Powerlifting 101: Everything You Need To Know

Powerlifting is a strength sport defined by three weight-lifting movements: the squat, deadlift, and bench press. Athletes compete to lift the maximum amount of weight for each exercise for one repetition.

Though strength sports have existed since ancient times, powerlifting, as it's known today, became formalized in the 1960s. This led to national and international federations standardizing the rules and weight classes.

The Primary Lifts

Powerlifting focuses on the squat, deadlift, and bench press. These three barbell movements help powerlifters express their maximal strength capacity. Each exercise is fairly technical, and proper form is essential.

The Squat

During the squat, the powerlifter unracks the barbell into one of two positions: low bar or high bar. The high bar position places the barbell on the top of the shoulders over the trapezius muscles (broad muscles on the upper back and neck).

The low bar position places the barbell lower, across the shoulder blades. Research demonstrates that a low bar position allows the powerlifter to lift more weight than the high bar, as they can use more lower body muscles.

Here's how it works:

• The powerlifter tightly grips the bar before bracing their core and descending into a squat until their hips reach at least 90 degrees of flexion. This means their hip crease must be below the top of the knee when viewed from the side for the lift to count.
• From the bottom position, the athlete presses up by driving through their midfoot to engage the whole foot and return to the starting position with the knees fully extended.
• Throughout the squat, they must maintain a neutral spine with their chest upright to ensure they don't collapse under the heavy load.

The Deadlift

Contrary to how it may appear, deadlifting isn't about ripping weight off the floor with your upper body. Here's how it works:

• Lifters keep their spine neutral (straight) while their hips hinge backward and knees extend (straighten). This loads the entire posterior chain of their body (the muscles on the backside of the body).
• They then pick the barbell off the floor with explosive but controlled force, driving through their heels. The athlete's core must remain braced the entire time to ensure their back doesn’t excessively round.
• The lift is complete when the athlete stands upright with their shoulders back and the barbell at thigh level.

The primary movers during this lift are the posterior chain muscles, specifically the gluteus maximus (butt muscles), hamstrings, and erector spinae of the lower back (muscles on either side of the spine). However, the deadlift is also a full-body lift, engaging muscles like the quadriceps (front of thighs), adductors (inner thighs), latissimus dorsi and trapezius (back muscles), and biceps.

The Bench Press

The bench press challenges the athlete’s entire upper body and requires them to generate an immense amount of force from a lying, horizontal position. Here's how it works:

• The lifter lies flat on the bench with their feet planted on the ground and grips the barbell with their hands placed shoulder-width apart or slightly wider.
• They unrack the bar with near-straight arms and slowly position the bar over their nipple line before lowering the bar to their chest with control.
• Once they reach the bottom position, they press the bar back up to full extension while keeping their elbows slightly tucked in and maintaining tension throughout their upper body.

Health Benefits of Powerlifting

While the goal of powerlifting isn't necessarily to promote health, there are significant health benefits associated with lifting heavy weights. Research shows both muscle mass and bone mineral density decline with age, beginning as early as your thirties. Strength training is one of the best ways to reduce this risk.

Powerlifting offers an engaging way to load your entire body with three main lifts. While powerlifters train to compete, they also use other accessory strength movements that strengthen their entire body, improve bone mineral density, and increase muscle mass. This can help protect the body, prevent injury, and preserve mobility.

You don’t need to compete in powerlifting to take advantage of its benefits. Experts recommend doing a strength-training workout at least twice a week (in addition to regular aerobic activity) to maintain health. Learning the main power lifts or following a powerlifting training plan can support your exercise needs and improve your strength.

How To Get Started

You'll need access to a gym with barbells and weight plates. Some gyms don't have these types of free weights or equipment, so be sure to inquire when signing up. It might be helpful to seek out a powerlifting-specific gym to ensure they have all the tools you need.

Once you’ve found a place to train, you’ll need to learn the proper form for the squat, bench, and deadlift (without weights at first). A lesson with a personal trainer or hiring a coach can help you perform the lifts safely and properly. You can also watch videos to check your form.

You’ll need to follow a structured program to ensure you’re progressing in your lifts. The goal of powerlifting is to get stronger and lift more weight. Following a program can push you to progress and track your results. It can also prevent you from adding weight too fast, which can cause injury.

Most programs require you to train 3-5 times weekly to see the most improvements. Set time aside to complete your required training and take adequate time between training sessions for recovery. Incorporate a proper warm-up routine before each training session to prepare your body for lifting and reduce injury risk.

Powerlifting can seem intimidating at first. However, powerlifting communities are generally approachable and open to helping you get started. Try looking for a lifting partner at the gym for support and guidance.

How To Train for a Powerlifting Competition

Competing in powerlifting involves in-depth strategic planning and preparation. You will likely need a coach to get ready for competition, but here’s a high-level overview of the process. 

Periodization

Most lifters use periodization, which focuses on carefully changing intensity, volume, and exercises to continually improve performance. It includes training cycles of hypertrophy (muscle growth), strength, and peaking. Each cycle focuses on different goals, such as building muscle or improving maximum strength. There are also "deload" phases, which involve reduced training intensity or volume to allow for recovery.

The final weeks before a competition typically involve a peaking phase, during which athletes decrease their volume but keep training intensity high. This helps ensure they recover but can still express maximum strength on competition day.

You’ll also need to occasionally test your one-rep max to monitor your strength progress. Your one-rep max is the maximum weight you can lift one time. This is what you'll be tested on in competition (with three attempts to do so).

To avoid excessive fatigue from maxing out too frequently, you can also estimate your one-rep max by using your multiple-rep max and applying an equation like Epley or Brzycki. These formulas are popular ways to calculate your estimated one-rep max:

• Epley: Weight Lifted (kg) × (1 + 0.0333 × Number of Repetitions)
• Brzycki: Weight Lifted (kg) / (1.0278 + 0.0278 × Number of Repetitions)

For example, if you can lift 100 pounds for 2-3 reps, you’re training at about 85-95% of your one-rep max. This means you could feasibly lift about 110 pounds, plus or minus a few pounds to account for other variables.

Nutrition and Recovery Tips

Nutrition and recovery play important roles in your success as a powerlifter. Eating enough protein is essential for optimizing muscle protein synthesis, the process of gaining lean muscle tissue. It’s recommended that athletes consume 1.4-2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day to build and maintain muscle mass.

You also need to eat enough calories to fuel your recovery. Moderately active adult females need about 1,800-2,200 calories per day, while adult males need about 2,400-2,800 calories per day. However, athletes who follow an intense exercise plan and try to gain muscle mass will need significantly more calories than the average person.

Take appropriate rest days between training sessions to allow your muscles and nervous system to recover before your next session. This can include active recovery methods, such as cross-training, mobility exercises (e.g., stretching), and self-myofascial release (a self-massage technique using tools like a foam roller).

How To Stay Safe Powerlifting

Safety is essential when lifting weights, especially in powerlifting. You might need to use lower weights to maintain proper form and prevent injury.

Also, make sure to have a spotter: someone who can watch your form and help lift the weight if the load is too heavy for you to complete the lift on your own.

If you do experience an injury, such as a muscle strain, it's important to acknowledge and treat the injury rather than power through it. If you have pain during a lift, put down the weight carefully—asking another person for help if needed—and stop your workout for the day.

Talk to a healthcare provider, such as a sports medicine practitioner, if you experience sharp pain to evaluate the extent of the injury. You may need to take a few rest days from powerlifting to prevent a more severe injury under a heavy load. 

A Quick Review

Powerlifting is a strength sport defined by three weight-lifting movements: the squat, deadlift, and bench press. While it requires intense training, anyone can practice the lifts to improve their strength and reap the health benefits.

Learning the proper form for each lift and being intentional when lifting weights can help you stay safe and prevent injury. Taking a lesson from a certified personal trainer or strength coach and watching informational videos can help you learn the correct techniques. Always start with light weight to learn the movement before introducing a heavier load.