Should You do Your First Powerlifting Meet? [The Beginner's Guide To Powerlifting Meets]
- Vinnie Galizio
- Feb 16, 2020
- 15 min read
After reading this article, you will know whether or not should you do your first powerlifting meet? Inside, I am going to share the ins-and-outs of Powerlifting meets and if you should consider participating in one? You'll probably have a good idea of what direction you want to go after it. Read on!
You might not know this, but I actually competed in a powerlifting meet once! (I'm sure you would hope so since I am writing this!) If you want to see some of the highlights and lifts, check out this link HERE!
So, should you do your first powerlifting meet? Let's take a look.
Note: This was my experience with completing a powerlifting meet through the International Powerlifting Association (IPA). All organizations and meets have their own rules and restrictions. This article simply outlines basic advice and know-hows based on my experience. Either way, read on and see what your thoughts are!
Things to Know (What you need/basics)
For almost all meets, you will need to pay a registration fee along with becoming a member of whatever Federation the meet is associated with. They vary a lot and most have their own rules when it comes to equipment you are allowed to use in the meet. Some federations do equipment checks and others do not. This is both good and bad, but either way, make sure you have the right equipment going in! You can typically find this via their websites.
Unless it is a chill meet or just a local gym doing it for fun, you'll probably need a singlet. You know, the skimpy little jumpsuit guy that is hard to take on and off, fits you tight as hell, shows a little more something something than you'd like, digs into your skin, gives you a wedgie, you get the picture. You'll probably need a singlet. Again, check with the federation first!
Weight classes! All federations have different weight classes and some work in pounds and others in kilograms so double check and check again for this! Make sure you know what weight class you are going to compete in because you'll probably need to put this on your registration when completing it. MAKE SURE YOU ARE ACTUALLY THAT WEIGHT CLASS!!! If you haven't weighed yourself in 2 years and you think you're going to compete in the 181 class, make sure you double check you don't actually weigh 200 pounds now and have more work to do. Weigh yourself and adjust from there.
Most people will tell you not to cut for your first meet. It's counter-intuitive and will lead to just another stressor before the meet. However, I disagree with this. When I finally decided I was going to do my meet, I weighed 170-172 pounds. I wanted to compete in the 165 pound division. I had 3 months to prepare for this and I knew I could lose 5-7 pounds in that span of time while still getting stronger, so I did.
This is where your own abilities and faith in yourself will come into play. If you think you have enough time to cut weight to get into a weight class and you think you'll be strong enough, go for it. Completely up to you and you don't have to listen to what other people's opinions are!
Moving on, your training is going to be the best it has ever been after you sign up. There's just something about having a legitimate goal you are working for and pursuing that gets you going! You'll become a machine and fight through even the toughest sets and days where you don't want to workout. With that said though, it's a double-edged sword and your nutrition needs to be on point too. (Especially if you're cutting for a weight class.)
If you are looking for help with your nutrition, visit the Online Coaching tab and shoot me a message! I'd be more than happy to help you get ready! :)
The Meet Itself (How things roll)
You and I both know the meet actually starts the night before when you go to bed, right? And sleeping the night before a meet might be the hardest thing ever. Personally, I had dreams about my lifts. I laid in bed trying to fall asleep envisioning my lifts and being successful. I remembered all of my important cues and tricks that I would need if I am going to make things happen. (Which actually is a good thing to do from a psychological perspective!)
Try to follow your normal bed-time routine as much as possible. Don't add anything in that you aren't typically doing. Be smart with your hydration so you aren't waking up in the middle of the night and maybe weight yourself the night before too if you have a same day weigh-in.
Get your 7-8 hours and then you wake up and it's go time. Usually pretty early too because things gotta get rolling! If it's a same day weigh-in you're probably not going to want to eat or drink anything unless you are 100% sure you'll hit your weight class. Otherwise, if you did an early weigh-in, get up and eat. Focus on carbs and protein. Definitely carbs though, these are huge and ridiculously important for your success. (PBJ is a lifesaver at the meet too - more on this later from me.)
A tip I read and agreed with is to stay calm in the morning and on your drive there. You'll have plenty of time to get hype at the meet itself. Play more mellow music and save your pump-up jams for the event. The last thing you want to do is waste energy and get your adrenaline rolling. Every ounce counts in these meets.
I can't say for many meets, but they'll usually do equipment checks once you arrive/weigh-in. If not, you're rolling on in and finding your staging area for the day. Bring a blanket, your gear, preworkout, food, etc. This will be your home base and it's best to make it comfy. Some places can be brutal and have a hard floor. Not ideal for you rump. (Gluteal amnesia is real!)
When you register or weigh-in, they'll let you know when the rules meeting will begin. Mine was super informal and took 5 minutes, haha. The only good thing is they told us where the Flight List was and when the first lift will begin. (If you're in an early flight, start warming up!) The funniest part about this meeting for me was they asked, "Everyone here has done a meet before, right?" I waited and no one said anything, so neither did I. This was my first meet! But I couldn't let the competition know I was a weak link, right?? Haha (This turned out not to matter because I was in a weight class all by myself but you live and you learn, right??)
Warming up is intriguing, haha. It's kind of a free-for-all where you need to do some guesswork based on your flight and where you are in it. For me, I was towards the bottom half of my flight (luckily). So I started my warm-ups when the "seasoned vets" who knew what was going on did. These individuals were actually the women competing, so I followed their lead! I waited for them to clear out a bit so I could either work in or have something to myself.
Everyone is nice and all, but it's a bit of a hodge-podge for equipment and getting in a rotation. Long story short, a good rule of thumb is unless you're rolling in with a crew, don't expect your barbell warm-up to go perfectly. It won't and you might not even have access to the weight you want. Go in expecting to share weights and a rack with someone. It is probably best to find someone your size or who is in your weight class. After all, might as well get a taste of what they are bringing to the table. But in the end, it is you vs. you, so don't lose sight of that. Adapt and overcome, that is how you'll still be successful either way.
It's meet time! (Or at least lifting time anyways.) Make sure you check the flight list again and check it again after that! I honestly probably looked at it 5 times to make sure I didn't miss something!
It's good practice to memorize the 2-3 lifters names before you so you can listen and have an idea when you are up. This is only set in stone for the first time through the flight though. If your 2nd attempt is lower than the person that was before you during 1st attempts, then you will go before them for your 2nd attempt. This is because the bar is ALWAYS increasing. The loaders are never taking weights off to lower the weight. They are only adding more and more as they go, so still listen for your name! They'll usually say your name many times such as when you're "on deck" and "in the hole". At least they did at my meet, so that helped a lot.
Once it's your turn, it's your turn! Lift the weight or don't. Do or do not, there is no try! It can be hard to keep your nerves together before you are up, but do your best. Trust in your training and don't change your routine for anyone. Go up and it is just you, the bar and the spotters. Nothing else matters. You got this and you can do it. Make it happen.
After your lift, the judges will press their magic buttons and give you a white or red light. You need 2 out of 3 lights white in order for your lift to count. Every judge is watching something different, but if you trained right and how you should (like you are in a meet every lift), you'll be fine and see 3 white lights. Make sure you listen to the judges cues too. I'll touch base on these later.
Other than that, it's rinse and repeat overall. Fuel back up with some food after your lift and enjoy yourself. Watch some other lifters, hang out with family and friends, rest. This is kind of the best part of the meet because you can eat whatever you want and feel fine about it! I went for reese's pieces personally! Super good, quick carbs to keep me rolling! I also had Gatorade with me too. Fun fact, I should have eaten one of my PB&J's too (I didn't because nerves) because after my 1st deadlift attempt I was shaking so bad from neurological overload/fatigue! So that was fun! Haha
After all the lifting is over, there is an awards ceremony where you get a little trophy, medal or whatever. They announce the winners of weight classes, overall, best WILKS score and stuff like that. After this, I just grabbed my trophy and left. On my way out, one of the guys helping clean up said, "All that work for a little trophy, huh?" And that stuck with me...
Typical Lifting Rules and Commands
Alrighty, so you probably want to know what the judges look for, what makes a good lift, what doesn't, what a "command" is, etc. That's what this section is for! I'll give some insight into what my meet was like and what others may do. Again, every organization and federation is different, so read their rules and be prepared.
Squat
The Squat might be the easiest lift command-wise.
You'll either unrack the weight or lift the bar (depends if monolift or not)
The judge will command "SQUAT!"
Go down to parallel (thigh parallel with floor)
Stand back up (don't poop)
Wait for the "RACK!" command
Rack the weights
Check the lights
Bada-Bing Bada-Boom! Squat done!
Some good rules of thumb are to make sure you walk out far enough but not too far for your squats. The judge will not give the squat command until you are 100% still. If you're standing there with happy feet the whole time, they will never give the command. So stand still and wait.
Also, do your best to hit that parallel mark. If you have a coach (if you are allowed to have one), make sure they are giving you the same cues as usual like when you are training. Otherwise, really do your best to get there effectively and actually hit parallel. Some judges are stricter than others, so evaluate a bit and go from there. Just don't do a half squat and look like an idiot. The spotters are there for you whether you get stuck in the hole or halfway up. They are trained and prepared most of the time, so you are safe.
Something else to consider is that once you start coming up, you are coming up! The spotters are taught to catch you at the first sight of any downward movement. No muscling through these ones and them counting. If the bar moves down, the lift doesn't count, so let it happen and allow the spotters to help. If it wasn't your 3rd attempt, save your energy for the next one.
Don't rack early! This will also results in a failed attempt. So stand up, wait, then rack. Don't jump the gun and ruin a PR. Be patient. As long as the judge isn't an a-hole, you should be fine!
Bench
Bench has a couple more technical aspects to it.
You can, read SHOULD, have a lift-off for the bench
Get your lift off and wait for your spotter to clear out of the judge's way (tell them to MOVE IT!)
There will either be a "START!" command or sometimes none at all
Lower the bar to your chest and stay tight
Judge will give "PRESS" command
Get that bar up and go, go, go
Hold weight at the top and wait for "RACK!" command
Rack the weight
Check the lights
Shazam! Bench done!
Things to consider here: once you lower the bar to your chest, you CANNOT let it sink back down into your sternum. This will result in a failed attempt (at least it should) and red lights. Again, I believe this depends from federation to federation, but it is something to be aware of.
If you are using your friend for a lift-off, don't let them be an idiot and stand there for 20 minutes after you are handed the bar and ready. Tell them to RUN if you have to! More time under the weight is energy wasted, so be efficient. For my meet, they had someone there to give me a lift-off, so they'll know what they are doing in those cases.
Like I mentioned before, train like you are in a meet. This is something that is easy to forget as a beginner. If you are like me and just rack the weights right after benching without giving yourself a second or two at the top, you are cheating yourself. Take a solid one count and then re-rack. This will get you ready for the meet and already in a groove so you don't rack early and fail the lift in a meet.
Another thing to consider in your training is pause work. Again, there is a variable of error and human interaction that goes into these meets. Some judges will make you keep the bar at your chest for what feels like a millennium, while others will let you pretty much let you touch and go. Practice at least a 1 second pause just to be safe. You don't want to feel the need to blame a judge because you didn't train right, so train right.
Deadlift
Ah, yes, the pièce de résistance. The show stopper. The moment you've been waiting for! (At least I know I was because, well, deadlifts!) The best part is, it's pretty straightforward.
Go to the bar
Grab the bar
Pick it up
Wait for "DOWN!" command
Hold onto weight as you lower it (don't drop it)
Check the lights
And just like that, the final lift is complete!
It really is that simple with the deadlift, haha. You pick it up and out it back down. Just make sure you are FULLY locked out at the top. Straight from head to toe, shoulders back, glutes tight and hips through. Do that and you'll be solid!
Do that and don't drop the weight! You might see bozos dropping their deadlifts at the top of reps in the gym but that crap doesn't count in meets! You need to hold onto the bar as you put it back down on the mat. If you drop it from the top, red lights and no lift for you! So like with bench, train how you're going to compete. Hold onto the weight as you lower it. After all, most people say the eccentric is the most important part of the lift anyways, right?
Warm-Up and Attempt Selection
Here I am going to provide you with the 1RM ramp-up scheme I used. This will be different for everyone and your strength levels. The stronger you are, the bigger of jump you can make. Like I said before, it probably won't go as planned. However, it doesn't mean you still shouldn't have a game plan in mind! Enough of that! Here is the 1RM attempt percentages I have used in the past. I got this originally from Jordan Syatt, so if you would like to read his article on 1RM attempts, you can do so HERE! He also provides some good insight into your warm-up beforehand!
1RM Attempt Scheme
1 x 5 @ 30-50% 1RM
1 x 5 @ 50-60% 1RM
1 x 3 @ 60-70% 1RM
1 x 1 @ 90-93% 1RM (Possible meet opener)
1 x 1 @ 100%+ 1RM (Possible 2nd attempt at meet)
1 x 1 @ 101-105% 1RM (Possible 3rd attempt at meet)
This is a great way to warm-up and be effective in ramping things up effectively! A good idea for the ranges is to make them solid numbers like 135, 225, 315, etc. The easier the better. Don't be afraid to write it down either! Have a game plan and execute on it the best you can!
Rest times are typically solid to increase as the weight goes up. so 1-2 minutes between the 3-5 rep range and 2-3 minutes in the 1-2 range. Then, the other attempts will be determined by the flight in the meet! Give it a try and see what happens!
In terms of your actual attempts, advice varies from person-to-person here. Since you are reading this and most likely a beginner. Here's what I did and what you should consider doing, as well.
1st attempt: Easy Money
Make this lift attempt something you can do even on your worst days with ease. Start the meet out with confidence and strength! This will also give you a good gauge of where you are on the day and for the lift.
2nd attempt: Close but no Cigar
For this one, it's kind of up to you. Either go 95-100% 1RM or for a PR. Personally, I like saving the PR attempt for the 3rd attempt, but if you are feeling rock solid. Go for it because you'll at least have one more shot at it. (Then you are playing a mental game though.)
3rd attempt: Baby PR
So you're probably thinking about going guns ablazing here, right? ALL OUT! Add 100 pounds!! And you can, but you might not want to. Something awesome to remember is that a PR is a PR. If you beat your previous best by just 5-10 pounds, that is awesome! It's you vs. you so that's what matters! Do you really want to skip that and go for a 25 lb PR not knowing that you could have even gotten to lower weights before it? And what about if you miss that then? Could you have even lifted the 10 pound PR? You won't know until next time (if there is a next time). Stay smart and don't let things go to your head. Aside from that, if you are shooting for a world record, meet record, new best total, etc. then HAVE AT IT! But again, this is usually reserved for those who already competed in the past, so hold your horses and maybe try again in the future.
Will I Ever Do Another Meet?
To be brutally honest, no. Haha - it stressed me out and was not as fun as I thought it was going to be! I guess you can say that little trophy wasn't enough for me and the hype of it all wasn't quite what I expected either, but I do still love and respect the sport and all those who compete in it. It's tough and people sacrifice a lot for it, but it just isn't for me, and that's okay.
Let me explain some more because it wasn't just the trophy thing. I had fun! It was super cool and I got to see lifters from Westside Barbell and Louie Simmons himself! That alone was worth the price of admission. It's just after seeing those guys and women and how seriously they took it, that I knew it wasn't exactly my true passion. I have a mantra to that if I don't love it, then I won't do it!
Quick side note that I didn't mention. I only did the Push/Pull meet (Bench/Deadlift). This is because I pulled my groin really bad months before and I couldn't squat or prepare for it how I wanted to, so I only benched and deadlifted. After my bench, I was foam rolling my IT Band to warm-up for deadlifts. For those of you that know me, I have some issues with my left shoulde. .If you don't, wel;, get this.
I was foam rolling and then *POP* Shoulder dislocates. Like 30 minutes before deadlifts are supposed to start. This was probably my 5th time doing it, so I had it handled and got it back in place. But what was I supposed to do? Was I still going to deadlift even though my shoulder is unstable and I dislocated it? YUP! Haha - so that was fun and I deadilfted a PR with a recently dislocated shoulder, so that was lit!
This brings me to my next point. The barbell was beating me up. I wasn't taking care of my body like I should have been and the effects were taking their toll. My knees hurt, groin pulled, shoulder messed up, upper back tightness, no ankle mobility and probably other things I'm not even listing here. So moral of the story, I needed a new way to exercise.
So what do I do now? I still use the barbell! But not nearly as much! I have since created a hybrid approach to fitness through barbell and kettlebells! This isn't all I use, but it is a staple of my training now and I love it! (So does my body.) I am still doing what I love and finding ways to help others, like you!
If you are interested in learning more, prepping for a powerlifting meet or taking your fitness to the next level, send me a message though the Online Coaching tab! I am currently taking on clients and would love to help you reach your goals! Also, if you aren't into that, I have 101 FREE Metabolic Workouts for you to try on for size :) just toss your name and email address in there and that should be in your inbox within the next 30 minutes! Enjoy and make sure you tell me what your favorite one is! HERE is the link again just in case it didn't work before!
For all other questions or inquires, you can reach me via social media @vinnieg_cb (Twitter and Instagram) or email from the email address thecheeseburgereffect@gmail.com
I hope to hear from you soon and happy lifting!
-Vinnie
Check out some more articles and prep materials I used for my meet below!
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