The purpose of this study was to examine 1) if lifting performance in both the weightlifting (WL) and powerlifting
(PL) scale with body mass (M) in line with theory of geometric similarity, and 2) whether there are any gender differences
in the allometric relationship between lifting performance and body size. This was performed by analyzing ten best WL
and PL total results for each weight class, except for super heavyweight, achieved during 2000–2003. Data were analysed
with the allometric and second-order polynomial model, and detailed regression diagnostics was applied in order to examine
appropriateness of the models used. Results of the data analyses indicate that 1) women’s WL and men’s PL scale
for M in line with theory of geometric similarity, 2) both WL and PL mass exponents are gender-specific, probably due to
gender differences in body composition, 3) WL and PL results scale differently for M possibly due to their structural and
functional differences. However, the obtained mass exponents does not provide size-independent indices of lifting performances
since the allometric model exhibit a favourable bias toward middleweight lifters in most lifting data analyzed.
Due to possible deviations from presumption of geometric similarity among lifters, future studies on scaling lifting performance
should use fat-free mass and height as indices of body size
