Any female power lifters out there??

Hezzietiger1
Hezzietiger1 Posts: 1,256 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I am thinking about training for a power lifting competition and I was just wondering if any girls here do???

I have a long way to go, but at 134 I bench 120, deadlift 205, and squat 165. I also do some olympic lifting but I'm not all that great yet.. exp. clean 105.

What are your pr's? How was your experience? Any thoughts or advice?

Replies

  • juliewatkin
    juliewatkin Posts: 764 Member
    I've been competing for over 5 years in the Canadian IPF affiliate.

    My advice is to compete asap. Don't wait around until you think you're good enough. You will meet a ton of people at a meet and it's the best way to start networking and meeting other people that compete. You will find that it's like a tight knit community.

    I did my first meet in September 2008. I just did my 18th this past September. In that time I have taken over our provincial association website (Ontario Powerlifting Association), become a member of our executive, run meets, assisted at meets, become a referee and been involved with our province's high school program. I'm not telling you this to say Yay, look at me. It's to let you know that most PL feds have a big community with a ton of people involved in competing and helping out. I met my husband through my team and made a ton of amazing friends.

    When you find a meet you'd like to do, make sure you know all the rules. Make sure you know what equipment and attire is acceptable. Our federation has strict rules governing dress and equipment and they are not flexible. Read the rules and understand what the commands are. If you can watch a meet before hand, it's a great idea to see what goes on and how things are run.

    I could go on and on and be even more boring but you get the gist :smile:

    Finally, my meet PR's are single ply equipped and are:
    squat: 145 kg (320 lbs)
    Bench: 80kg (176lbs)
    Deadlift: 165 kg( 364lbs)
    All at about 59kg (130lbs)
  • Hezzietiger1
    Hezzietiger1 Posts: 1,256 Member
    wow! Great pr's and great thoughts.. thank you. Well done, btw. Any idea what you were lifting way back when u first competed?
  • juliewatkin
    juliewatkin Posts: 764 Member
    My first meet I weighed in at 121lbs and competed unequipped. My numbers were:
    squat 80 kg (176lbs)
    Bench: 42.5kg (94lbs)
    Deadlift: 102.5kg (226lbs)

    My first meet was the most awesome feeling I'd had in a long time. I didn't post amazing number but the fact that I was able to get up on a platform and lift when I was terrified was a great feeling. It's that feeling that's kept me competing.

    Everyone was very welcoming and helped me out. Most meets have people helping everyone else. Although we compete with each other, every also has everyone elses back.
  • Hezzietiger1
    Hezzietiger1 Posts: 1,256 Member
    sweet. I like it. Thanks. I've been a pretty avid crossfitter, but my box also lifts heavy (my coach is a former power lifting competitor). I just feel like I have potential there as well as in crossfit competitions and I want to capitalize on it.

    Thanks for all your help.
  • HelloDan
    HelloDan Posts: 712 Member
    Can't help with the powerlifters, but can with the Olympic lifting.

    There are a few of my female friends on here who are weightlifters or do the Olympic lifts as part of their training, and I also train with some female weightlifters in real life. I'm also happy to talk about the olympic stuff myself, if being male doesn't disqualify me?
  • HeidiMightyRawr
    HeidiMightyRawr Posts: 3,343 Member
    I'm hoping to compete next month! :) It'll be my first one so I haven't really got any experiences yet though.

    PRS (currently at 144lbs)

    Bench: 60kg/132lbs
    Squat: 75kg/165lbs
    Deadlift: 110kg/242lbs
  • Hezzietiger1
    Hezzietiger1 Posts: 1,256 Member
    Yeh Dan... lets talk olympic lifts! I love olympic lifts lol, just not good at them yet. Getting better I think. My feet just are not fast enough once I get more weight than I can power up, I freak out a little lol.

    Awesome heidi, your #'s are a little more like I want mine to be when i first compete. My goal is body weight bench, 275# deadlift, and I don't know about the squat at this point.
  • HelloDan
    HelloDan Posts: 712 Member
    Do you have a coach?

    Get them to show you high hang snatches and cleans, and maybe drop snatches\cleans too.

    Most people pull the bar way too high, and for whatever reason, speed, fear, technique something else, they can't\don't get under the bar when it's pulled to a normal height. This is typically what separates good lifters, not that they are stronger in terms of pulling the bar, but they can get under a lower bar, so can put more weight on the bar. Obviously the elite guys and girls are at another level of strength, but when talking about your average gym goer.

    Check out Oleg Perepetchenov, he is insanely quick - http://youtu.be/Cc1cE7gzYfI?t=11s

    Then see him in slo-mo, he is under the bar, before gravity has overcome the momentum of his pull and the bar has started falling - http://youtu.be/P9zaajrJpLI

    Heidi - I forgot you had that comp coming up, do you have a target total in mind?
  • HeidiMightyRawr
    HeidiMightyRawr Posts: 3,343 Member
    Heidi - I forgot you had that comp coming up, do you have a target total in mind?

    It's mostly just to go in and do what I can do, seeing as I've never done one before and I have no idea what weights everyone else usually has. Got a few little goals in my head though for what would be good.

    Bench I'd like the same, (60kg) because I need to work on the pause so obviously that will make it a bit harder anyway.
    Squats, 80kg - my worst lift so improvements aren't that frequent but that's what I'd like to aim for!
    Deadlifts, 115-120kg.

    So 255kg total?
  • Hezzietiger1
    Hezzietiger1 Posts: 1,256 Member
    Do you have a coach?

    Get them to show you high hang snatches and cleans, and maybe drop snatches\cleans too.

    Most people pull the bar way too high, and for whatever reason, speed, fear, technique something else, they can't\don't get under the bar when it's pulled to a normal height. This is typically what separates good lifters, not that they are stronger in terms of pulling the bar, but they can get under a lower bar, so can put more weight on the bar. Obviously the elite guys and girls are at another level of strength, but when talking about your average gym goer.

    Check out Oleg Perepetchenov, he is insanely quick - http://youtu.be/Cc1cE7gzYfI?t=11s

    Then see him in slo-mo, he is under the bar, before gravity has overcome the momentum of his pull and the bar has started falling - http://youtu.be/P9zaajrJpLI

    Heidi - I forgot you had that comp coming up, do you have a target total in mind?


    Thanks. Yeh I have a coach. I crossfit. He is crossfit and olympic lift certified. He also used to compete in power lifting, so we have a good mix at our box of well rounded training. Right now my Clean PR is 105. Hit that last week. We follow a push/pull/push rotation on lifts. Push- strict press, push press, jerks, bench. Pull-deadlifts, cleans, snatches.. and we do a squat day Back, squat, overhead.. but a lot of times our squat day will be in combo with our pull day when we are working squat cleans. Make sense? I don't get a whole lot of work on any particular lift because as of right now my goal has been all around crossfit training. But I always get a day in of some shoulder work, bench, deadlifts (or clean, snatch pulls), squat cleans, and overhead squats at the moment b/c I'm working on it. I will definitely check out that video!
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    My first meet I weighed in at 121lbs and competed unequipped. My numbers were:
    squat 80 kg (176lbs)
    Bench: 42.5kg (94lbs)
    Deadlift: 102.5kg (226lbs)

    My first meet was the most awesome feeling I'd had in a long time. I didn't post amazing number but the fact that I was able to get up on a platform and lift when I was terrified was a great feeling. It's that feeling that's kept me competing.

    Everyone was very welcoming and helped me out. Most meets have people helping everyone else. Although we compete with each other, every also has everyone elses back.

    Not meaning to derail the thread, but just curious as to why you changed from raw to equipped and how different it is.

    I am entering my first PL competition in about 4 weeks at the ripe old age of 46. I have only lifted raw and will be competing raw. I am nervous and excited but have heard the same things with regard to everyone being really helpful and friendly.


    In answer to the question, my PRs are:

    Squat: 260lb
    Deadlift: 315lb (I did do 325lb but my grip slipped 2" from lock out...sooo annoying)
    Bench 160lb (not paused)

    I will be competing in the 148lb weight class. My PRs were set while 158lb and on a bulk so my current lifts are a bit shy of those numbers (I am currently at 146 -147lb and still at a deficit but reversing up). Bench will be off by even more as it was not paused.
  • SpecialSundae
    SpecialSundae Posts: 795 Member
    Not yet competing, but planning to enter a competition in April. I'm currently planning to compete unequipped in either the 57kg or 63kg class and my last tested 1RMs are:

    Squat: 85kg
    Bench: 50kg (although previously 52.5kg and I think it was a form issue)
    Deadlift: 90kg
    Total: 245kg

    That was 1 August after starting in late March/early April so I'm really hoping I can increase my total by at least 15-20kg before next April.
  • juliewatkin
    juliewatkin Posts: 764 Member
    My first meet I weighed in at 121lbs and competed unequipped. My numbers were:
    squat 80 kg (176lbs)
    Bench: 42.5kg (94lbs)
    Deadlift: 102.5kg (226lbs)

    My first meet was the most awesome feeling I'd had in a long time. I didn't post amazing number but the fact that I was able to get up on a platform and lift when I was terrified was a great feeling. It's that feeling that's kept me competing.

    Everyone was very welcoming and helped me out. Most meets have people helping everyone else. Although we compete with each other, every also has everyone elses back.

    Not meaning to derail the thread, but just curious as to why you changed from raw to equipped and how different it is.

    I am entering my first PL competition in about 4 weeks at the ripe old age of 46. I have only lifted raw and will be competing raw. I am nervous and excited but have heard the same things with regard to everyone being really helpful and friendly.


    In answer to the question, my PRs are:

    Squat: 260lb
    Deadlift: 315lb (I did do 325lb but my grip slipped 2" from lock out...sooo annoying)
    Bench 160lb (not paused)

    I will be competing in the 148lb weight class. My PRs were set while 158lb and on a bulk so my current lifts are a bit shy of those numbers (I am currently at 146 -147lb and still at a deficit but reversing up). Bench will be off by even more as it was not paused.

    When I started competing, our federation only had equipped as a classification. When most people started lifting, we started unequipped because there is so much to think about when you compete that adding gear on top of it, would only make it harder. Since then, our fed has added classic or unequipped lifting as a separate classification. I sill compete equipped because that's the total I've been chasing for years.

    Gear, (squat suits, bench shirts and deadlift suits) add lbs to your lifts. You could get as much as 100lbs on a squat or as little as 20 lbs depending on what the suit is or how technically proficient you are. They add an entirely different facet to the sport. In some ways, I consider unequipped and equipped lifting as two different sports.

    While it's exciting to get bigger numbers, it requires different work than competing raw. I don't train much in gear. I will start using it 6 weeks out from a meet. Because the weights are heavier, it's harder on your body. While my squat max was 320 in contest, I've gotten 355 in the gym. When you repeatedly put that amount of weight on a small body, it can beat you up. Mind you, I rarely max out raw either for exactly the same reason. You have more to worry about in contest. Does your gear fit the same as in training? Will you be able to get to depth in your suit? You can't compete without a handler because you need someone watching the line up and letting you know where you are, when to wrap your knees and to help get your straps up.

    For those planning to go to their first meet, I'd also recommend picking openers that are embarrassingly easy. Gym numbers are not competition numbers. There is a lot to remember. It is stressful and there are requirements you don't have in the gym. Are you squats deep enough? Is your bench paused? etc. I've done a lot more in the gym than I've ever done in competition.
  • juliewatkin
    juliewatkin Posts: 764 Member
    Not yet competing, but planning to enter a competition in April. I'm currently planning to compete unequipped in either the 57kg or 63kg class and my last tested 1RMs are:

    Squat: 85kg
    Bench: 50kg (although previously 52.5kg and I think it was a form issue)
    Deadlift: 90kg
    Total: 245kg

    That was 1 August after starting in late March/early April so I'm really hoping I can increase my total by at least 15-20kg before next April.

    Are you Canadian or European? You're using the IPF weight classes that still aren't regularly used in the States.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    ^^thank you, and thank you for the tips.

    Even though the federation I am competing in allows knee wraps for raw lifts, I have decided not to use them for my first meet for exactly those reasons. I am probably going to be flustered enough without trying to use something I am not used to using.
  • SpecialSundae
    SpecialSundae Posts: 795 Member
    Not yet competing, but planning to enter a competition in April. I'm currently planning to compete unequipped in either the 57kg or 63kg class and my last tested 1RMs are:

    Squat: 85kg
    Bench: 50kg (although previously 52.5kg and I think it was a form issue)
    Deadlift: 90kg
    Total: 245kg

    That was 1 August after starting in late March/early April so I'm really hoping I can increase my total by at least 15-20kg before next April.

    Are you Canadian or European? You're using the IPF weight classes that still aren't regularly used in the States.

    European (Scottish). I thought they were international classes, forgetting that the US might be different.

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