Student youth represents the potential of the future of the country and the constructive basis of many social processes: politics, economy, science, sports. Therefore, preserving and augmenting students' health, forming a healthy lifestyle, and developing student sports are of significant importance for society in general. One of the components of a healthy lifestyle of young people is the optimal regimen of physical activity, the systematic use of physical activity throughout life. At present, the students’ interest in traditional sports shows a certain decrease in their popularity amid the high appeal of athletic gymnastics, bodybuilding, aerobics, and powerlifting. In order to determine the attitude of student youth to the introduction of powerlifting in the educational process of a higher educational institution, we conducted a questionnaire survey among students, which gave a positive result. This paper presents the results of a questionnaire survey of students aimed at studying their attitude to the introduction of powerlifting in the educational process of physical education at higher educational institutions. The preliminary results of the introduction of the pilot powerlifting program are described in the process of physical education of the students studying pedagogy. Keywords: powerlifting, sport, student, interest, health, development, physical culture complex.