Don’t be the lifter with headphones on all day in the warm-up room, super-hyped to the gills. Save your energy for the platform.

Don’t be the newbie lifter who falls into the tiger pit traps during your training cycle. That’ll only hurt you in the long run — or at least in those first competitions. Don’t be afraid to start training too light and save your attempts for the platform. Not enough advice? I’ve got six other tips, so read on…

I’ve seen men shoot bottle rockets out of their ass for views and women with “shorts” on using thirst trap camera angles from the rear all in an attempt to be accepted as a “powerlifter.” Sadly, it works.

I’m going to give you what I wish I always had: a damn good guide for beginning coaches for their first meet. If you don’t have a mentor or somebody to help guide you, this is perfect for you.

Dave has responded to this question many times but, like the sport of powerlifting, the answer evolves. Based on the sport today, here are guidelines for expectations, performance, and how to design a program.

Continuing the perspective series, I look more closely at training, meet day, and who to look to for advice.

I thought about competing in powerlifting for nearly a year before actually signing up for a meet. Then I learned that I wasn’t going to figure out what I needed to do to improve as a lifter if I didn’t test my abilities and face my failures.

As a coach and competitor these are the recurring mistakes I witness many first-timers make.

Are you strong enough? Experienced enough? Brave enough?

This cycle is the most important training I have ever written for someone.

My dad, who would later become the best coach I ever had in my life, started showing me new powerlifting lifts.

This past weekend I competed in my first powerlifting meet, but before I get into an account of the actual event, some background information is probably in order.

Now that I think about it, I’ve had a lot of shitty “first times.”