The International Association of Trans Bodybuilders and Powerlifters (IATBP) returns with its annual powerlifting meet and bodybuilding competition on Nov. 22, bringing trans and non-binary strength and physique trainers together for a day of camaraderie and friendly competition.
The event kicks off at 9 a.m. at DNA Strength Gym with the powerlifting meet. Lifters will perform three lifts – bench, squat, and deadlift. Bucky Motter, the Executive Director of IATBP, told Georgia Voice that they expect around 13 lifters showing off their strength.
“The audience really gets into it,” he said. “They’re very supportive of each athlete, no matter how much they’re lifting, and the athletes are very supportive of each other.”
The fun continues at 7 p.m. at Out Front Theatre with the bodybuilding competition. Motter estimates six to eight competitors will take to the stage to show off their posing routine to the music of their choice.
Both the meet and competition will have inclusive divisions, including trans masc, trans femme, gender non-conforming, and open. IATBP is the only powerlifting and bodybuilding organization to offer these divisions, and they attract athletes from “all walks of life,” including those who came to the sport after transitioning, those who worried about having to give up the sport after transitioning, and everyone in between.
“Generally, it’s people who were already doing these sports and were heartbroken to feel that they couldn’t compete [after transitioning],” Motter said. “We’ve had several people say, ‘I thought I was going to have to give up my sport to transition.’ You can imagine that that’s just a terrible choice to have to make.”
Motter says that both powerlifting and bodybuilding empower the members of IATBP to feel more comfortable in their bodies and strong in their identities.
“The strength training and physique training often leads to feeling more congruent with your gender in your body,” he said. “These athletes are showing their body to you, and it’s a very vulnerable sport. I think it’s a way to break from the fear, to come together and have camaraderie.”
IATBP began in Atlanta in 2014 with six members, but quickly grew to over 1,000 members from around the world. Today, the organization remains the only one of its kind in the world and has plans to expand with events in Michigan, Louisiana, and California next year.
To register to compete, visit iatbp.org/product/iatbp-annual-membership. To purchase tickets to the powerlifting meet and bodybuilding competition on Nov. 22, visit iatbp.org/tickets-atlanta.
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