Do elite powerlifters have "special" joints?

[jdjack]

I would say yeah PL do usually have larger joints, or at least the ones who excel at it. Many things can overcome smaller joint physique, such as being tolerant to pain (joint pain during lifts), and having a strong squat, reverse hyper, glute/ham raises, and hack squat. The primary reason I mention these is that they would mean every other lift is helped by having even stronger "accessory" lifts. These are posterior chain lifts, or glute/ham strong lifts. If these are pushed, then other lifts will go up.
I agree that its better to train w/o straps, but if you're pushing it slightly, and you train with static holds, partials, etc. Basically to slowly, increase each relative part of the lift before pushing forward, then I would think it would be fine in some instances.

 

[BrotherIron]

I don't have big joints at all. Quite the contrary and I pull in the 6's no problem. Curtis Leslie and his crew train at my gym as well as other PLers and some of them (Curtis exp) look very much like bbers. Biomechanics really come into play when you train for strength but I believe ANYONE can squat in the 5's, pull in the 6's, and bench in the 4's. I have done that and I wouldn't call myself anything special.

Having big joints does help. I can only speak for myself but having smaller joints does make it more difficult. I just compensate by strengthening my posterior chain as much as possible and focus on the lift I'm very good at (pulling). You have to also remember that no one is built to excel in all 3 lifts.

I also don't believe in you shouldn't do cardio thought either. I train with a few national level SM as well as other elite athletes, all of which do cardio on a regular. If you're body is better at oxygenating itself you'll be able to lift heavier weights. I don't have anything other than empirical evidence of this but I do believe it to be true. There is a fine line though with cardio being beneficial and it being detrimental. You have to that line and be sure not to cross it.

 

[BrotherIron]

And if you want to pull with straps I suggest you buy a pair of Oly lifting straps. They add just a bit of help but as soon as your hand begins to open, the grip is lost (strap comes undone), and the weight is dropped. It only wraps around once (barely) and the material used doesn't give much help. You still have to work your grip to hold onto the bar.

Another option if your hand grip is failing, use a hook grip. It will murder your thumbs to begin with but it's the strongest hand grip a person can use.

 

[porky little keg]

There's definitely something to having huge joints as far as being able to handle weight, but I don't think that it'll limit strength until you blow something out.

I'm 6'4" and naturally scrawny as shit..... now squatting over 6 raw, 1000 geared.... long limbs but lucky to have big joints.

I train with a guy who is 5'6" and 181 with tiny little joints. Drug free too, which is besides the point, just impressive as hell. Who put up 850+ in his last meet ( squat) and benches nearly 6 in the shirt. His teeny little joints didn't hold him back at all..... until he just blew out both knees. It could have been the fact that he wears his equipment so tight, or the reduced calorie diet he stays on to maintain weight, or it could be the bodybuilding workouts he does on top of his powerlifting routine because he wants to look good too..... or the tiny joints just didn't want to squat 900 that day.