Powerlifting Basics: An Introduction to Powerlifting

Why Powerlifting? I’ve been lifting weights since I was 18 years old, but have always admired strength. My first hero as a child was Superman. Powerlifting training and competition have given my workouts focus. Granted, I had gotten stronger over the years prior to competing, but never had experienced the gains I saw when training for that one big lift on the platform at the end of the powerlifting training cycle.

Powerlifting is not for everyone. Strength training is not for everyone. If you want to be good at it, you have to love it. Based on my cardio track record I believe that if it’s a chore to hit the gym, you will have difficulty sticking with it. You have to crave the steel biting into your back as the bar bows deeply from the stacks of wheels piled onto each end on heavy squat day. You have to stare down the hundreds of pounds lying on the floor on back day, and say “I will not be intimidated; you are going up!” You feel the need to add another 20 pounds to the bar just because you lifted the last weight.

What qualifies me to write about strength training? There are always going to be better powerlifters out there. I have the benefit, however, of making about a lot of the mistakes and am not shy to talk about them. I’ve been the guy in the corner piling on an impressive stack of plates on the squat rack, only to do partial squats. I’ve been stuck under a heavy bench press with no spotter. I decided to write this series of articles on powerlifting to pass on what I’ve learned from my mistakes, I’ve found that you learn much more from your mistakes than from your successes.

When I first started lifting, I knew nothing. I’d watch what other people were doing and try it. If it worked I kept doing it, if it didn’t I tried something else. I had been lifting weights for 10 years when the powerlifting team at my local gym drew me in and got me started competing. I was hooked. The rush I got from stepping onto the lifting platform made the months of pain and sweat worth it. The improvements in my training techniques and the focus on the meet at the end of the training cycle drove my strength gains through the roof.
If you would like video demonstrations for some of the powerlifting lifts, see the links at the end of this article.