After raising kids want to achieve my life long goal of competing in a powerlifting meet. Don’t have a clue what to do or where to start. Worked for 5 years to reach a paused 350 lb bench, 435 lb squat , 510 dl, . I’m old at 45 and wondering if I’d be anywhere close to being competitive. 5’9 210 lbs.
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I’d give “Powerlifting Basics: Texas Style” by Paul Kelso a read. It will really set you up well.
Competing in a meet is easy: find one, sign up, pay the entry fee get a singlet, read the rulebook, show up for the weigh in, listen to the rules meeting, and go lift!
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Depends on the meet. A local one, probably. Nationals for a big federation, no. For the latter, something in the 1800-1900 lb total range is competitive (FWIW, I know a lifter in the 220 lb class that got 8th at raw nationals with a low 1800s total). For the former, I’ve gotten 1st in the 220 lb weight class with around what your total is.
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I agree with both of the above posts. Just do it man. With those lifts you will do more than fine at the local level.
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Thanks for the motivation. I guess it’s everyone’s fear of a first meet of looking like a child among men.
You’re 45, so I imagine you’ve completed some manner of formal education.
On day 1, you showed up to school and didn’t know ANYTHING. And there were people who had been going to school for years that knew SO much.
What coping mechanism did you employ in that scenario to allow yourself to continue going to school and learn?
That will work here.
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Sometimes in this situation, people recommend searching for a Local powerlifting meet that already happened. Then finding your class and checking out the winning total and comparing yourself to that.
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Very much different than competitive bodybuilding, powerlifting is a very welcoming group. Many will offer you help. They will encourage you. And yes, you will feel inadequate when you initially get there.
Hopefully, you will have someone with you who has competed in powerlifting before. It is nice to know what is expected of you before you get there. The rules are the rules. Once you start the lift you will be held to the rules. The first squat is the most nerve racking lift, providing you don’t get red lighted. There are a few things that you can do wrong actually doing a correct squat for gym rules, and get all three red lights. The two biggest beginners make: Squat before being told to squat, and racking the weight before being told to rack the weight. Of course the squat needs to be the depth that the federation of that meet requires.
- The opening attempts of every lift should be a weight that you can do two reps on a bad day at the gym.
- You will not be lifting in front of a mirror.
- There is a good chance that the benches and squat stands (or whatever they have) will feel awkward to you.
- The climate conditions might be much different than you are accustomed to lifting in.
I recommend to anyone wanting to improve their strength or physique to compete in powerlifting meets (not just one), to use for setting short term goals and reaching new competitive PR’s.
Even if not a high level competitive powerlifter, I would travel up to 4 hours to attend a meet. Of course, National meets are not where you start (not to mention you must have a qualifying total to enter.) But if you get good, the Masters division might be a reasonable long term goal to set for yourself.
I feel like I am just rambling on, but I consider my powerlifting foundation as one of the keys to the success that I had bodybuilding.
I wish you well. And I assure you, if you can keep an open mind, you will really enjoy the environment of the competition. The competitors cheer one another on to achieve a new PR. The first meet you attend, let the leadership of the meet know that you are a first time competitor. They can help guide you from making a technical mistake.
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You will not have a clue until you do your 1st meet. Each federation has a web site that lists upcoming meets. Pick one, register and do it regardless.
You do your first meet to learn and establish a baseline to build off of. What other lifters do does not matter. You’re doing the meet for you not them. Only competition lifts count.
I’ve seen a lady in her mid 70’s do her first meet.
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If you are looking for a simple and effective approach as a new powerlifter, I would strongly recommend 5thSet by Swede Burns.
His methodology is straightforward and will take you all way from setting up your training maxes, to running a peaking cycle for a meet and all the way to what to do after your first meet is done.
He also really pushes a lot of good habits that will benefit you in the long term. His style of programming can also be pretty flexible, which I imagine you would appreciate since you are a parent who probably doesn’t have endless hours to spend training during a week.
Once you have been training a bit, pick an organization, sign up for a meet, make a plan and stick to it.
Keep things simple at the start. Don’t worry about weight classes and competitive rankings. Just focus on getting on the platform and setting your first total.
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My son lifted at the local YMCA, but he and my other kids were available as spotters for me who lifts at home. My son entered a lifting meet he learned about at “The Y,” and there were some requirements…IIRC, you had to compete in a singlet be a member of whatever federation ran the meet (small fee). I wasn’t able to join him, competitive or not, due to needing a hip replacement.
Competitors could choose from clean, squat, bench press, and deadlift. There were many in the “masters class” (>age 50 maybe) who ONLY did bench press. It seemed very collegial, where everyone was encouraging to the others who shared their hobby/passion.
So, I suppose this is the long way of me telling you to check at the Y and see what stuff is coming up. Find out what the weight classes are, and maybe you’d just a few pounds from being able to bump down a class.
Are you competitive? I say: Compete with yourself, and enjoy your hobby of lifting. If doing a meet would be fun, give you something to train for specifically, and scratch an itch, go for it regardless of bringing home any hardware.
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Never done a powerlifting meet, though I’ve been to a few. BUT I’ve competed in dozens of athletic events of various kinds—sometimes on a total whim—and never regretted entering a single one of them. My sense is that the vibe in powerlifting, amidst the big beards and bellies and flying chalk, is incredibly supportive and positive. Every lifter knows what it takes to get on that platform. I think you’ll have a great time and make some pals and surprise and impress lots of folks—possibly yourself included. Go for it.