Uploaded January 2020 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
As more and more people decide to try powerlifting, I see a lot of people approaching their first meet with some incorrect ideas. This isn't meant to be a criticism, you can't know what you don't know.
And while there are a lot of beginner powerlifting resources out there already I find that they tend to dwell on a lot of the details. Stuff like what to take, pack, eat, etc. That's all important but I want to address some slightly different issues.
My goal with this guide is to ensure that beginners have a successful powerlifting meet with the following 6 (and a half) tips:
1. Just go
2. Know the rules
3. Practice the commands
3a. Do a meet prep
4. Go to the rules meeting
5. Be conservative on your first attempts
6. Get feedback
I never want someone to go to their first powerlifting meet and have a bad time since that's usually a lifter lost to the sport. My tips are aimed at avoiding that.
There is, as always, an accompanying article on my website which, while similar, often contains slightly differently info. What can I tell you, I'm disorganized.
As more and more people decide to try powerlifting, I see a lot of people approaching their first meet with some incorrect ideas. This isn't meant to be a criticism, you can't know what you don't know.
And while there are a lot of beginner powerlifting resources out there already I find that they tend to dwell on a lot of the details. Stuff like what to take, pack, eat, etc. That's all important but I want to address some slightly different issues.
My goal with this guide is to ensure that beginners have a successful powerlifting meet with the following 6 (and a half) tips:
1. Just go
2. Know the rules
3. Practice the commands
3a. Do a meet prep
4. Go to the rules meeting
5. Be conservative on your first attempts
6. Get feedback
I never want someone to go to their first powerlifting meet and have a bad time since that's usually a lifter lost to the sport. My tips are aimed at avoiding that.
There is, as always, an accompanying article on my website which, while similar, often contains slightly differently info. What can I tell you, I'm disorganized.
