Powerlifting Competition/Competitors?

Mr_Knight

I was just messing around on the interwebz and stumbled across some powerlifting sites. Looking at the classifications, it appears I'm right on the cusp of being a "Class IV" lifter. I don't actually know what that means, lol, but then I saw that there is a regional competition locally.

So I'm thinking....maybe I should go compete!

And then I'm thinking...I don't have a coach, or a mentor, or even training buddies. Which means I don't have a clue what it means to lift "for real". I suppose, at some level, I don't even actually know if I'm doing the lifts correctly (everything I (think I) know I learned from YouTube).

So I'm reaching out to the MFP community - any of y'all have experience with this? Any advice? I have, like, four weeks until the meet, so I do have some time to decide whether or not I want to do this.

MisterDerpington

I actually had never heard of "class IV" before, but I looked it up, and found this:

http://www.southernpowerlifting.com/rawclass.php

Apparently, it's based on your lifting total (squat+bench+deadlift) and weight class. You may do a search for Powerlifting Gyms. I know when I was interested in it, it really helped to be around like-minded lifters. There's also a Powerlifting MFP group I believe.

ChrisLindsay9

I just participated in my first PL competition a couple of weeks ago. It was a lot of fun, so I definitely would recommend it to those who have some interest.

There's a lot of tips/suggestions, so I'll just name a few to get started.

First thing I would do is look for powerlifting competitions in your area. A website called powerliftingwatch.com should help you there. A quick google search for powerlifting and British Columbia yielded some decent results as well. If you find one, then I would go to it as a spectator - to get a feel for it. And you can probably find some competitors to ask questions/solicit advice (after they are done with their three lifts for that particular round). When I first went as a spectator, I really appreciated the camaraderie and support that everyone shows for each other.

Second thing is to get a trainer or coach, if needed, to help you with squat/bench/deadlift techniques. If not needed, then pick a competition at least a couple of months out that you can train for. And read up on articles about how to prepare for a powerlifting meet. There's some good advice there, that served me well,...in particular, how to taper your training and ultimately rest just prior to the competition.

Third thing is to get a coach or friend to help you with lifting to commands. You can find out what the commands are from the federation's rulebook. New competitors often will get a disqualification on a lift attempt because they started too soon or finished too early. So practice with commands a few times.

You may want to consider joining the powerlifting group here on MFP.: https://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/524-powerlifters (there were some other people who recently posted about their first powerlifting meets there). I'm sure you'll get some great advice there as well.

Do it! If you have even the slightest bit interest, then you will enjoy the experience. There's nothing like competing to help get those PRs. And training for a competition helps give you a little extra spark in the gym as well.