2026 APA Classic & Equipped Bench Only National Championships

The 2026 APA Classic & Equipped Bench Only National Championships are coming to Strength Club, Perth, Western Australia, on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 December 2026.

Australia's strongest bench press athletes will go head-to-head in an exciting weekend of competition, battling for the title of APA National Champion across both the Classic and Equipped divisions.

Whether you're chasing your first national medal, defending a title, or looking to test yourself against the country's best, the Bench Only National Championships are your opportunity to step onto the national platform.

Depending on entry numbers, the Championships may be conducted across one or two competition days. The final competition schedule, including lifting sessions and weigh-in times, will be published following the close of entries.

This document outlines the eligibility requirements, qualifying standards and entry process for athletes wishing to compete. Before submitting an entry, athletes must ensure they meet all requirements set out in this document and the APA Athlete Progression & Selection Policy.

Please note: Submission of an entry does not guarantee acceptance into the Championships. All entries are subject to validation by the Australian Powerlifting Alliance.

Entry Criteria

To be eligible to enter the 2026 APA Classic & Equipped Bench Only National Championships, applicants must:

• Be a current financial member of the Australian Powerlifting Alliance (APA).

• Not be serving an Anti-Doping Rule Violation sanction.

• Not be serving a sanction or be under investigation for an alleged breach of the IPF Constitution, APA Constitution, or any applicable IPF or APA policies or by-laws.

• Have achieved the published Qualifying Total (QT) during the published qualification period detailed within this document.

• Have completed at least one APA-approved volunteer session during the published qualification period.

• Have no outstanding monies owing to the APA, including (but not limited to) membership fees, competition entry fees or international competition expenses.

• Not be actively participating in another powerlifting federation in accordance with IPF Constitution Article 14.

Anti-Doping Education Requirement

All National Championship athletes are required to complete the current Sport Integrity Australia Anti-Doping Fundamentals course (if completing it for the first time) or the 2026 annual update (if Fundamentals was completed in previous years).

Your training history summary pdf must be provided as part of the entry process.You can download this from your SIA-Edge dashboard.

Failure to complete the required anti-doping education by the published deadline will result in the athlete's entry being withdrawn and their position offered to the next eligible athlete on the waitlist. No extensions will be granted.

Qualification & Entry Process

Primary Selection

All eligible APA members who achieve the published Qualifying Total (QT) for their weight class during the qualification period may apply to compete.

Refer to Pages 2–5 for the published Qualifying Totals.

The qualification period commences immediately following the conclusion of the 2025 APA Classic & Equipped Bench Only National Championships and concludes on Saturday, 12 September 2026 (12 weeks prior to the commencement of the 2026 Championships).

Results achieved at the 2025 APA Classic & Equipped Bench Only National Championships cannot be used to satisfy this qualification requirement.

Results achieved at any sanctioned APA or IPF competition during the qualification period may be used to achieve the required Bench Press Qualifying Total.

For the avoidance of doubt:

• Bench Press only results may be used to achieve the qualifying standard.

• Bench Press results from 3 Lift competitionscan be used to achieve the qualifying standard, including results achieved at the 2026 APA Open National Championships and 2026 APA MegaNats.

Weight Class Changes

Athletes may qualify in:

• the weight class in which they achieved their qualifying result; or

• one (1) weight class above.

Athletes must register in a weight class for which they have achieved the published Qualifying Total (QT).

Requests to change weight class must be submitted no later than 11:59 pm (AEST), 30 days prior to the commencement of the competition.

Merchandise Pre-Orders

New for this event, the APA is launching its official online merchandise store.

For the first time, athletes can browse and purchase official APA merchandise online ahead of a National Championship, making it easier than ever to secure your favourite items before arriving in Perth.

This is also your final opportunity to purchase the 2026 APA National Series shirt, along with a range of official APA merchandise.

As all merchandise is produced and shipped from New South Wales, pre-orders will be the only method of purchasing merchandise for the Championships. Only pre-ordered stock will be transported to Perth. While a limited range of additional stock may be available at the event, sizes and quantities cannot be guaranteed.

Pre-orders close at 11:59 pm AEDT on Friday, 13 November 2026.

Don't leave it until the last minute. Once a size or item sells out, it will not be restocked.

Competition Details

Venue
Strength Club
Perth, Western Australia

Competition Dates
Saturday 5 – Sunday 6 December 2026

Meet Director
Jacob Sofianos

Maximum Entries
 120 athletes

Competition Enquiries 

For all enquiries regarding entries, eligibility or competition administration, please contact:

championships@powerliftingalliance.org.au

Please do not contact the Meet Director directly.