athletes are eligible to use knee wraps.
Tested Division athletes must achieve the Elite total at an IPL affiliate drug-tested event. Other competitors must achieve the International Elite total at an IPL-sanctioned meet. Those totals can be determined by checking their classification standards on the IPL website. State, National, European and World records are all available to be set in this competition.
Lifters must also have an active IPL membership & your IPL Affiliate Membership before submitting entry forms. American lifters must be USPA members in good standing. As of this writing, registration is still open for lifters that are eligible to compete. A full roster of competitors has yet to be released. Athletes that still want to register can do so through the event’s website.
Among the athletes that fans want to see are Azariah Pierce and Demerrius Slocum in a battle of the IPL Overall Best Male Lifter against last year’s Olympia Pro Overall Male Best Lifter. This meet will serve as the showdown to determine who the stronger man is.
What Are the Weight Classes and Event Schedule for the 2026 Meet?
On Friday, September 25th, the meet will begin with all the female and men competing up to the 82.5kg class in Full Power (squat, bench press, and deadlift), Bench Only, and Deadlift Only. All competitors entering at 90 kilograms and up will take the platform on Saturday, September 26th. Warm-ups begin at 8:00 AM Pacific time with lifting beginning one hour later.
Athletes competing on Friday will weigh in on Thursday, September 24th. Saturday’s athletes will step on the scales on Friday, September 25th. Lifters will be permitted one coach’s pass that must be purchased through IPL.
Spectators that want to watch can purchase Olympia World Fitness Expo tickets at www.mrolympia.com. Fans that cannot be in Las Vegas will be able to watch the action by livestream on YouTube.
For more information on IPL or USPA, visit their respective websites.