How to Start Powerlifting: A Beginner’s Guide to Getting Stronger
Powerlifting is becoming one of the most popular sports in the fitness industry. Even athletes from different sports are trying powerlifting, eventually becoming full time athletes! But whether you are an experienced athlete or new to lifting weights, the question becomes:
”How do I start powerlifting?”
To start powerlifting, it requires learning the sport, the expectations of the sport, and how to meet those expectations through specific regimens and protocol. Anyone can become a powerlifter, from novice to advanced athletes. However, just because you become a powerlifter doesn’t mean you’re automatically strong. But don’t worry, we will help you not only learn the sport, but how to become better!
What is Powerlifting?
Powerlifting is a strength sport that revolves around three main lifts: the squat, bench press, and deadlift. Each lift challenges different aspects of strength, with the squat focusing on lower body strength, the bench press on upper body strength, and the deadlift on full body strength and grip. The goal in powerlifting is to lift the maximum weight possible for a single repetition in each of these lifts, earning a lifting total to rank you based on your performance and division.
What is a Powerlifting Competition?
Competitions are structured to give athletes three attempts at each lift. This means a lifter will perform up to nine lifts in a meet, with the best successful lift in each category contributing to their total score. Scores are then used to rank individuals within their specific weight class and division to understand placing, points, and who gets a chance to stand on the podium.
Understanding these fundamentals is crucial for anyone looking to start powerlifting. By familiarizing yourself with the structure and objectives of this sport, you'll be better prepared to set realistic goals and track your progress.
But besides all the hype of powerlifting and competition, why would someone want to become a powerlifter?
Why Become a Powerlifter
Becoming a powerlifter offers a multitude of physical and mental benefits that extend far beyond simply lifting weights. Primarily, it's a proven method for increasing overall strength and enhancing body composition. Through structured training programs focusing on the squat, bench press, and deadlift, individuals can build muscle mass, improve bone density, and even boost metabolism. These physical improvements not only enhance athletic performance but also contribute to better overall health and longevity.
Mental Benefits
Mentally, powerlifting builds discipline and perseverance. It requires dedication to consistent training routines and abiding to proper form, which translates into improved self-discipline in all aspects of life. The challenges of progressively lifting heavier weights also build mental toughness, resilience, and confidence as individuals surpass previous personal bests and overcome plateaus.
As a father, I have witnessed my oldest son gaining these benefits and becoming not only a more disciplined person, but more persistent with his effort and never wanting to give up!
Social Benefits
Another great benefit to powerlifting is the supportive community it provides. Beyond the physical and mental benefits, powerlifting boasts a supportive and inclusive community. Whether you're a novice lifter or an experienced competitor, the powerlifting community offers camaraderie, encouragement, and opportunities for growth. Many lifters find lifelong friendships and mentorship within this community, where experienced athletes willingly share their knowledge and support newcomers in their journey.
The benefits of powerlifting are instrumental and desirable by anyone and everyone.
Types of Powerlifting
Powerlifting is generally divided into two main categories: raw and equipped lifting.
Raw powerlifting involves lifting without the assistance of supportive gear beyond basic equipment like a lifting belt, wrist wraps, or knee sleeves. This category emphasizes pure strength and technique, as lifters rely solely on their own muscular ability.
Equipped powerlifting utilizes specialized supportive equipment such as squat suits, bench shirts, and deadlift suits. These items aid in lifting heavier weights by providing additional stability and elasticity, allowing lifters to achieve higher numbers than they could raw.
Besides these two categories, there are also age classifications that allow you to compete against others on an equal playing field. These classifications are the youth, teen, junior, open, or masters division.
Does Powerlifting Have a Novice Division?
In competition, powerlifters might have the opportunity to be classified as a novice lifter. Most competitions have you to be classified as either a youth, teen, junior, open, or master lifter. This helps to level the playing field. Generally, the most competitive division is the open division. This classification has you competing against competitors aged 24-39 years old who are generally the strongest athletes.
If you’re wanting to compete in your first meet, its best to decide to do a local meet that typically hosts individuals who are newer to the sport and can start to understand expectations.
Setting Your Powerlifting Goals
One of the first things to do is set goals for performance. Establishing clear, achievable goals helps keep you motivated and focused on your training. Many novice lifters will start off by creating a long term goal of competing in their very first competition. But In order to compete, you probably need to hit some smaller goals along the way.
These short-term goals are also called “process goals” which means they are a part of the process to reaching your long term goals. Many people's short term goals have to do with how much they are lifting, and if they feel strong enough to compete.
This leads us to the next common question many ask themselves:
How Much Should I Be Lifting?
Determining how much weight to lift as a powerlifter varies based on individual strength levels and training background. Beginner powerlifters should begin with weights that allow them to perform lifts with proper technique without compromising form.
However, as a qualified strength coach, I tell athletes a good goal for powerlifting is to squat and deadlift twice their weight, and bench press their own weight. This is a great goal to achieve as a beginning lifter in order to advance yourself in the sport.
Essential Equipment for Powerlifting
For powerlifters, having the right gear is essential for both performance and safety. Essential equipment for any powerlifter includes lifting shoes, knee sleeves or wraps, wrist wraps, and a belt.
Lifting shoes provide a stable and solid base with a slightly elevated heel, which improves squat depth and overall stability during lifts. Some lifters would rather squat in flat shoes without heel support, but most beginner powerlifters benefit from heel support due to limited ankle mobility and hip strength.
Knee sleeves or wraps support the knee joint, offering compression and warmth that can enhance performance and prevent injuries.
Wrist wraps help stabilize the wrists during heavy pressing movements, reducing the risk of strain or injury.
A lifting belt is crucial for supporting the lower back and core, allowing for better intra-abdominal pressure and better posture for performance.
Other types of powerlifting, such as equipped powerlifting, involve the use of specialized equipment designed to provide additional support and enhance lifting performance. This includes briefs, squat suits, bench shirts, and deadlift suits.
However, current trends in powerlifting seem to favour raw versus equipped powerlifting.
Creating Your Training Plan for Powerlifting
A well-structured training plan is crucial for anyone aiming to succeed. One of the most effective and straightforward ways to set up a training program is to follow a 4-day split focusing on max effort days and dynamic effort days. This split helps prepare you for peak performance while preventing exhaustion in each training session. Here’s how you can structure your week:
Monday: Max Effort Lower (e.g., squat or deadlift)
Tuesday: Max Effort Upper (e.g., bench press)
Thursday: Dynamic Effort Lower (e.g., squat or deadlift variation)
Friday: Dynamic Effort Upper (e.g., bench press variation)
You do not have to follow the structure of this split. Many lifters exhaust themselves early into their career because they only want to lift heavy weights. However, in powerlifting, the focus should be on not only strength, but form and explosiveness as well.
Progressive Overload and Specificity
When following your workout split, it’s important to incorporate specific movements to gain specific results, and to overload these specific movements each week. Two fundamental principles of strength training that significantly impact lifters are progressive overload and specificity.
Progressive Overload
The principle of overload involves gradually increasing the amount of stress placed on the body during training. This means consistently lifting heavier weights or increasing the volume of your workouts. Progressive overload ensures that your muscles, tendons, and nervous system adapt and grow stronger over time. Without it, your strength gains will plateau.
Specificity
The principle of specificity states that training should be relevant and appropriate to the sport or goal you are aiming for. What this means is that your training should primarily focus on the squat, bench press, and deadlift, as these are the lifts performed in competition.
While accessory exercises and variations are important, the majority of your training should mimic the movements and conditions of a meet. This specificity ensures that the strength you build in training directly translates to improved performance in competition.
Organization of a Training Day
To maximize the effectiveness of your training sessions, it's essential to organize your training day properly. A well-structured training day typically starts with the main compound movement, followed by a primary variation exercise, and concludes with accessory exercises.
Main Compound Exercise
Start with the main compound movement of the day, such as the squat, bench press, or deadlift. Perform this exercise at a higher percentage of your one-rep max (1RM). The higher the percentage, the fewer reps you should do. For example, if you're lifting at 85% of your 1RM, you might perform 2-3 sets of 3-5 reps. This approach ensures that you're lifting heavy enough to stimulate strength gains and competition standards.
[Related: Bench Press Calculator: Calculate Your 1 Rep Max (1RM)]
Primary Variation Exercise
After the main lift, perform a primary variation of the compound movement that targets your specific weak points. For instance, if you struggle with the lockout on your deadlift, you might include block pulls or band resisted deadlifts. This variation exercise should also be performed at a moderately high intensity.
Accessory Exercises
Finish your training session with 2-3 accessory exercises with more volume that complement the muscles used in your main lift and target stabilizer muscles. These exercises help build overall muscle mass, improve muscular imbalances, and enhance stability. For example, if your main lift was the squat, accessory exercises might include hamstring curls, lunges, and core work.
Here’s an example of how a training day might look:
- Exercise A: Main Exercise – Squat, 2 sets of 3 reps at 85% 1RM
- Exercise B: Primary Variation Exercise – Pin Squat, 1 set of 3 at RPE9 and setting the pins at your sticking point
- Exercise C: Accessory Exercise – Romanian Deadlift, 3 sets of 10 reps
- Exercise D: Accessory Exercise – Single Leg Press, 3 sets of 12 reps per leg
- Exercise E: Accessory Exercise – Planks, 3 sets of 1-minute holds
By following a structured training plan, you can effectively build strength and improve your performance in powerlifting.
Preparing for Your First Powerlifting Competition
Preparing for a powerlifting competition requires a dedicated period of 12 to 16 weeks to ensure readiness on competition day. This time frame allows athletes to familiarize themselves thoroughly with the commands and rules of the sport, crucial for a successful performance.
A recommended starting point for aspiring powerlifters is to participate in local competitions. These events typically host fewer lifters, creating a supportive environment where athletes receive more personalized assistance and guidance from experienced peers. These competitions offer invaluable opportunities to refine techniques and begin mastering the intricacies of the sport.
Once you have picked a competition, it’s time to create a training program to help you improve your lifts for a big competition performance.
Sample Workout Program for a Beginner Powerlifter
Below is a sample four day split for someone who wants to start powerlifting. These workouts address the big three lifts of powerlifting, as well as provide instructions for how intense to perform each movement. This would be the type of program to use at the beginning of your preparation for competition.
Note: If you see numbers in a sequence, that means you are performing the lift with a specific tempo. For example, a “tempo pause squat 5-2-0” pertains to the three phases of the lift. The 5 means 5 seconds down, the 2 means a 2 second pause, and the 0 means 0 seconds up which implies performing it with speed.
Powerlifting Sample Day 1
Exercise Sets x Reps Rest (sec) Notes
Squats 2 x 5 180 Use 78% of your 1 rep max
Pin Squats 1” above parallel 1 x 3 NA Build up to a heavy set of 3 reps
Tempo Dumbbell RDLs 5-0-2 3 x 10 60 5 seconds down, 0 seconds up, 2 second squeeze of the glutes at lockout
Seated Leg Curls 2 x 12 60
Underhand Lat Pulldowns 3 x 20 60
Powerlifting Sample Day 2
Exercise Sets x Reps Rest (sec) Notes
Pause Bench Press 2 x 5 180 Use 78% of your 1 rep max
Pin Press 1” above chest 1 x 3 NA Build up to a heavy set of 3 reps
Incline Dumbbell Chest Flies 3 x 10 60
Seated Dumbbell Military Press 3 x 10 90
Rear Deltoid Flies 3 x 15 60
Powerlifting Sample Day 3
Exercise Sets x Reps Rest (sec) Notes
Pause Squats for Speed 3 x 3 120 Use 65% of your 1 rep max
Deadlifts 2 x 5 180 Use 78% of your 1 rep max
Barbell Bent Rows 5 x 8 60
Cable Lat Pulldowns 3 x 12 60
Glute Bridges 3 x 15 90
Beginning Powerlifting Day 4
Exercise Sets x Reps Rest (sec) Notes
Pause Bench Press for Speed 3 x 3 120 Use 65% of your 1 rep max
Close Grip Incline Press 2 x 10 120
DB Lateral Raises 5 x 12 60
Cable Hammer Curls 5 x 12 90
Use any attachment
Cable Tricep Pushdowns 3 x 20 60 Use any attachment
Common Mistakes Powerlifters Make
The most common mistakes of a beginning powerlifter are technical errors, overtraining, and unrealistic expectations.
Technical Errors
It's crucial to address common technical errors in powerlifting to optimize performance and minimize the risk of injury. Examples include improper depth in squats, improper bar path in bench press, and rounding of the back during deadlifts. Athletes should focus on mastering proper form through consistent practice and feedback from coaches or experienced lifters.
Overtraining
Overtraining poses a significant risk in powerlifting, leading to fatigue, decreased performance, and even injury. Athletes must recognize the signs of overtraining, such as persistent fatigue, irritability, and lack of progress despite increased effort. Listening to one's body, incorporating adequate rest periods, and following a balanced training program are essential for long-term success.
Unrealistic Expectations
Setting realistic goals is fundamental for maintaining motivation and progress in powerlifting. Unrealistic expectations, such as expecting rapid strength gains or comparing oneself to elite lifters, can lead to frustration and demotivation. Athletes should establish achievable short-term and long-term goals based on their current abilities and training consistency. Celebrating milestones along the way reinforces positive reinforcement and enhances overall performance.
Wrap Up
Starting your powerlifting journey involves understanding the fundamentals, setting realistic goals, and committing to structured training. By mastering technique, avoiding overtraining, exercising patience, and maintaining realistic expectations, beginners can progress steadily.
Whether you're considering your first competition or simply aiming to improve strength and fitness, the principles outlined in this guide provide a solid foundation. Embrace the challenge, listen to your body, and enjoy your journey into powerlifting!
