How To Know If You Are Ready For Your First Powerlifting Meet

If you want to take your powerlifting training to the next level, you might look into competing at your first powerlifting meet. But how will you know when you are good enough, strong enough, to compete with other powerlifters?

I have an easy formula for you to figure that out.

First, can you at least lift the bar in a squat, bench, and deadlift?

Second, can you get your hands on a singlet and some absurdly long socks?

If you answer yes to both of those questions, congratulations, you are ready to compete in powerlifting!

Seriously, you can compete no matter what level you are at. You don’t have to go into your first meet ready to break your state records and win best lifter. While it can be intimating to go into a meet with less lifting experience than the rest of the lifters there, your first few meets are meant to be fun and to get you used to the world of competitive powerlifting.

No matter where you are in your journey, you are strong enough to compete. No one at the meet is going to judge you if you’re lifting way less than them. From my experience, meets are a welcoming and encouraging place to get a little competitive. And if you make it known to your fellow competitors that it’s your first meet, more often than not, they will be thrilled that you are competing with them, and may even have some tips for you.

Now, that doesn’t mean you should go into your first meet unprepared. Take a look at your federation’s handbook for meets (check out my series that breaks down some of the language in the USAPL handbook), learn the commands for your lifts, train hard, and make sure you have all the legal gear you need and want.

Don’t be hooked on the number you are lifting. If you’re having fun and want to do more, sign up for your first meet! If you do sign up for your first meet, make sure to come back here and tell me how it went . Experienced lifters, feel free to comment some advice for first-time competitors.

Check out my Instagram to learn more about my powerlifting journey. My second competition is in less than ten days from this post, so follow along if you want to learn more about competing from my experience!