Powerlifting: The Beginner’s Guide
What is powerlifting?
Powerlifting is an individual strength sport in which competitors receive three attempts to lift as much weight as they physically can for one repetition in the barbell squat, bench press, and deadlift. At a powerlifting competition (or meet), athletes begin with the squat, followed by the bench, and finally the deadlift. There are three attempts per competitor, per lift. The sum of your best attempt on each lift determines your total and the highest total wins. Each federation has slightly varying rule sets, but for the sake of this explanation, we will focus on the most common rules applied to the sport.
Choosing a federation:
This is an argument that powerlifters can get pretty passionate about. In the beginning, it doesn’t particularly matter. For tested powerlifting, affiliates of the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) are always a safe choice. Generally, the competitions are well-run, with plenty of competitors to give the event some atmosphere. Affiliates of the growing USAPL are shaping up to be a promising choice and for European lifters, the ABS Powerlifting Series is about as fun as a powerlifting competition will get. The main thing is to find a competition in your area, on a date that suits you well to conduct a full prep without big interruptions such as holidays, work, or exams.
Weight classes and divisions:
In a competition setting, athletes are divided into divisions determined by gender, age, and weight class. The most common breakdown of male and female weight classes is as follows:
[Insert table here]
Athletes weigh in 2-24 hours before the competition, depending on the rules of the federation.
Choosing a weight class:
This question should be the least of your worries. Unless you’re looking to win, always opt for the weight class that applies to the body weight you naturally sit at without effort. If you weigh 88kg, compete in the U93kg class instead of cutting down to U83kg. This will give you the best chance at a successful and well-fueled prep, without the added stress of making weight.
One of the most common objections to this is “But I’ll be more competitive in the lower weight class”. The debate between coming 11th at U93kg and 10th at 83kg should not be a determining factor in this decision. For the vast majority of people, a powerlifting meet is a competition against yourself and your own personal records. Until you are winning nationals, this should be your only focus!
Judging and rules:
Three officials determine whether the lifter achieved a “good lift” or a “bad lift”. Each judge displays a white light or red light to signify this. The lifter needs to receive a minimum of two white lights for a lift to pass. Reasons for receiving red lights include:
Squat:
Failure to observe the Chief Referee’s signals at the commencement or completion of a lift.
Double bouncing at the bottom of the lift, or any downward movement during the ascent.
Failure to assume an upright position with the knees locked at the commencement or completion of the lift.
Stepping backward or forward or moving the feet laterally. Rocking the feet between the ball and heel is permitted.
Failure to bend the knees and lower the body until the top surface of the legs at the hip joint is lower than the top of the knees, as in the diagram.
Contact with the bar or the lifter by the spotter/loaders between the Chief Referee’s signals to make the lift easier.
Contact of the elbows or upper arms with the legs. Slight contact is permitted if no support might aid the lifter.
Any dropping or dumping of the bar after completion of the lift.
Bench Press:
Failure to observe the Chief Referee’s signals at the commencement, during or completion of the lift.
Any change in the elected lifting position during the lift proper i.e. any raising movement of the head, shoulders, or buttocks, from the bench, or lateral movement of hands on the bar.
Heaving, or sinking the bar into the chest or abdominal area after it is motionless in such a way as to make the lift easier.
Any downward movement of the whole of the bar in the course of being pressed out.
The bar is not lowered to the chest or abdominal area i.e. not reaching the chest or abdominal area, or the bar is touching the belt.
Failure to press the bar to straight arms’ length elbows locked at the completion of the lift.
Contact with the bar or the lifter by the spotter/loaders between the Chief Referee’s signals, to make the lift easier.
Any contact of the lifter’s feet with the bench or its supports. Lifting of the feet is not allowed in the IPF, but in some federations it is. Foot movement is permissible but must remain on the platform.
Deliberate contact between the bar and the bar rests support.
Failure to lower the underside of both elbow joints level with or below the top surface of each respective shoulder joint
Deadlift:
Any downward movement of the bar before it reaches the final position.
Failure to stand erect with the shoulders back.
Failure to lock the knees straight at the completion of the lift.
Supporting the bar on the thighs during the performance of the lift. If the bar edges up the thigh but is not supported this is not the reason for disqualification. The lifter should benefit from all decisions of doubt made by the referee.
Stepping backward or forward or moving the feet laterally. Rocking the feet between the ball and heel is permitted. Foot movement after the command “Down” will not be cause for failure.
Lowering the bar before receiving the Chief Referee’s signal.
Allowing the bar to return to the platform without maintaining control with both hands, i.e., releasing the bar from the palms of the hand.
Attempt selection:
The first attempt on a given lift is known as the opener. This should be an easy attempt to get your name on the board (usually a weight you could hit for 3-5 repetitions on any given training day). Once an opener is made, the lifter will then enter a heavier 2nd attempt, which should be a comfortable weight with some room to make the third attempt. View the 2nd attempt as a stepping stone towards a new personal best on the third attempt. The third attempt should be a max-effort lift, gauged by how difficult the second attempt was. It is always a good rule of thumb to attempt a weight that you are fairly certain you will actually be able to achieve if all goes to plan.
Equipment:
Powerlifters use a variety of equipment on the platform, but I am going just going to discuss the items required to compete.
Powerlifting singlet:
This is a specialized piece of clothing, which is form-fitting in order to give the judges the best view of your execution of each lift. Singlets create a level playing field for competitors, so nobody gets away with a breach of the rules due to it being obscured with loose clothing. Your singlet generally must be approved by the federation that you are competing in.
T-shirt:
It’s pretty obvious, but a T-shirt is required underneath the singlet during a competition. Some federations allow the removal of the t-shirt during the deadlift event, but it is a requirement during squats and bench press. Some federations require a tight, form-fitting t-shirt, so it is generally a good idea to wear one that fits snugly.
Deadlift socks:
These are a specific style of socks that must be worn during the deadlift event. They can be worn during squat and bench, but are required during deadlifts. This is to ensure protection of the shins against the sharp knurling of the barbell, and to prevent any blood being drawn for safety and hygiene purposes. Usually, these don’t need to be approved by the federation and any high sport socks (such as football socks) will do.
Footwear:
Despite it being common to lift in socks/barefoot in the gym, footwear is a requirement in a powerlifting competition. There are many options available for a lifter to wear, but flat shoes (such as Vans) are generally recommended for efficient foot pressure into the floor. Flats will also be superior to general athletic/running shoes as these can be spongey and give the illusion that the heels are not flat on the floor, which is a requirement for some lifts in some federations. Powerlifters tend to use specialty footwear such as squat shoes and grippy deadlift slippers to give them a competitive advantage, but this is not required.
Training:
So now that you understand the ins and outs of a powerlifting competition, how do we train for one? You will need to consistently train in the squat, bench press, and deadlift. A good general frequency is:
Squat: 1-3x per week
Bench Press: 2-3x per week
Deadlift: 1-2x per week
Practicing and strengthening these movements in the gym is how you will guarantee success on the day. You will also need to perform the lifts to the standard required by the federation you are competing in. Every lifter should browse the rulebook of their chosen fed to ensure they know what they are doing.
Your program:
Once you understand the rules and have established a frequency that will work for you, it is time to jump on a program. You can build this yourself, purchase one online, or invest in a coach. We understand that not everybody has the knowledge or means to go with these options, so you could always use the Neart Strength Systems Free 9-week Program.
There is no one-size-fits-all protocol for peaking your strength, but a good rule of thumb is to start performing “singles” or sets of 1 repetition about 6 weeks out from the competition. This is the most specific training you could do for a powerlifting meet and will give you a good estimation of what you will be capable of on the day. These singles should gradually increase in difficulty each week, hitting a squat and deadlift at roughly 8/10 difficulty two weeks out, and a bench of 8-9/10 difficulty one week out. All of these singles should be performed to competition standards. The week of the competition is always a good time to deload (do some easy training). This would involve some very easy squats, bench presses, and deadlifts followed by 2-3 days of full rest before the meet. This doesn't mean sitting around on the couch all day, though. Get out in nature, go for a light walk, and promote blood flow to enhance recovery.
Meet day nutrition:
During your deload week, you will generally complete your food shopping for meet day. Here are a few words of general advice:
The last thing to worry about on competition day is hitting your macros. Your goal is to give yourself the best chance of achieving your best performance. Eat whatever it is that makes you feel the best when lifting. It is recommended to avoid high-fiber/high-fat foods where possible to avoid any gastrointestinal distress. Prioritize easily digestible carbs and regular small servings of protein for satiety.
Hydration is another huge priority on the day. Don't show up to the meet with six cans of Monster and no water. Staying adequately hydrated throughout the day is going to help you avoid headaches and muscle cramping.
Eat how you normally eat. Nothing new should be implemented on competition day. In general, it is a good idea to treat the competition like one big gym session. Eat plenty of the food that makes you feel best, and avoid introducing any new foods, fluids, supplements, or stimulants. You have no idea how your body will react to these on the day. Why leave it to chance?
Your goal for the day is to achieve the best performance possible for you. Keeping yourself fuelled throughout the meet will make a huge difference in helping you achieve this goal. However, powerlifting competitions are loud, exciting, fast-paced, and for some people, anxiety-inducing. This can result in a reduction in appetite, so make sure to bring sources of food that are extremely easy to consume, even without the appetite for it. This could include bread, brioche rolls, flapjacks, bananas, or jellies.
Competition day:
Your prep is complete and your food shop is done. You've finally made it to the competition... what now?
The first thing you should do when you arrive at the venue for your weigh-in is check the weigh-in schedule. This is in order of a randomly assigned lot number, not alphabetical, so you could be at any point. If you are not there when your name is called, you will be pushed to the back of the list, giving you less time to refuel. Make sure to be there on time to give yourself the best chance of being as fuelled as possible for the meet.
If you have time before your weigh-in, it’s a great time to go and check your rack height for squats and bench. The competition combo rack will usually be set up on the platform for lifters to check, or simply enter the warmup room if permitted. Make sure to check your squat rack height in the shoes you are wearing to squat. Some lifters make the mistake of weighing in in flat shoes when they’re wearing heels to squat on the platform and pay for it during their opener. You can always ask to have your rack height altered between attempts. Try to get a bench set up before your weigh-in, but if this is not possible, you can always check your rack height after the squat session is complete.
When signing in to the competition, each lifter will receive a meet day card at weigh-ins. This includes your name, age, weight class, squat and bench rack heights, lift-off for bench (Y/N), and your openers. These should be communicated with your coach before the weigh-in. If you’re unsure of your planned opener, put in a placeholder weight for each lift (an easy weight, something you could hit for 4-5 reps) and you can always ask them to increase this number from 3 mins out. It’s important to note that sub-junior lifters require a coach/guardian present at weigh-ins in most federations.
After weigh-ins, it's time to refuel, rehydrate, and start warming up!
Warm-ups:
A daunting part of your first few competitions will be the timing of your warmups. There will generally be multiple flights taking place at the same time. This could be the A flight and B flight for example. If you're in the first flight, get yourself on a rack about 45 minutes before the beginning of the flight. There's nothing worse than running around looking for someone to let you work in with only 25 minutes to spare. Hop under the bar 30-45 minutes before the flight begins and hit your warmups as you would during any other gym session. There will likely be a TV/monitor or sheet of paper on the wall in the warm-up room with the flight list on it. If you are one of the stronger lifters on the flight, your last warm-up could be 2 minutes out. If you are one of the weaker lifters, aim to take your last warm-up about 5-7 minutes before the flight starts.
Between attempts:
You will have 10-15 minutes between each squat attempt. This is most likely longer than your usual rest time in the gym, but try not to let this throw you off. Try to chill out a bit between attempts. A common mistake lifters make is staying super amped up between attempts, blaring metal, and headbanging. You'll find it hard to sustain that kind of hype over a 5-hour lifting session. So hit your attempt, relax, sip on some water, and chat with your fellow competitors. When you're 5 lifters out, bring the intensity back.
Between events:
Something that I notice time and again is that lifters are not ready for the long gaps between squat and bench, and bench and deadlift. These breaks create a lull and can knock the wind out of your sails a little. Use this time to fuel yourself for the next lift. Consume some carbs and focus on hydration. This is your chance to chat with whatever friends/family came with you or your coach and to receive a pep talk for the next lift. Keep an eye on the clock throughout the break and start warming up for the next lift 30-45 minutes prior to the beginning of the flight.
Soak it in, and have fun!
Powerlifting competitions are bound to be full of like-minded people. The community is what makes the sport so great. Although it's important to focus on lifting as much weight as possible, don't forget to actually enjoy the experience. It's a local meet, chances are you will be seeing your fellow competitors again in the future. Chat with them, learn from them, and become a part of the fantastic community.
Evaluating your performance:
Taking some time to reflect on how your day went after the competition is a guaranteed way to make the next one (even) better. Whether your day went amazing or terrible, there are always lessons to be learned. Come away from the experience with a clear idea of your biggest win how you aim to maximise this in the future, and also your biggest challenge and how you aim to rectify this at your next meet.
Closing thoughts:
You did it! You learned what powerlifting is, how to train for it, and competed at your first competition. Set your sights on the next competition you would like to do and get to work! You have always got the option of running our Free 9-Week Programme, but if you're considering working with us one-on-one, you can enquire here!
