POWERLIFTING AT THE ARNOLDS!This is the big show!
2 platforms, 3 days, 300+ lifters and THOUSANDS of spectators!
The best known band in fitness industry is the Arnold Sports Festival. UK version is held in the NEC, one of the world's largest exhibition centres, it is the culmination of visibility and exposure when it comes to strength sports, bodybuilding and fitness industry.
And A/BPU is hosting it's single lift British Championships right there, in the centre of action!
Every A/BPU competitor will receive a complimentary 3-day athlete pass to the event, plus the chance to purchase a 3-day early access pass for one coach, dirt cheap!
WHAT?
Bench press and deadlift British Championships for qualified UK athletes. Also an open Bomb Squad competition for unlimited bench pressers and a deadlift superflight open for anyone who meets the criteria...
What is this? This is the A/BPU British Bench Press and Deadlift Championships 2026. This is an internationally WPC sanctioned competition.
First- this is the British Championship for British qualified lifters to try and make top 3 places to qualify for the WPC and AWPC World Championships.
Second – thus is also open to international competitors
Third – the competition also has 3 SuperFlights with £1000 cash prizes. These are minimum points flights for equipped bench, RAW bench and deadlift. Please see the information below.
How do I qualify? British competitors entering the British Championships, this is by invitation only by qualification at our qualifiers. International competitors – this is open to you without qualification. SuperFlights are by minimum points and not part of the British Championships and are ope to British and International competitors.
When? 27 – 29 March
Where: The Arnold Sports Festival UK, National Exhibition Centre, Pendigo Way, Marston Green, Birmingham B40 1NT
What Time? Start Time 10am each day
Weigh in times: 10am to 12 noon and 3pm to 4pm for 24 hour weigh in. There is NO on the day weigh in. Location to be announced
Facebook Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1978110489259593
What is the split?
Friday: ALL ABPU men (apart from equipped bench, you lift Saturday)
Saturday: ALL BPU men and women, AND The Bomb Squad Superflight (all equipped bench including open and international lifters) AND the NoHoldsBarred Deadlift SuperFlight.
Sunday: ALL ABPU women, AND the RAW Bench Superflight.
Is this having the usual WPC International sanction? Of course, as always you are able to attempt European and World records as well as British.
A/BPU BRITISH SINGLE LIFTS CHAMPIONSHIPS & SUPERFLIGHTS INFORMATION AND ENTRY DETAILS
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BRITISH COMPETITORS THIS IS YOUR BIT
How do I enter (British competitors)?
As always for both our British Championships it is by qualification ONLY and therefore invitation only for our British A/BPU members. Your entry form link is in your invitation.
Exceptions to this are our international guest lifters and those entering the SuperFlights, yes we are bringing them back, more to come on this.
The first invitations have gone out to the current A/BPU Single Lift British Champions of 2025. Then, when our qualifiers for 25/26 start at the end of August, invitations will go out after each qualifier.
Alright then how do I qualify?
a) At an A/BPU 25/26 qualifier by hitting the qualifying totals for single lifts. This can also be achieved by hitting those QTs within your full power total as well as competing single lifts.
b) Be the current A/BPU British Single Lifts Champion from 2025 defending your title
c) Be current 2025 WPC or AWPC World Champion in the appropriate single lift category and class.
d) By winning your class at the A/BPU United Kingdom Powerlifting Games 2025 at the FitXpo, NEC.
British qualified competitors who are equipped bench, you all go in the Bomb Squad SuperFlight, We ae not accepting any non-qualified British competitors in the Bomb Squad. British competitors do not have to have qualified for the RAW Bench SuperFlight or the No Holds Barred SuperFlight.
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITORS
International competitors can also enter the bench only or deadlift only under WPC rules. They can also enter the SuperFlights.
Your entry forms are below.
What do competitors get – British & International? What about my entrance into the Expo? What about my coach?
Details about your athlete entry, coach passes and more will be in your invitations.
However, ALL competitors will receive a 3 DAY PASS – YES – 3 DAYS AT THE ARNOLDS included in their entry. Each competitor can purchase 1, yes only one, coach pass (has to be named) at the time of entry and this coach pass will give that coach 3 days………. oh yeah baby……… 3 days entry at a seriously reduced costing. These will give early access.
All other supporters must go through the Arnolds Expo ticket outlet to purchase their tickets for the days they wish to come: https://arnoldsportsuk.com/tickets/
SUPERFLIGHTS!
We are bring back the SuperFlights! We have 2 straight forward SuperFlights, the RAW Bench and the NoHoldsBarred Deadlift Superflight. These are standalone flights where lifters who are not members and international lifters can compete – and obviously our own members.
Total in these flights cannot be carried into the British Championships placings. These flights are for the winner who has the highest Glossbrenner points are are weight lifted, by bodyweight and age and sex adjusted – so anyone can win BUT you have to carefully watch the points and take nothing for granted.
These 2 flight details are below:
SUPERFLIGHT RAW BENCH – Sunday 29 March – £1000 winner takes all
This flight is not part of the British Championships placings. If you are competing in the British Championships, this is a seperate event and you will have to lift twice.
What happens in the SuperFlight?
1) The SuperFlight is “open” so non members and international lifters can compete. Records can only be taken if the competitor is a current 2026 member of the A/BPU or of a WPC International Country affiliate.
2) This is a minimum points qualification flight:
115 Glossbrenner Points – for both women and men. This is age, gender and bodyweight adjusted. OR a qualifying recorded bench at competition within 2 years of 200kg for men, and 110kg for women regardless of points.
3) The winner of the SuperFlight is determined from the greatest Glossbrenner points of weight lifted, bodyweight, age and sex adjusted. So anyone can win, you cant just stroll in to this one!
NO HOLDS BARRED DEADLIFT SUPERFLIGHT – Saturday 28 March – £1000 winner takes all
Deadlift Superlfight with a twist.
This is a chance for the deadlift with straps people to get their game on. WPC rules apart from the straps – meaning no hitching, throwing, ramping and so, a clean lift using suits if you want to – multiply, single ply and RAW all going head to head.
Biggest points wins – sumo allowed – so if you’re a strongman then learn to lift PL style, and if youre a PL lifter, stick those straps on! No figure 8s, hands must remain in contact with the bar at all times until the bar is motionless on the ground. READ the WPC rule book and make sure you know the powerlifting rules for deadlift!
Qualifying criteria:
180 glossbrenner points, age, gender and bodyweight adjusted OR 300kg competition result recorded in the last 2 years for men, and 200kg for women.
THE BOMB SQUAD EQUIPPED BENCH SUPERFLIGHT £1000 winner takes all!
The Bomb Squad is an equipped SuperFlight for our qualified British competitors AND also any equipped international benchpress competitor.s The Bomb Squad overall title will be calculated on Glossbrenner points of bodyweight and weight lifted AND age and gender adjusted, meaning that anyone can win, they just need to have someone calculating the points of the competition as they go.
The British Championships Bomb Squad competitors are the equipped bench press competitors (not including sling shot). normal rules of trying to take podium in your class for our members who qualified. This qualifies you for the WPC or AWPC World Championships and the aim for the British title.
You will automatically be included with our “open class” Bomb Squad SuperFlight which will also include international competitors and non members. Those who are NOT part of the British, and are Superflight competitors only, will be pointed out before your flight so you know who you are competing against in the British title competition, and who you have to beat in the Superflight Bomb Squad.
ENTRY FORMS:
For British Competitors:
Entry form for all classes under the A/BPU British Single Lifts Championships 2026 qualifier for the AWPC/WPC World Championships & all SuperFlights are in your invitation for those who qualified.
Entry Form for RAW Bench & NoHoldsBarred Deadlift SUPERFLIGHT for those British lifters not qualified for British Single Lifts Championships:
https://form.jotform.com/252436071302345
For International Competitors
Entry form for all international competitors for all standard WPC bench only and deadlift only classes and all SuperFlights: https://form.jotform.com/253523891152356
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THINGS YOU NEED TO DO AND KNOW – MEMBERSHIPS, RECORDS AND QUALIFYING TOTALS LINKS
Entries will close to all our qualifiers as soon as we are full automatically.
You will need a current 2025/26 membership AT WEIGH IN – this must be of the year you are competing in. Memberships are INSTANT! You will receive an automatic email with your membership number in the header of the email and in the body text. There will also be a PDF attached to the email, this is a copy of the email. You MUST show this email at weigh in, If you do not produce this at weigh in – You will not be permitted to weigh in.
If you are new and are applying for membership write “waiting” in the membership number box on the entry form and use the link below to update your membership number as soon as you get it. Its very easy.
MEMBERSHIP LINKS:
BPU: http://britishpowerliftingunion.co.uk/bpu-membership/
ABPU:http://britishpowerliftingunion.co.uk/abpu-membership/
To update your membership details on a competition, tell us you are changing a class or other at comp, that you will not be attending or anything else please use the following form: https://form.jotformeu.com/92526810123349
QUALIFYING TOTALS LINKS
BPU: http://britishpowerliftingunion.co.uk/bpu-qualifying-totals-2025-2026/
ABPU: http://britishpowerliftingunion.co.uk/abpu-qualifying-totals-2025-2026/
RECORDS LINKS:
BPU: http://britishpowerliftingunion.co.uk/bpu-records/
ABPU: http://britishpowerliftingunion.co.uk/abpu-records/
CONTACTS:
RECORDS: [email protected]
MEMBERSHIPS: [email protected]
INVITATIONS: [email protected]
GENERAL: [email protected]
REFEREES: [email protected]
INTERNATIONAL: [email protected]
Event Venue
NEC Arena,Birmingham, Marston Green, United Kingdom
Tickets
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