Powerlifters will take center stage at Idaho Falls championship

IDAHO FALLS – Empire Strength & Fitness Gym is partnering with Center Stage Theater for the 2026 “Battle for the Throne” powerlifting championship, sanctioned by the U.S. Powerlifting Association.

It’s happening on Saturday at Center Stage Theater, 3175 Lockheed Circle in Idaho Falls. Lifting begins at 9 a.m. and will feature more than 30 athletes across Idaho competing in squat, bench press, and deadlift competitions.

The squat participants will kick off the tournament, followed by bench press and deadlift.

Scottie Cooper, owner of the strength and fitness gym, tells EastIdahoNews.com the championship is the culmination of multiple powerlifting events held throughout the year. It’s not a “last man standing” event, meaning the contestants are not competing against each other. Rather, they’re competing against themselves to try and break a previous record.

“It’s very specific to their size and age,” Cooper explains. “Each weight class, kind of like a track meet — they go one at a time. If they make it, they can move on to the next weight.”

Many of the participants are returning athletes who have competed in this or similar events before. Carl Lovell, Idaho USPA chairman, will be judging the event. Cooper says he’s one of the main draws for the show.

The 70-year-old Idaho Falls man is a world-ranked powerlifter who’s competed for 35 years. Earlier this year, he set a national record in his age bracket at the 10th annual FitCon Expo in Salt Lake City.

Lovell says he started working with Empire when it opened at its original location on Lockheed Circle near Center Stage Theater. In 2023, it moved to a 9,500-square-foot building at 1539 Piper Street directly across from iPull.

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He started judging the gym’s powerlifting events about two years ago and played a role in it becoming a USPA-sanctioned competition.

Lovell says Saturday’s championship is of the same caliber as a regional or world event.

“To me, what they’re doing rivals the (Mr. Olympia) contest in Las Vegas, but for the powerlifting platform,” Lovell says. “They put on a show, and the lifters are the stars.”

Those who have attended the gym’s Strongman competition, typically held the weekend after the Fourth of July, are familiar with the entertainment value. Cooper says they invest tens of thousands of dollars to make it a quality show. It’s attracted world-famous strongmen, such as Robert Oberst and Brian Shaw, in the past.

Cooper says their partnership with Center Stage allows them to use lighting, music and pyrotechnics to make the powerlifting championship a world-class show for those who attend.

“We go all out for events. We love hosting these types of shows,” says Cooper.

Saturday’s powerlifting tournament is free for anyone who’d like to attend. It will last until about 3 p.m. The presentation of awards will immediately follow and end around 4 p.m.