Are you doing the Potomac Open push/pull in Virginia? Thinking about getting in on that.
lt1powerd, i wouldn’t worry about it. your lifts are plenty strong enough to be respectable. think of it this way - all you can do is step onto the platform and give it your all. there are very few among us who are so strong that there isn’t a freak out there who could show up and totally blow your best total out of the water.
challer1, definitely aiming to compete at the potomac push/pull. i am in MD. are you in the area?
I had a meet a few weeks ago. Full meet; competed RAW in the 148lb class. I did something VERY stupid…cut about 7 lbs to try and win the state championship in my weight class. My results are as follows:
squat: 325 (just missed 340)
bench: 235
deadlift: 402
My advice would be this: Do NOT cut weight…unless you are going for a record. I turned a potentially great day (i still put up decent numbers even though I was drained) into a mediocre one because I was so spent from being below my natural body weight for so long.
[quote]anthonycyee wrote:
lt1powerd, i wouldn’t worry about it. your lifts are plenty strong enough to be respectable. think of it this way - all you can do is step onto the platform and give it your all. there are very few among us who are so strong that there isn’t a freak out there who could show up and totally blow your best total out of the water.
challer1, definitely aiming to compete at the potomac push/pull. i am in MD. are you in the area?[/quote]
Yeah, I am also from Maryland. From the northern part though, so it’s a bit of a hike for me… and I’m starting a new job soon so I probably wouldn’t be able to take off the Friday of, so I’m still not sure what I’m going to do - I wouldn’t be able to make an evening weigh-in (if they have one). Might get a hotel room in the area and drive down Friday night or something along those lines.
[quote]lt1powerd wrote:
Is there a standard for what type of numbers you should be putting up to have a chance? It would be fun to compete, but I have no idea where I stand.
Right now I’m weighing in around 185lbs, and 24 years old. All my lifts are raw. How much work do I need to do so I don’t embarrass myself?
Dead:445
Squat:335
Bench: 265[/quote]
Like anthony said, your numbers are respectable. And, it’s your first meet, so things are a lot different than maxing in a gym. In all of my meets, I just try to improve. If I do really well in the overall or not, I bested my previous best. I can’t effect what others do, nor would I want to. I do meets for the internal struggle of being better than I was.
As far as embarrassing yourself, the only way that would happen is if you flashed someone unintentionally. The crowd, no matter how big or small support you, not your total. The biggest cheers I have had were in my first meet with a 430 squat and a 480 deadlift, it kind of freaked me out. But, that’s when I understood about how so many people consider powerlifters a family.
i agree with undesired. it is a family atmosphere - very positive. no one wants you to fail, not even the guys that are in your weight class. at my first meet, my buddy missed his first two squats on depth, and another guy in the same age/weight came up and encouraged him to make sure to get in the hole.
this is very different from any other sport i’ve played, where you root against everyone and cheating is gamesmanship. years ago, i was a pretty good tennis player. the running joke for calling your lines was “when in doubt, call it out.”
at my second meet, my 2nd DL was a then PR 370. it was hard. on my last lift, i fought through and locked out 390. after it was over, a judge came over to me and said that my last DL was the best lift of the meet (even though it was far from the heaviest, even in my weight class). the judge admitted that he didn’t think i had a prayer to pull 372, much less 390. he said that’s what PLing is all about - give it everything and never give up.
truth be told, i couldn’t have lifted an additional gram on that last lift…
Thanks for the advice guys! Sounds like I should find a competition around Cincy and sign up. Is there a listing of all the meets around an area somewhere? Is there a specific type of meet I should search for?
I third what the other guys are saying, there is nothing like powerlifting for a family atmosphere, i can’t think of another sport where your competition is helping you with your gear, last minute advice in the warm up room, wrapping your knees, helping with commands, everyone is there to help everyone, it is a great time. If your still on the fence, go to a meet as a handler, spotter, loader and by the end of the day you’ll be convinced.
you could try going to www.powerliftingwatch.com they have a lot of meet postings and federation listings. I’d suggest looking around your area and see if you can find some other guys who compete and look into that federation so you have local suport and guys to train with.
[quote]lt1powerd wrote:
Is there a standard for what type of numbers you should be putting up to have a chance? It would be fun to compete, but I have no idea where I stand.
Right now I’m weighing in around 185lbs, and 24 years old. All my lifts are raw. How much work do I need to do so I don’t embarrass myself?
Dead:445
Squat:335
Bench: 265[/quote]
Granted I don’t have a lot of experience but I’ve been to a few meets. I’ve never seen anyone get disrespected at a meet. I’d say go for it which is what I’m doing. I’ve never competed and as far as I can tell I’m not nearly as strong as some of the guys I’m up against.
From what I understand most people know that everyone starts somewhere and will respect your lifts. I’m looking at this first meet as a learning process. I am going to give it my best but I’m not going to be upset If I don’t put up spectacular numbers.
On the USA Pl web site there is a rating system. It has elite status, and then it goes from class 1-4 I think. So that might give you an idea of where you stand. Also, you can look at old meet results. I did that and I am well aware that my lifts are not competitive at this point but as others have said it’s a learning process.
basically you have nothing to lose by giving it a try. It’s usualy about 45-50 bucks to compete plus a federation card wich is about $50.
Exactly, everyone respects you busting your ass and doing the best you can, no matter what the weight, if you putn your heart into everyone from the spotters to the farthest people in the back of the crowd will see and be cheering you on. It’s about doing the best you can.
[quote]lt1powerd wrote:
Is there a standard for what type of numbers you should be putting up to have a chance? It would be fun to compete, but I have no idea where I stand.
Right now I’m weighing in around 185lbs, and 24 years old. All my lifts are raw. How much work do I need to do so I don’t embarrass myself?
Dead:445
Squat:335
Bench: 265[/quote]
Those are very close to my raw numbers. I’ve competed twice and finished 4/5 and 3/6 in the two meets I’ve done. The first was raw while the 2nd was in gear.
Really it just depends on who shows up. You won’t be above average, but you won’t be the worst lifter either and certainly have nothing to be embarrassed about.
As I have posted on here before, my first meet is in Anchorage on 11/21/09 and under USAPL rules.
Of the 6+ years of training, about 2/3rds of it was for wrestling (high rep bent rows, deadlifts, powercleans, ect.)so this is a very new experience for me.
for my first meet I am hoping for this
Weight class: 148
Squat (raw): 275
Bench (raw): 210
Deadlift (equiped): 405
As you can see, my deadlift is pretty high (even raw it would be like 360 or 370) compared to my squat, which is fucking WEAK! Mostly due to the fact that there was like a 2 year gap of no squating and mostly deadlifting and powercleans.
Its my under standing that you can get away with this set up (squat/bench raw and dead in gear) and they would count the whole thing as being “equiped” but just so that I get the record straight, can I do this under USAPL rules.
Also, Ive noticed that USAPL doesn’t use a monolift and you have to walk out with the bar, how far/how many steps can you take. I tend to squat with a wide stance.
Edit: I also plan on beating the 148lb deadlift state record @ 523.5 by state champs 2011.
I was the same way, my deadlift was very strong from working rigs and picking up heavy stuf al the time but my squat was brutal, 300 lb difference. Once i learned to sit back into my hammies it helped alot.
I was planning on completing in NASA Colorado Regional on Nov 14. Was on course to open with 507, 320, 524 (lbs), but strained a Hammie monday pulling. I doubt I’ll be able to compete now.
DSG, you should check out the USAPL rule book to be sure. In general, you should stay as close as you can to the squat stands. Don’t waste too much energy backing out with the bar on your back. I only go about 1 step back, but I haven’t lifted in USAPL…
[quote]reddog6376 wrote:
I was planning on completing in NASA Colorado Regional on Nov 14. Was on course to open with 507, 320, 524 (lbs), but strained a Hammie monday pulling. I doubt I’ll be able to compete now.[/quote]
Ditch NASA and come lift with me at the USAPL a couple of weeks later!
[quote]dsg wrote:
Its my under standing that you can get away with this set up (squat/bench raw and dead in gear) and they would count the whole thing as being “equiped” but just so that I get the record straight, can I do this under USAPL rules.
Also, Ive noticed that USAPL doesn’t use a monolift and you have to walk out with the bar, how far/how many steps can you take. I tend to squat with a wide stance.
[/quote]
If you do everything raw, but wrap your knees, you’re equipped in USAPL. You can do a lift raw, but if one of your three is at all equipped, you’re counted as equipped for the entire meet.
Walk it out as little as possible. I unrack, and try to do no more than right foot back, left foot back, right foot reset if necessary. Unracking takes a lot of energy, and you should practice this before your meet.
[quote]pushmepullme wrote:
reddog6376 wrote:
I was planning on completing in NASA Colorado Regional on Nov 14. Was on course to open with 507, 320, 524 (lbs), but strained a Hammie monday pulling. I doubt I’ll be able to compete now.
Ditch NASA and come lift with me at the USAPL a couple of weeks later![/quote]
NASA has been bery bery good to me. I plan on doing a USAPL meet one of these days, but I doubt I’ll be healthy by Dec.
[quote]undesired08 wrote:
I’m debating on whether or not to wear knee wraps. I will decide on my openers after next week, but I am leaning towards 515/370/500.[/quote]
I have the answer for you: No belt, no knee wraps. 
[quote]reddog6376 wrote:
pushmepullme wrote:
reddog6376 wrote:
I was planning on completing in NASA Colorado Regional on Nov 14. Was on course to open with 507, 320, 524 (lbs), but strained a Hammie monday pulling. I doubt I’ll be able to compete now.
Ditch NASA and come lift with me at the USAPL a couple of weeks later!
NASA has been bery bery good to me. I plan on doing a USAPL meet one of these days, but I doubt I’ll be healthy by Dec.
[/quote]
Don’t worry, I won’t be either. That’ll be the fun of it!