Powerlifting America state championship meet with strength athletes from across Ohio competing at The Lincoln Theatre.
Powerlifting America is bringing The Ohio Meet to the Lincoln Theatre on Saturday, November 21, 2026. It's a full power meet, which means the squat, the bench press, and the deadlift all on one day, and it's the Ohio state championship for the federation. That puts it at the top of the local calendar for the year, with strength athletes coming in from across the state to compete right here in Columbus.
If you're not familiar with how a full power meet works, it's exactly what it sounds like: three lifts, one day. Every lifter takes three attempts at each—squat, bench, and deadlift—and the highest successful lift from each is added up for a total. The state championship title goes to the person with the biggest total in their weight class. It's a long day of lifting, and because it's a state-level event, you'll see people from all over Ohio on the platform.
Running the show is Jordan Johnson, who's the meet director. The event is sanctioned under number 2026-OH-05, so it's an official Powerlifting America competition. It's a local-level meet, but since it's the state championship, it's where the best in the region show up to see where they stand.
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One of the more unusual things about this one is the venue. The Lincoln Theatre is a performing arts and education center at 769 E Long St, and it's a landmark in African-American and jazz history. It's not exactly where you'd expect to see a powerlifting platform and a crowd of people cheering on heavy squats, but that's part of the draw. You've got a state championship taking place in a historic theater in the heart of the city.
It all happens on Saturday, November 21, at the Lincoln Theatre, 769 E Long St, Columbus, OH 43203.
