How to Pick Powerlifting Attempts
Picking the correct powerlifting attempts will make or break your competitive success. Even if you are stronger than your competitors, you need a solid strategy to pick powerlifting attempts.
In this post, we will talk about some key guidelines on how to pick powerlifting attempts with success.
An Overview of Powerlifting Attempts
In competitive powerlifting, you have three attempts for the squat, bench and deadlift. You have 9 total attempts each competition. You will always complete all three squats before advancing to your three bench press attempts and then your three deadlift attempts.
You must pick your first attempts for each lift, or your openers, beforehand and present those to an official when you weigh in.
Your opener should be conservative while your second and third attempts help you build your total.
Additionally, your attempts must be progressive. If you make a lift, your next lift must increase by a minimum of 2.5 kilograms. However, you miss a lift, you can repeat it or go up, but you cannot go down.
If you miss more than two attempts in a row in the same discipline, you are out of the meet. For example, if you bomb out on your first two squat attempts, you will not be permitted a third squat attempt and you will not register a total.
Most lifters bomb out on the squat, which suggests that many lifters choose unrealistic attempts on this lift.
Read on to learn some considerations to take into account when choosing your attempts.
Competing versus Training
Truthfully, competing in powerlifting is very different than simply training for a meet.
You are familiar with your training environment. In contrast, you are probably competing somewhere you have never been before.
Maybe you train in the evening but compete at 7 am. But maybe you aren’t used to using competition plates in your training. And maybe the competition atmosphere just freaks you out.
You probably train in comfy workout clothes but you must compete in an uncomfortable powerlifting singlet.
Finally, maybe you train at your normal weight while you have to compete at a lighter weight.
Meet day comes with a lot of circumstances that are not even close to ideal. Keep that in mind.
You may need to plan slightly more conservative attempts than you forecast in training to take these factors into account.
While the training process should help you choose you competition attempts, don’t get too bent out of shape if you need to adjust downward slightly for the meet.
Good Lifters Choose Attempts they Can Make
Data of the top competitors at national and world competitions in powerlifting shows that the very best usually make 8/9 or 9/9 competition attempts.
Good lifters choose relatively conservative powerlifting attempts that help them to build their totals. They know that missed lifts cost a lot of energy and momentum. Missed lifts also jeopardize their ability to build a total.
The top lifters know that they will not always set a personal record at their competitive events. Instead, they aim to make the most lifts possible, even if that means setting a total that is slightly below their absolute potential.
You should aim to choose attempts that allow you the best chance of winning the competition. Sometimes this means leaving the risky personal record attempts off the platform.
Besides increasing your chances of winning the meet, choosing slightly more conservative attempts is also safer and more fun.
Making all or most of your lifts sets up momentum for a good day. You will have much more energy when the deadlift rolls around.
Additionally, choosing conservative attempts helps you have a successful day. Having a successful day encourages you to come back for another meet.
Powerlifting has lost all too many athletes who bomb out of a meet and decide they will never come back to the sport.
Good Lifters Choose Safer Attempts
Choosing conservative attempts is also safer.
Getting injured during a meet is not fun and might compromise your powerlifting career.
While a little form breakdown is acceptable on that third attempt, you should not grind through scary lifts you have no business attempting.
Good Lifters Repeat Missed Lifts
Great lifters repeat missed lifts. If you miss a lift, you should NOT increase weight on the next attempt.
Simply repeat the attempt!
It does not matter if you missed the lift based on strength, technique standards or failure to listen to the commands.
Making a lift after a missed lift comes with increased pressure, tension and anxiety. Repeat the same weight! This time, make sure you follow the standards to get credit for the lift!
How to Choose Your Lifts?
You and your coach should work together to choose your attempts before the meet.
These attempts should be based on your training performance of lifts that will pass the technical standards at a competition in your federation.
If you are familiar with RPE, your first lift should come in around RPE 7 or 7.5, or around 90 percent of your best lift. This is a lift you can make fairly easily on your absolute worst day, in a new environment and after cutting weight. The opener should be extra conservative to get you on the board.
Think of your opener as your last warm up.
The next attempt should correspond to an RPE of 8 to 8.5. It should be about 95-97 percent of your 1 rep max. This is also not a lift to test your 1 RM. It is simply a bridge between your first lift and last attempt.
The second attempt should not be a personal record attempt.
Lastly, the third attempt should correspond to an RPE of 9 to 10. It should be about 98-102 percent of your 1 rep max.
The third attempt helps to build the total. If in doubt, choose the weight you can make 99 percent of the time instead of going for the new personal record attempt.
Gap Between Lifts
The gap between the first and second attempt should also be greater than the gap between the second and third attempts. For instance, if you lift 100 kg on the first squat and 110 kg on the second squat, you should attempt only 112.5 to 117.5 kg for the third squat.
Going into the meet, you should have a hard copy of your powerlifting attempts.
- One option for your first attempt or opener for squat, bench and deadlift
- Two options each for your second attempts for squat, bench and deadlift
- Two or three options each for your third attempts for squat, bench and deadlift
Use your Warm ups to Make Adjustments
Good lifting means making the most of your competition day. While you should have a tentative plan for the competition based on your training performance, you may need to make adjustments on meet day.
If you are warming up for the meet and your lifts feel extra slow or you feel more tired than usual despite extra caffeine, you might need to lighten your openers. You can change your opener once for the squat and bench press and twice for the deadlift.
Use your Attempts to Make Adjustments
Your attempts should also help you choose your next attempts.
Did your opener feel like an RPE 8 out of 10 instead of an RPE 7? Take a smaller jump than planned for your next attempt.
Did your second attempt feel really easy? You might consider taking the higher option on your sheet for the third attempt.
Always use your best judgment and once again, choose lifts you can make 99 percent of the time.
If in doubt, take the lowest possible jump for the next attempt.
Squat Attempt Considerations
Choose squat attempts that are within your capabilities to start the day on a good note and get a total.
Because this lift is first and you have a long day ahead, you might want to really play it safe with squat. I would suggest using these percentages of your 1 rep max for the squat.
- 88-92 percent for first squat
- 95-97 percent for second squat
- 98-102 percent for third squat
Leaving a little more juice in the tank on the third lift will help you preserve some energy for the deadlift later on in the day.
If you miss your last squat or two, you really fatigue the muscles involved in the deadlift and don’t give yourself much chance for success. In fact, you have a high likelihood of missing your last deadlift if you missed your last squat. Keep this in mind and plan for a third squat you can make!
Bench Press Considerations
Here are my guidelines to you for the bench press.
- 90-92 percent for first bench
- 95-97 percent for second bench
- 98-102 percent for third bench
You might consider smaller jumps for the bench press weights, especially if you are a small lifter.
Deadlift Considerations
The deadlift is the last lift and you might be thinking about testing the waters on your last attempt. That is fine, but in more cases than not it is better to choose a weight you can make 99 percent of the time.
If you want to go for a personal record, you can. However, keep in mind that possibly missing your last deadlift may compromise your total score.
- 90-92 perent for first deadlift
- 95-97 percent for second deadlift
- 98-102 percent for last deadlift
On the deadlift, you have the unique opportunity to change your openers twice beforehand. This allows you to try to keep up with the top competitors. However, most lifters do better sticking to their planned attempts instead of focusing on the other competitors.
Picking your Attempts is an Art and a Science
Hopefully by now you can see that you should pick your powerlifting attempts carefully and judiciously.
Picking the right attempts can mean the difference between success and failure, winning or bombing out of a meet.
Even the strongest lifters need the right attempt selection to truly maximize their performance on meet day.
Do you have any questions about picking your powerlifting attempts? If so, feel free to leave a comment below.
