Buzz
I've been lifting for years, but it wasn't until just over a year ago that I truly committed to improving my squat, bench press, and deadlift. Last week, I finally took part in a powerlifting meet. It was an incredible experience—one that taught me a great deal and allowed me to apply much of the beginner advice I had received.
Powerlifting involves performing a squat, bench press, and deadlift. During a competition, you have three attempts at each lift, and the highest successful lift for each is combined to create your total score. Unlike Olympic-style weightlifting, which requires specialized equipment, powerlifting can be trained at a regular gym. As a result, the sport has gained significant popularity. If you're considering participating in a powerlifting meet in the future, here are some of the best pieces of advice from my own beginner experience.
Register earlier rather than waiting until the last minute
The common advice is not to delay too long before signing up for a meet. You’ll have fun, and no one will judge you for being a beginner. So what if you lift lighter weights and end up last in your group? At least you’ll have challenged yourself and gained the experience.
I agreed with that advice, but I didn’t feel ready to sign up until I had made some friends who were also passionate about powerlifting, people who could answer my silly questions and guide me on what to expect. I also learned about different federations: USAPL is one of the most recognized, but they have a controversial policy banning trans lifters and have tried to suppress protests about that policy. I decided I didn’t want to support them financially, so I chose to go with the USPA instead.
After making that decision, I simply browsed the calendar on uspa.net and selected a meet based on the date and location. (One thing I didn’t realize at first: some USPA meets are drug-tested, while others are not. If you want to set records in drug-tested categories or qualify for other drug-tested events, you can’t do that at untested meets.)
Prepare with the competition in mind
You don’t need a detailed training plan; you can just show up and do your thing. But if you’re the type who likes to do a variety of exercises in the gym (hi), signing up for a meet can give you a much-needed focus. I don’t have an in-person coach, but I use an online coaching service that provides me with workout plans and answers to my questions. As the meet approached, all the fun accessory lifts were removed from my routine, and I was left focusing on squat, bench, and deadlift, over and over again. In the final weeks, I was benching six times a week, and I promise that’s not a typo.
During my training, I often visualize the lifts I'll perform in competition. Each lift has specific guidelines to follow, with the judge giving commands. For example, after completing a lift, you must wait for the 'down' or 'rack' signal before you're done. At the competition, I saw several people complete a perfect bench press but rack the bar prematurely, before receiving the 'rack' command. That results in a no lift.
Every time I squat in training, I ensure my depth is legal (hip crease below the knee top, or it won't count). In my competition bench press, I pause the bar on my chest for a moment, simulating the judge’s 'press' command, before pushing it up. After each deadlift set, I stand tall with the bar in my hands for a second before lowering it. Occasionally, my program may ask for accessory exercises like touch-and-go bench, but I aim to make the competition-standard version my baseline.
Stay focused.
In the days leading up to a lifting meet, the mental challenge is surprisingly similar to a marathon taper. After all the preparation, there’s a nagging part of your mind that tries to find reasons to panic, even when the hard work is already done.
Take a look at your training schedule. The final week is usually light—just one or two sessions, and likely no heavier lifts than your planned opener. It's crucial to stick to the plan and not give in to the temptation to lift too much or add extra workouts.
The week just before the final one—the second-to-last week—is when you might feel the urge to panic. It’s also the moment to finalize your opening attempts so that in the last week, all you need to do is perform those lifts and rest.
In the final few weeks, make sure you’ve planned everything. If you’ll be traveling, create a packing list. Decide when you’ll go to weigh-ins (this could be on the day of the meet or the day before). Plan what foods you’ll have for breakfast and which ones to bring along that you’re comfortable eating.
Pick your attempts carefully.
You have three attempts per lift, and the best one counts toward your total. Your second attempt must be at least equal to your first, and your third must match or exceed your second. Make sure your first attempt is something you can lift, or you’ll earn a zero for that lift.
There’s a lot of advice about selecting opening attempts, but when aimed at beginners, the main takeaway is simple: don’t miss your damn opener. Here are a few ways I’ve heard this expressed:
Choose a weight you’re so confident in that you’d bet a thousand dollars you can lift it.
Pick a weight you could handle for three reps without issue.
Select a weight you’ve successfully lifted many times in the gym—something you could still lift even on your toughest day.
At my meet, I watched someone in my flight absolutely dominate her squats. She was incredibly strong, and her squats were flawless. But then... she missed her opener on the bench press. Since you can’t lower your attempts, she tried the same weight for her second attempt, then again for the third, but didn’t manage to get it. After that, she was done. She didn’t even show up for the deadlift. The takeaway: choose an opener you know you can nail.
This isn’t standard advice, but I want to add this: warmups are a perfect opportunity to test your opener. You can do as many lifts as you want in the warmup area with whatever weight you choose, though it’s smart to avoid exhausting yourself. Your last warmup should feel smooth and effortless, ensuring you’re ready for your opener. If you’re looking for absolute certainty, you could even attempt your opener in the warmup area before heading to the platform.
Understand the order and be ready to wait.
Between lifts, expect a lot of waiting around. Both USPA and USAPL organize lifters into flights, and flights into rounds. I found out a week or so before the meet that I’d be in flight A.
Here’s how it works:
Everyone in flight A performs their first squat attempt.
Next, everyone in flight A does their second squat attempt.
Then, flight A completes their third squat attempt.
After that, flight B takes their turn with squats, and we get a bit of a break.
Once all the flights have finished their squats, the same process is repeated for the bench press and then the deadlift.
Within each flight, attempts are organized from lightest to heaviest. If you’re lifting a lighter weight—likely if it’s your first meet—you may find yourself going first. The event organizers will usually post the order of lifts, but if they don’t, you can check with the judges’ table. I was second for squats, fifth for bench, and fourth for deadlifts. Regardless of your position, stay alert to the name being called and be ready when it’s your turn.
Between lifts, you might have to wait an hour or two. I brought sweatpants to stay warm, crosswords to keep busy, and snacks to keep my energy up because the meet lasts all day. After deadlifts, I even stayed for the awards ceremony since I ended up being the only person in my weight class. I finished first and last.
