Powerlifting in the context of "Iran at the 2008 Summer Paralympics"

Bodybuilding is the practice of progressive resistance exercise to build, control, and develop one's muscles via hypertrophy. An individual who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. It is primarily undertaken for aesthetic purposes over functional ones, distinguishing it from similar activities such as powerlifting and calisthenics.

In competitive bodybuilding, competitors appear onstage in line-ups and perform specified poses (and later individual posing routines) for a panel of judges who rank them based on conditioning, muscularity, posing, size, stage presentation, and symmetry. Bodybuilders prepare for competitions by exercising and eliminating non-essential body fat. This is enhanced at the final stage by a combination of carbohydrate loading and dehydration to achieve maximum muscle definition and vascularity. Most bodybuilders also tan and shave their bodies prior to competition.

Weightlifting or weight lifting generally refers to physical exercises and sports in which people lift weights, often in the form of dumbbells, barbells or machines. People engage in weightlifting for a variety of different reasons. These can include: developing physical strength; promoting health and fitness; competing in weightlifting sports; and developing a muscular and aesthetic physique.

Olympic weightlifting is a specific type of weightlifting sport practiced at the Olympic Games, commonly referred to simply as "weightlifting". Other weightlifting sports include stone lifting, powerlifting, kettlebell lifting, and para powerlifting—the weightlifting sport practiced at the Paralympic Games. Different weightlifting sports may be distinguished by the different ways of lifting a weight, and/or the objects lifted. Weightlifting events are key elements of strength athletics.

CrossFit is a branded fitness regimen that involves constantly varied functional movements performed at high intensity. The method was developed by Greg Glassman, who founded CrossFit with Lauren Jenai in 2000, with CrossFit as its registered trademark. The company forms what has been described as the biggest fitness chain in the world, with around 10,000 affiliated gyms in over 150 countries as of 2025, about 40% of which are located in the United States.

CrossFit is promoted as both a physical exercise philosophy and a competitive fitness sport, incorporating elements from high-intensity interval training (HIIT), Olympic weightlifting, plyometrics, powerlifting, gymnastics, kettlebell lifting, calisthenics, strongman, and other exercises. CrossFit presents its training program as one that can best prepare its trainees for any physical contingency, preparing them for what may be "unknown" and "unknowable". It is practiced by members in CrossFit-affiliated gyms, and by individuals who complete daily workouts (otherwise known as "WODs" or "Workouts of the Day").

Strength athletics is the collection of strength sports which measure physical strength, based on both: non-standard and historical implements as seen in Strongman and Highland games, and standardized and calibrated equipment as seen in Powerlifting and Weightlifting.

Some of the disciplines have similarities to each other and although it is very difficult to master more than one, some athletes participate in several of them and perform at world class levels. Weightlifting consists of two lifts (snatch and clean & jerk) and powerlifting consists of three lifts (squat, bench and deadlift) where all test the maximal strength (one rep max output). Highland games consists of up to about ten different disciplines (including stone put, Scottish hammer throw, weight throw, weight over bar, caber toss, keg toss and sheaf toss) while strongman span across more than thirty different lifts and events (including deadlift, log lift, axle press, vehicle pull, stonelifting, stone carrying, circus dumbbell press, yoke carry, farmers walk, squat, keg toss, weight over bar, basque circle, power stairs, fingal's fingers, Hercules hold, car flip, bar bending, loading medleys and grip events), testing both maximal strength and physical endurance.

A barbell is a piece of exercise equipment used in weight training, bodybuilding, weightlifting, powerlifting and strongman, consisting of a long bar, usually with weights attached at each end.

Barbells range in length from 1.2 metres (4 ft) to above 2.4 metres (8 ft), although bars longer than 2.2 metres (7.2 ft) are used primarily by powerlifters and are not commonplace. The central portion of the bar varies in diameter from 25 millimetres (0.98 in) to 50 millimetres (1.96 in) (e.g., Apollon's Axle), and is often engraved with a knurled crosshatch pattern to help lifters maintain a solid grip. Weight plates slide onto the outer portions of the bar to increase or decrease the desired total weight. Collars are used to prevent plates from moving outward unevenly so that the lifter does not experience uneven force.