Powerlifting, what is it and how do you start?

Powerlifting, you have probably heard of this rapidly growing sport. Nevertheless, many people still don't have a clear idea of what the sport entails and what makes it so attractive to many. In this blog, I will show you all the ins and outs of the sport, to hopefully give a better picture of the powerlifters who take all the weight plates in use at your local gym.

What is powerlifting?

To explain what powerlifting actually is, I like to use a comparison with another sport. Let's take football as an example. Football is a sport where you train several times a week and develop skill and fitness to then use this in a match, usually on the weekend, to win against your opponents. What happens during training actually doesn't matter, as long as you are better than your opponent in a match.

In such a competition, everyone gets a total of 9 attempts to move weight, 3 for each lift. Squat goes first, followed by bench press, and to finish it all off, there is the deadlift. Referees are present to determine if each lift is performed correctly, and commands are given to make the playing field as fair as possible. For each lift, the attempt in which you moved the most weight counts. The highest attempts of each lift are added together in a total.

The one with the highest total wins the competition.

Just like in soccer, you can also “recreationally” powerlift. For example, you can do a friendly competition (a mock meet) or not compete at all and just train to get stronger in the squat, bench press, and deadlift.

If you mainly use the squat, bench press, and deadlift for muscle growth or include them in your routine because you enjoy the exercises, this is often called “powerbuilding.”

How do you start powerlifting?

In theory, you could start powerlifting by walking into a gym and going to squat, bench press, or deadlift.

Chances are you already include these three compounds in your training routine, but if you want to focus on moving as much weight as possible, your training will fundamentally differ from that of, for example, a bodybuilder.

There is a lot of information and training programs available online in the context of powerlifting. This is, of course, a fine way to begin your powerlifting journey. The programs found online are inexpensive or sometimes even free and can offer a good insight into what a powerlifting routine looks like.

To fully realize your potential or simply make a great start, it is always recommended, just like in any other sport, to work with a coach.

A coach is there to provide you with a good training program, advice on technique, and to help determine a strategy for competition day.

To truly utilize all your potential strength, much more is involved than just a good training program and proper nutrition. Fortunately, there are many people within the community who want to help guide you.

What should you pay attention to when you start powerlifting?

Starting powerlifting can be quite overwhelming. There is a lot of information available on the internet and many people giving all kinds of different advice.

So keep it as simple as possible.

Start with an online program from a reputable source and try to follow it as consistently as possible. An even better first step would be to start working with a coach right away. The value of a coach is often underestimated. By delegating most things, you can simply focus on enjoying your training!

Beyond these initial steps you could take, there are two things that are always important:

Train sub-maximally:

To get stronger, it is not necessary to train extremely heavy and exhaust yourself completely every session. In fact, it often has the opposite effect. To get stronger, you want to work within certain percentages of your 1RM, within specific rep ranges. That's why it's important not to lift too heavy. Doing so only drains your body and ensures you can't train optimally in the next session.

You want to maintain as much momentum as possible after each training, so you get a little stronger every week.

The weight you lift in a training session doesn't matter. You want to make yourself as strong as possible, whether that's for an official competition or a mock meet.

Focus on technique:

When you start powerlifting, chances are you want to start throwing heavy weights right away. And rightly so! However, you don't want to rush too much and lose focus on technique.

Lifting heavy weights is not bad, but you want to make sure you at least have the basic technique under control.

This helps you prevent a lot of future injuries.

Pros and cons of powerlifting

Every sport has its pros and cons, and so does powerlifting.

Disadvantages:

• Although you naturally get stronger and build quite a bit of muscle, powerlifting leaves quite a bit to be desired in terms of muscle growth.
• The squat, bench press, and deadlift are great exercises for muscle growth, but not always the best in every case. When your technique is not optimal, the risk of injury is much higher than with other more conventional “bodybuilding-focused” exercises.
• In addition, these three compounds are much more taxing on both your body and your central nervous system, which means you will ultimately need more recovery than with most bodybuilding-focused exercises. This also means you can do far fewer sets per muscle group, so muscle growth will not always be optimal. Of course, this can be combined well, but if the focus is solely on muscle growth, powerlifting is not always the first thing I would recommend.

Benefits: 

• A big advantage is of course that you become incredibly strong from powerlifting. Who doesn't dream of lifting three times their body weight off the ground?
• I can therefore guarantee that your self-confidence will skyrocket through powerlifting.
• There is also a community around powerlifting that supports each other enormously, so you will build a lot of new connections that you might never have had otherwise.
• Pushing yourself to the limits is of course central, and powerlifting is for many people a way to continuously improve each other and themselves as a person, even outside the gym.

 Accessories for powerlifting

Maybe you've watched a powerlifting competition or know someone who does powerlifting. Then you also know that powerlifters are notorious for the enormous gear they drag into the gym day in, day out.

All materials and accessories used in powerlifting serve to allow the lifter to move as much weight as possible.

Every kilo counts on competition day, so it would be a shame not to use the best possible equipment.

The most important accessory used by powerlifters is the belt.

Contrary to what many people think, a belt is NOT meant to protect your back.

• A belt by itself will not provide stability. You have to create this stability yourself by tightening your core. With a sturdy belt around your waist, you can create even more tension by properly tightening your core.

This ensures that you can ultimately deliver more power and therefore move more weight.

Wrist wraps, also called wrist bandages, are indispensable for many lifters in the squat and bench press.

• First of all, the bandage provides support to your wrists so they do not bend excessively during the lift.
• Secondly, wrist wraps provide a certain degree of compression. This is experienced as very pleasant by many lifters because it gives more confidence in the wrist joint and allows you to grip the bar extra hard.

Knee sleeves, like wrist wraps, provide a certain degree of compression on the joint.

• This ensures that the joint stays well warm, reducing the chance of injuries significantly.
• Knee sleeves also often ensure that the lifter has more confidence, allowing him or her to move more weight.
• Knee sleeves also contain quite a bit of elastic capacity, which can give a little extra power in the squat.

Lifting straps are not allowed in (official) competitions, but can be of great added value in training.

• For many lifters, grip during training is the limiting factor in the deadlift. It would be a shame if you can't do a number of repetitions because your grip gives out halfway through the set.
• To get the most out of your training, it can therefore be useful in some cases to use lifting straps for the extra grip. This allows you to train maximally without being dependent on your own grip for heavier sets.

I would always recommend competition athletes to train with lifting straps as little as possible, because you will have to do without them in a competition, but if you have to do sets of multiple repetitions, your grip will sooner or later not be able to keep up and in that case it is an indispensable accessory.

If you don't plan to compete, you can of course use lifting straps to really get everything out of your training.

Frequently asked questions about powerlifting

Do you have to be strong to participate in a powerlifting competition?

No, every competitive powerlifter started somewhere. It's best to put your ego aside and gain experience with competitions as soon as possible; then future competitions will go much better once you've built more strength.

How do you start powerlifting?

Anyone can go to the gym and start powerlifting! You can start with a program you found online. If you really want to make big progress right away and get the most out of it, you can also start working with a coach immediately.

Can you combine powerlifting with muscle building?

Yes! Getting stronger will always go hand in hand with building muscle. Additionally, you can decide how much you want to focus on strength or muscle building. A combination of these is often called powerbuilding.

What equipment do I need for powerlifting?

To start powerlifting, you don't need any equipment. A powerlifting belt, wrist wraps, straps, and knee sleeves can help you utilize all your potential strength. Thor Athletics offers high-quality equipment at an accessible price.

Which training program should I follow for powerlifting?

You can start powerlifting with a program you found online. Of course, it should include the squat, bench press, and deadlift. Other exercises can help develop these lifts. For a specialized program tailored to your wishes and needs, you can always consult a coach.

I hope you found this blog helpful and that you have a better understanding of what powerlifting is and how to get started. 

If you have any questions or are looking for someone who can help you reach your maximum potential and set PRs on PRs, just send me a message on Instagram @stijnschoonhoff or feel free to send me an email stijn@growcoach.nl