SLIPPERY ROCK — A sport of self-discipline and strength, powerlifting can benefit individuals from a variety of backgrounds.

Take Ed Melodini, for example. Chunky as a young boy, he took bouts of criticism from his peers while panting out laps around the gym for his middle school basketball team. Once Meloni found his way into the gym, though, he dropped those excess pounds and found a place to learn most any lesson he needs to succeed in life.

Then there's Randy Boczkowski, a Slippery Rock University senior studying sports management. His love for the sport stems from his high school football background in weightlifting. Boczkowski's drive to keep his body in shape propels him into the gym four times a week.

No matter what their background or how they got involved, every powerlifter agrees that the sport is more than burly men lifting thousands of pounds in a sweaty gym.

"It really teaches you discipline, eating right and getting into the gym," said Melodini, a junior at SRU. "It becomes a way of life. It keeps you occupied. At least if you have bad day in your personal life you look forward to the workout."

Powerlifting is a strength sport where competitors attempt to squat, bench press, and deadlift their maximum amount of weight. Lifters, each of whom competes in a different body weight class, compile a final score from the three events.

Power lifts are short in comparison to Olympic weightlifting, causing participants to use less force of motion and more muscular generated strength.

"It gives you more goals and makes you more of a driven person," said Boczkowski. "It's exciting just having the ability to lift or move massive amounts of weight and trying to stay active."

There are a variety of powerlifting federations in the United States and around the world. This allows competitors to choose from different bylaws based on their preferred styles.

Boczkowski and Melodini, roommates at SRU, compete in different federations, causing them to train differently for events.

"We don't train together too much," said Melodini. "We're both really into it, so its good to live with someone who has similar interests like that, but we are on different regiments, trying to do different things."

Melodini, who has received professional status in powerlifting through his maximum competition lifts, competes in the American Powerlifting Federation, the International Powerlifting Association and World Powerlifting Congress.

To train for his most recent competition in York, where he won his seventh world record for best squat, Melodini trained four to five times a week. Sessions generally included workouts ranging from one and a half to three hours using bands and chains on top of stacked weights.

"I usually do two heavy days, two speed days and two dynamic days," said Melodini who competes in the 220-pound weight class. "I train according to lifts instead of muscle groups."

Boczkowski, who is a member of USA Powerlifting, trains between three and four times a week and includes both strength and cardiovascular exercise into his routine.

"It really just goes in cycles," Boczkowski said. "There isn't one particular way to train. It's more just trial and error. Nothing is really set in stone. Usually you revamp your training based on how you did in competition.

"A basic layout starts with the beginning of the week focused on speed training where you are not taking five to 10 minute period of rest in between ever set. Then I save my heavy workouts for the end of the week.

"Closer to the meet you dwindle your sets and reps so you're sure to peak at the right time."

The major cost for powerlifting comes from federation, competition and equipment costs.

Boczkowski competes every six months, while Melodini will compete three to four times a year depending on his financial situation. Boczkowski says his federation dues level out about $50 a year and competition applications usually cost between $50 to $100.

"It's a really expensive sport to get started in, but once you get started it's not that bad," Boczkowski said.

Equipment costs can be between $300 and $400, but some equipment does not need replaced before and after every meet.

A bench shirt is a tight fitting piece of equipment that provides support for the lifter. Squat suits perform the same type of function for the squat portion of the competition. Lifters will also need knee wraps, wrist wraps, a lifting belt and good weightlifting shoes.

But Melodini and Boczkowski agree powerlifting is more than worth the cost.

"It puts life in perspective and makes you set goals so you become a more driven person," Boczkowski said. "You can't just walk into a gym and start lifting heavy weight. You have to be in the right mindset. Dealing with every day things and life, once you walk into the gym, you have the strong mindset that you're going to get it done. You have to have the mental ability to push yourself to your limits.

"I think it makes my life better because I know if I can deal with putting that behind me and pushing myself further, as stuff comes up, I'll be able to handle and deal with it."

For Melodini, powerlifting became an effective way to deal with his peers who teased him about his weight.

"I was running a lap playing basketball, and one of my teammates told me, 'Get out of my way, butterball," he said. "I'll never forget that. If he could only meet me now.

"Back then, I didn't want to be pushed around like that when I was a kid. It because a big part of my life and it made me feel good about myself because kids were noticing.

"I've met a lot of friends through this and they are the best friends I've ever had."