Heading to your first raw powerlifting meet is a big deal. How you perform could pump you onto future victories, or discourage and stunt those same future performances. It’s good for your mental state to concentrate on certain pointers so that you go into your meet well focused and informed. Worry and uncertainty are detrimental to competition so the more you know going in, the better your performance will be.

The following tips are designed to help the first time raw powerlifter make a success of that all important first meet.

Know Your Commands

This is a biggie. You get penalized for jumping commands which is incredibly easy to do when you are already nervous and eager from being at your first raw lifting competition. Make sure you know your commands, memorize them and practice lifting with them as early as you can before the meet date.

If you still have some mental jitters during the competition, it’s far better to take a second to let the command sink in before acting. There is no penalization for waiting an extra moment once the command is given.

Draw Confidence and Tips from Other Lifters

Once you’ve actually arrived at your first raw powerlifting meet, don’t hide in a corner. There will be a lot of experienced lifters there that can offer a great deal of support and competitive tips which you can only get from them.

Therefore, strike up conversations when chances arise, let other lifters know it’s your first meet and listen to what they have to say. Most lifters will pass on good tips to young competitors that embrace the powerlifting sport. Many of the things you learn from seasoned powerlifters may go a long way in assisting you with your first meet as well as with subsequent meets.

Start Warm-ups Early

It’s best to begin warm-ups early in order to make sure you’re adequately ready before being called for your lift. It’s also a good idea to take along resistance bands which help a great deal with warm-ups. 

Again, because you’re nervous, you may think that warming up directly before an attempt will have you at peak level. However, if you get called before you complete your warm-up, it could hurt your performance as well as cause injury. It’s a much better practice to start your warm-ups early and space them out if need be than to rush them.

Stick with Your Attempt Plan

One of the most important criteria for a successful first meet is to pick your attempts and stick with your lift plan. First time raw powerlifters should start with a fairly easy lift and progressively move up from there. Being successful on that first lift is vital for forward momentum going into subsequent lift attempts.

Also, when the adrenaline’s flowing and you see other seasoned powerlifters achieving greater weight than you, it’s easy to get caught up in the idea that you can match them or even out do them. However, this could be fatal, especially to your personal goal of completing the competition. You should, instead, set your sites on your personal attempt plan and stick with it. Doing so will boost your confidence and better prepare you for your next meet.

Another pointer is to vary your attempts as you advance. Have a lighter and a heavier attempt planned and chose which one you’ll tackle based on how you performed on your previous lifts.

Conclusion

If you know your commands like second nature, warm-up early, glean advice from other seasoned lifters and stick with your personal attempt plan then you will have an enjoyable and memorable first raw powerlifting meet experience.