Q & A: When Should I Sign Up For a Meet?
The decision to register for your first Powerlifting meet, should not be made lightly- nor overanalyzed to the point of preventing you from doing it. It can be a big deal, a monumental day that you’ll remember for the rest of your career- but there may not be as many barriers to entry as you initially perceive. The beauty of Powerlifting is that it provides an athletic experience for all, even those previously lacking in that category, who may have never seen themselves taking on this pursuit. All who feel inclined to participate can benefit from the experience- as competitive sport transcends to other areas of life & deepens your character internally. While there may be fear and self-doubt in the process- those aspects should not inhibit you from taking a step forward. The goal within this post is to outline the reality of the competitive process, what it entails & what’s required, how you can shift your life to allow for that, and break the limiting beliefs that unnecessarily restrict you from embarking on this journey.
Here are five fundamental questions to ask yourself when determining whether to sign up for a meet:
How long have you been training for?
Your training age is generally (but not always) indicative of your strength level, consistency, and technical standard- all of which precede your Powerlifting success. When categorizing your training time, only count the portion spent on Powerlifting- because that specificity is important. Casually lifting in the gym is different from practicing these lifts for maximal strength.
If you’ve been Powerlifting for less than three-six months, you’re probably not quite ready to compete. While it can still be a fun & valuable experience during this time, you’re most likely better off waiting a little longer- when you’ve got more reps under your belt. Even if you’ve established a solid understanding of the lifts & technique behind them- the process of struggling for progress & truly feeling like you’ve built something- will make you a better athlete. Lifting in the gym vs. on a competitive platform are very different environments. Give yourself adequate time to prepare for that.
That said, you don’t need to go so far in the other direction- where you’re waiting until you’re “strong enough” to compete- a false target that you can chase indefinitely, hindering you from gaining the necessary experience to become a good competitor. You want to have some level of readiness, demonstrating the mandated qualities- but you will also learn a lot from the experience itself, and throwing yourself into that pursuit will benefit you.
With this in mind, I would recommend athletes have at least ~6 months to a year of training time- on the day of competition, depending on lifting history, athletic background, training consistency, and technical proficiency. I’ve had athletes enter a meet after only Powerlifting for six months total- and had very successful performances- if anything, having that low-stakes, no-expectations first experience is a great baseline to build from, helping you long into your career.
2. What are your current technical standards in the competition lifts?
Building off that last point, the primary precursor to competing in Powerlifting- is the technical standards. You get to control the weights you lift on meet day. Learning the commands is a relatively fast process, and your handler will take care of most details- but these movements are a learned pattern within your body. If that ingrained practice doesn’t exist yet, it will take time to build. Especially in an uncontrolled environment, you can only rely on those motor patterns from the continuous reps you’ve performed- you tend to black out and forget the little things. No one wants to miss a rep due to something technical, especially for their first experience in this sport. Set yourself up to ensure that doesn’t happen, and be honest with where you’re at.
If you’re consistently:
squatting to depth, at both low and high percentages,
Able to fully lock out squats/deadlifts in the correct position,
benching with pauses while keeping your butt down,
deadlifting with clean, smooth lockouts-
You’re probably in a good place. These are the predominant technical faults and ones that generally take more time to correct. So, know that if your lifts match the rulebook’s outlines, that’s most of the preparation you need. Again, for a first meet, how much you’re lifting doesn’t matter- but how those lifts look- does.
3. How does your life align with the timeline of this meet? Can you commit to something like this right now?
Once you’ve determined your training consistency level & proficiency in doing so, the next progression is to set a date and one that makes sense with your phase of life.
Powerlifting doesn’t demand exorbitant amounts of time, energy, and planning- but it is a commitment you may need to adapt your lifestyle to. These requirements are:
basic level of proper nutrition: eating protein throughout the day, fueling with carbs before training sessions,
fundamental aspects of stress management- decent sleep, outlets for yourself, recovery,
training ~3x/week for about an hour (maybe up to 1.5 hours) each,
additional time/energy in the last couple of weeks given to the gym, slight sacrifices made elsewhere.
Especially as a beginner, you don’t need to overly fixate on mastering these points at once- you are going out there to have fun & learn from it. This meet will not be your last- and anything you do is an opportunity to improve next time.
Yet, objectively assess where you’re at in life. If you’re currently- feeling burnt out, working overtime, moving, dealing with a severe loss, taking on additional stressors, and whatnot- the stress of a new experience may become more negative than positive. Powerlifting, as a hobby sport, should add to your life rather than restrict it- and to ensure that’s the case, you want to choose a schedule that you can realistically commit to. If you can't give it the time & brain space that it deserves, you’ll begin to resent it, feeling disappointed in the outcome.
Powerlifting doesn’t require much planning or bandwidth, but it does take up some- so check in with your capacity and choose a meet that aligns with your life. Prep is about a 2-3 process- and most people compete about 1-2x/year. With so many meet options, you can likely find one that suits your individual timeline.
4. Do you have a coach yet?
Especially as a newbie, going about this process alone will significantly increase your chances of making rookie mistakes, feeling less than prepared, and not having the meet you want. In all areas of life, when we’re embarking on something we know little about- we outsource, right? Do the same here. Having a handler who knows you on a deep level, understands your body & your experience, and has seen you perform countless reps- is a crucial component of your meet-day success. You will feel far more supported in the process, with someone to help manage the little details you don’t have the brain space to take care of. Your coach will create a roadmap to adequately prepare your body & mind for this day- with the time you have and where you’re starting from. An experienced professional will know how to do so with a guaranteed return on investment, and that’s what you’re looking for when going into uncharted athletic territory.
So, if you do not have a coach, I would suggest finding one you align with- before (or at the time of) signing up for a meet. At the very least, they can help you determine your openers, equipment needs, practice commands, and technique- the most fundamental questions for a new competitor. You can go about it on your own, and there are resources to do so- but having a coach will reduce the uncertainty & trial-and-error of that process.
5. What are your goals in this experience? What is your reason for signing up, or hesitations to do so?
The final question to ask yourself before signing up for a meet is both- why do you want to, and why do you not want to?
If you’ve got some reservations, those may be valid reasons to push it off, or they may be preconceived notions you can work through. I highly recommend having this open conversation with an experienced coach (or teammate) to decipher which category that falls into- and how you can best move forward in your unique journey.
Some of the most commonly stated barriers include:
"I’m not strong enough.”
"It’s intimidating.”
"I don’t see myself as an athlete.”
"I don’t know if I can commit to this.”
"My lifts aren’t at that standard yet.”
Potential costs (addressed below)
“I don’t think I’ll perform well.”
Some of these concerns were addressed prior, but I think it’s immensely helpful to know what the experience looks like. Many perceived hindrances come from a lack of understanding- and not realizing how inclusive Powerlifting can be. Especially at local meets, you’ll see competitors of all ages, strength levels, genders, etc. participating. Discrimination and exclusion exist on some level, but we see those gaps beginning to dissipate over the years. Anyone from 80-year-old grandmas squatting an empty barbell- to 13-year-olds chasing records- collectively experience meet day together- it’s really beautiful. We can all unite in pursuing strength, self-development, and the empowerment to derive from that.
As far as lack of strength, there’s this belief that if you could lift the plates in the gym- you’d be the best Powerlifter out there. But, as mentioned, lifting in the gym and on the platform are very different. By gaining meet-day experience, you become a better competitor- which is the goal of engaging in this sport over time, yes? Moreover, the lessons that come from that- the process of struggling for something that tests you, putting yourself in that vulnerable place, having the opportunity to celebrate and showcase your strength, the objective data of your improvement- far outweigh any possible negative outcomes. You derive a lot from it, strengthening yourself from the inside out in a way that you can't replicate from maxing out in the gym.
Sport is different: it changes you, shapes you, and can transform you if you let it. It can bring up aspects of yourself you didn’t know existed- and present a canvas to begin outlining your path forward- in its own space, separate yet intertwined with all areas of life. I’ve witnessed it in a variety of athletes and myself. Powerlifting allows that athletic experience to a broader array of people than most sports- and we all can benefit from experiencing that in some capacity- within our lives.
I cannot impose goals upon anyone else- but I will say that going into your first meet with the idea of “winning a medal,” “reaching the highest DOTS score,” or “being the best competitor possible” is faulty and has soured athletes’ perspectives on the sport much time. You only have your current experiences to draw from, and if your baseline is zero, how can you expect to beat everyone else- with more wisdom and knowledge than you? Many of the outcomes of this sport- on a beginner level- are intrinsic vs. extrinsic, and it’s a lot more individualized than you may think. Once you’ve been competing for a couple of years, and/or have a DOTS score of, say, at least 350, you can start looking around at your competition and conceptualizing it with that goal. But when you’re first getting started, you are a small fish in a sea of masses, all with their own backgrounds and training plans they’re bringing to this. Focus on your own. Focus on beating yourself, being better than you were when you started, and going out there looking like a competitor.
Show how prepared you are,
The trust you've built in yourself & this practice,
Where all of that consistency has led you to,
How far you’ve come from when you first began,
Those are the important aspects that will actually lead to a successful meet. You may not even hit any PRs, and that’s okay. Everything you do on the platform is a “platform” PR, and that’s your focus on the first day. Simply replicating your gym lifts with the standards & judging of Powerlifting is a significant accomplishment. It’s an observable insight into your progression from the beginning, graduating to official athlete status, and that should be the only achievement you need. The numbers are far less important when you’re just beginning- it’s about the experience itself. And that’s something that you will learn increasingly over time, with more meets in your history.
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We do not believe that finances/access to resources should be a barrier to compete- and we have options here at Ironside for those looking to do- so who may not have the means otherwise. Belts/meets/knee sleeves/coaching can all be very expensive, especially in the state of events/most people’s financial situations, which is a severe restriction to participation. We seek to help mitigate that as much as we can. If you are interested, please reach out so we can figure out how to make this work for you:
gabidixsonstrong@gmail.com & nataliesmithstrength@gmail.com,
gains@ironsidetraining.com
