First Powerlift Competition USPA looking for advice.

[Marc Hudson]

Good afternoon,

In two weeks I am going to compete in my first USPA powerlifting competition. I’m 6”4 , 257lbs 40 years old, competing in the 40-44 masters, 125kg division. No need to cut any weight obviously. Current 1 rep Max in the gym , 405 squat, 465 deadlift , 275 bench.

Most of the advice I see out there is the goal for a first meet is to get 9 good lifts and go for low achievable weight because it is unknown the nerves etc. if I’ll be hyped and do well or have nerves and not lift as well as in the gym.
I was thinking about these openers : sq 315, bench 225, and deadlift 375.

Are those too low/ conservative? Also have some ideas on when to start warm up’s but not sure on that either. And probably a lot of not knowing what I don’t know.
Any advice from yall with experience is greatly greatly appreciate. I’m super excited to try out my first comp!

I'm also read the first to third attempt shouldn't be more that a 13% jump, so I would plan accordingly.

Thank you!

[Mark Rippetoe]

Do not open with a weight you can x10. Open with a weight you can triple, 2nd attempt is what you can double, 3rd attempt is your test. So, SQ 375, 395, 405. BP 205, 220, 225. DL 405, 440, 465. That way, if you fuck up a rule infraction, your total does not suffer as much.

[Marc Hudson]

Do not open with a weight you can x10. Open with a weight you can triple, 2nd attempt is what you can double, 3rd attempt is your test. So, SQ 375, 395, 405. BP 205, 220, 225. DL 405, 440, 465. That way, if you fuck up a rule infraction, your total does not suffer as much.

Awesome, Thank you Mark!

[Jason Donaldson]

Do not open with a weight you can x10. Open with a weight you can triple, 2nd attempt is what you can double, 3rd attempt is your test. So, SQ 375, 395, 405. BP 205, 220, 225. DL 405, 440, 465. That way, if you fuck up a rule infraction, your total does not suffer as much.

Rip, he said his gym 1RM for bench is 275, not 225. Should he be looking instead at something like 245, 265, 275?

Also have some ideas on when to start warm up’s but not sure on that either. And probably a lot of not knowing what I don’t know.
Any advice from yall with experience is greatly greatly appreciate. I’m super excited to try out my first comp!

Marc, make sure you practice with whatever commands they're using at the meet. Command-driven execution is different than training. Even if you don't have a partner to give the commands, running them through in your head helps to get you ready not to touch-and-go your bench, for example.

Warming up depends on the flights and the availability of equipment, so it varies a bit. Do you have a second person (who's NOT competing) available to help you keep track of stuff at the meet? It takes a load off not having to constantly split your attention between warming up and listening to what's going on.

Make sure you have all your equipment staged at least the day before, and get there very early for weigh-ins and gear check. Don't be afraid to ask questions at the rules meeting. Loperamide/Imodium is something to have on hand, just in case - athletic tape also. Make sure you have an extra shirt or two, and extra drawers if you're wearing them. This is just me, but I like to bring an extra pack of socks along. People sometimes don't know to bring high socks, and it's good to help folks out. PL meets tend to have an extremely supportive culture, and helping each other is part of keeping that going.

Do you have plans for chow during the meet? I learned about peanut butter and honey sandwiches from an experienced competitor a while back, and that's served me well.

If the meet isn't at your home gym, it's good to visit the venue ahead of time if possible, to scope it out. Just knowing where everything is helps, and being able to picture things ahead of time is good for mental prep.

Again, the environment at meets is generally very supportive, and a lot of fun. Just conservatively shooting to go three for three on all your lifts takes a load off, and allows you to enjoy it. You'll meet like-minded people who know what it's like to train hard, and it's quite an experience being there with people losing their minds cheering on a 90 pound woman struggling to bench 55 with the same enthusiasm as they are for a 280 pound juggernaut pulling 700. It's good stuff - let us know how it goes!

[Mark Rippetoe]

Rip, he said his gym 1RM for bench is 275, not 225. Should he be looking instead at something like 245, 265, 275?

Sorry, yes.

[Bill Anders]

To piggyback on Jason's tips, Andy Baker wrote an article more than a few days ago on Prepping for Your First Powerlifting Meet.