What is powerlifting? Lots of people ask about the sport... I will answer this question and explain the basic aspects of what powerlifting really is. Check it out!
Squat, Bench, Dead...


That is pretty much all that there is to it. I hope you enjoy this article. All right. I'll tell you a little bit more. Powerlifting is a sport where you get three attempts to hit a personal record (PR) in three different lifts. You always start with the squat. It is taxing and technical but it is a good icebreaker and hitting a great squat sets the tone for a good meet.


Brent Mikesell.
If you really wore yourself out on the squat don't worry because you get to lie down for the next lift. The bench press is both a lifter and crowd favorite and is the second element.

Just when you've made 6 maximum effort lifts it is now time to deadlift. What better lift could you ask for when you are completely exhausted? They say that the meet isn't over until the bar hits the floor.

Your last deadlift could make the difference between a bad day and a PR total. There are also bench press only contests and what we call a push-pull, which, of course, is a bench press/deadlift contest. The order still remains.

Lots of people ask about the sport and wonder if their lifts are good enough to enter a meet. The answer, no matter who you are, is most certainly YES.

Anyone can enter a powerlifting meet so long as you have learned the technique of the lifts and can perform them safely at somewhere near or above your 1-rep max. You will often have others in your weight class but ultimately the only number you can hope to beat is your own PR.

1 RM CALCULATOR

Enter the amount of weight you can lift (in pounds) and the number of reps you can lift it for.
Weight You Lift: lbs.
Number Of Reps:





Your 1 RM:
lbs.
If you lift and come in last then you've just gained valuable experience over the person who is sitting on the sideline waiting for their lifts to become big enough to enter. By the time they feel their lifts are ready you'll have your lifts up to that level plus 5 meets under your belt.

You'll be the old hand helping put on bench shirts while they get to be the rookie with bigger and more dangerous weights. Endurance athletes understand this because it would be pretty lonely at your local 10k if the ability to finish in the top three was a prerequisite for competition.

Most endurance athletes are comfortable competing against themselves and are proud just to play. Powerlifting is the same way.

It is not a sport of ego but rather a sport of self. Only you can lose to you and only you can beat you. You either complete a lift according to the rules of the day or you don't. I've never seen a powerlifter come into the gym on Monday with a trophy. I have heard them proclaim, with great excitement, how they just went to a meet and set PR's across the board.

I've always had to ask how they placed and the response is typically something like, "Oh yeah... I took first." If you need further insight into this philosophy please see President Theodore Roosevelt's In the Arena speech.

"It is far better to dare mighty things on the platform than to be in those chairs with those cold timid soles who know neither victory nor defeat..."
(sorry... TR ends up in almost all of my articles)

"Man In The Arena"
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.
Theodore Roosevelt, "Man in the Arena" Speech given April 23, 1910
26th president of US (1858 - 1919)


The Sport


I can't keep this under 5000 words if I go into detail about federations, politics, equipment and drugs. I don't concern myself with federations or politics and I believe it is up to the individual to find the powerlifting organization that gives them the most enjoyment.

I prefer my federation rules to be free and loose and others like them rigid. I am against drugs in sports, as an ISSA fitness professional, but I do not ever condone whining because someone didn't get a trophy lifting in an untested federation. If you beat your PR's then you have won and it matters not what, or how, anyone else did.

You choose your own rules when you fill out the application. Cheating is cheating and those that do have to live with themselves, but so long as you don't cheat yourself then you are on the right track. I like equipped lifting (squat suits, bench shirts etc) because I think it adds fun to the sport just like getting a $5000 super-duper aero bike would be fun for the triathlete.

If you don't like equipment then find a federation that bans or limits it. We call unequipped lifting "raw" and you usually only lift with a singlet and a belt. I again recommend that people refrain from whining in this department. The Mono-Lift, of which I am a fan, is another controversy.

I let it ride under the "no-whining" policy. Some say it takes the "walk-out" from the squat, which they feel, rightly so, is an important and traditional part of the lift. Some say the Mono-Lift enhances safety and allows bigger lifts. They believe it is worth giving up the "walk-out" for these reasons.

I mostly agree with the latter but one can easily choose to lift in a federation without a Mono-Lift. If you are going to be using one then you should get used to it. Stay within the rules of your choosing and break PR's. It isn't cheating if it is legal. It is that simple.


The Squat


First things being what they are, we will start with the squat. The judge's commands will be different from organization to organization but for the most part you will un-rack the bar and wait for the "squat" command from the center judge. There will be two more judges on the left and right.

You take the squat into the hole and break parallel. This means that the corner of the hip joint, as it folds, has broken a horizontal plane determined by the apex of your knee in the flexed position. Your handler should let you know when you are there and you should have a good feel yourself.

Exercise Data
Main Muscle Worked: Quadriceps
Other Muscles Worked: Lower Back, Hamstrings, Calves, Glutes
Equipment: Barbell
Mechanics Type: Compound

Depth will vary with federation also. Some will pass close lifts at parallel and some want you well below. Drive it up and wait for the "rack" command and you are home free. Your lift will be validated or denied on a three light system. You have to have 2/3 to get a "good lift."

These lights will be white. Three white lights means that all three judges saw a clean lift that fell within their rules. Red lights are your sworn enemy and two or more will take that lift and throw it in the scrap heap. You get three attempts on each lift. If you get no recorded lift in three tries then the meet is over, so when picking your starting weight... choose wisely.

There is more to that and I will get into it in a bit. With the squat, as with all lifts in this sport, it is very important that you get familiar with the federation rules and abide by them.

This is also a great example of why going to meets and practicing live is worth its weight in gold even if you can't total what the other guy squats. Experience pays off and you can't replicate the feeling of being in front of three judges and an audience while training in the gym.


The Bench Press


The bench is next and this is a tough lift to get right. You have to pay careful attention to federation commands and rules. In a nut shell you:

Un-rack the weight
Pause and demonstrate control (self or by judge)
Control the weight down to touch the chest (it must always touch)
Pause at the chest (self pause or a judge given "press" command)
Press it up to an even lock out (both arms have to lock together even if the weight comes up uneven)


You will likely be told when you can rack it. Jump up and check the board and bask in the sunshine like glow of three white lights... hopefully. Bench shirts and bench technique, like all technique, take up several more articles and years of tuning so we'll leave this collection of words in the "primer" phase.

In all federations you are not allowed to bounce the weight and you must keep your glutes on the bench. Some will allow your head to come up and some won't.


The Deadlift


Grip it and rip it. The deadlift is the least fussy when it comes to rules. Don't stop, don't hitch (bounce-drag it up the thighs); get the full lockout (ankles, knees and hips locked and aligned) and DO NOT drop it. Chalk is the best and only option for your hands while your legs might enjoy some baby powder to reduce knurl friction.

Do not get any baby powder on your hands though. Babies are allowed to be slippery (although dropping them is frowned upon). Bars are not allowed to be slippery anywhere that your hands might go. You'll most likely get a "down" signal once the lift is deemed complete.

Keep your hands on the bar and let it down under control. The deadlift is also the only lift that allows you to use two completely different styles.

We have the conventional deadlift, which means the feet are closer together (approximately shoulder width or closer) and the hands are outside the knees.

The sumo deadlift uses a wide stance so the hands grip the bar between the knees. You have to find out for yourself which style fits your mechanics but each is a great training supplement to the other. The sumo pull allows for a shorter bar path and a more upright back position and is favored by leaner lifters with a strong posterior chain and adductors.


Heavier lifters (read: those with big bellies) with long legs, short torsos and long arms often favor the conventional deadlift. There are no rules as to which deadlift will work best for certain types of lifters so you just have to experiment. Records have been set using both styles and some people can use either with the same results.


Protocols


Training for powerlifting requires volumes of writing and I can say, as a powerlifting coach, that there are no guaranteed protocols that work for all of the people all of the time. Smart periodization is important but the absolute most important aspect of powerlifting training is technique.

If you do it wrong, you WILL get hurt. You can add far more poundage with sound technique than with any other method. I'll let you in on a little secret though.

There is one sure fire way to get stronger and continue breaking PR's (so long as you are careful and safe) and that is to train with someone better than you.

If you can find a whole group then that is even better, but you will never make better gains than while training with those who want the same things you do. We joke and poke fun at each other but that is the real reason that bodybuilders and powerlifters don't often train together. They are just not after the same things.

Train with someone who can teach and motivate you but also teach you how to push and challenge yourself. I can't give you a cookie-cutter routine as this would be a serious disservice nor will I pretend to be a guru and make one up for you. I will show you the path..