I’m fairly new to powerlifting. Always like moving heavy weights in the gym but was always concerned with bodybuilding In fact, 6 months ago when I got back into the gym, I had planned on doing a show, but fell hard for powerlifting.
Anyhow, I plan on doing a meet in October here in Florida, but am extremely worried about how competitive my lifts will be. Doing it more as a first meet type experience but still want to win, obviously. Ha
I’m 180lbs, my lifts are 315 bench, 365 squat, and a 450 dead. I Will have my squat at 405 and dead over or at that 500 mark by then. They ain’t the biggest, but now with my all my focus and effort geared towards power lifting I reckon I can bring them to the desired weights I just listed. This is my first post on here and I apologize if it’s a stupid question. Been hunting for results all over and can’t come up with any solid answers to what my lifts should be to be considered competitive. Maybe any of y’all that have some advice on what I should expect would be cool also.
It’s not a stupid question. It’s also a very, very common question to which the answer is:
It doesn’t matter. Not one bit.
For what it’s worth, your lifts are just fine for your weight at a first meet. Depending on the size of the meet and how many guys in the 182s there are that are stronger than you, you may place or you may come near the bottom.
Your bench is actually really quite good for your weight. If you do get your squat and DL to where you want, you will have a very respectable total. When with your current numbers it’s pretty good.
10-4. Thanks for your response. The guy I workout with, who’s in the Jr division, is exactly my weight but crushes my lifts, except bench, so had me nervous.
There’s always one. One of the local guys where I compete is in the 165s and beats all my lifts (I think I’m close to him in the squat) and I’m in the 220s.
The great lifters will tell you (at least the wise ones) to take your time and continue training in such a fashion that allows small increases over time - that’s what adds up to a big total. Instead of thinking you’ll be doing 500 in the deadlift by October, set your training cycle up to hit 475. If the training cycle is set up to hit 475, you set yourself up to accomplish an attainable goal at the time and your confidence continues to go up. Then the next cycle try for 500. When you get greedy is when you end up failing and become discouraged. Stay the course - Stay the plan. Do not deviate even on the days when everything is clicking and feels great.
Powerlifting is a lot of hard work. Better to make smaller jumps and goals over the course of a long time if you plan on doing this a long time than to try and have it all now. That’s a mistake so many lifters getting into this sport end up making. Many who start out don’t make it past 5 years because that’s when it really starts to become tough (at least imo).
Don’t worry about what everyone else is doing. You must set yourself up to make the gains you are going to make. The battle is you becoming better. So please, take your time and stay consistent. Make sure you take plenty of time to recover between workouts. Without recovery, strength and muscle will hit a wall and you’ll struggle to get better.
That makes a lot of sense. When I first started deadlifting I wanted to get it up as quick as possible, but ended up doing something to my back that had my legs going to sleep every time I’d sit down. Ha I’ve since corrected my form which has made it climb up a little. Always been a struggle with me not comparing myself to others. Thanks bud.
I did a meet a few months back and posted the results. Weighed in at 175.75 lbs and hit 1500, 530 squat, 350 bench, 620 deadlift. That took my wight class and best lifter.