WHEN NOT TO COMPETE, (OR THOUGHTS ON WHY WE DO) by MARK ROBB

There have been times when I struggled with the choice of whether to withdraw from a meet that I had already registered for or not, and as I have thought about this subject more, the broader the subject became. In interactions with some of my lifters, RTS teammates, USA National Teammates, as well as my own experiences, I have learned several things that I believe are worthy of consideration when you find yourself with that decision to make.

My hope is that this article might help you organize your thoughts, and maybe bring up something that you hadn’t thought about, so that you have more clarity about whatever you decide to do.

Why are you competing?

The answer to this question will help determine your choice as to whether to compete or not. And the answer to this question may actually Read more…

First Meet: Getting Ready for your Opener
by Eduardo Chile

Congratulations, you have taken the first step in becoming a powerlifter and want to compete! Now, what do you do? Step one is find a meet to compete in. With so many federations out there with different rule sets this could be a daunting task. The only advice I can give is to pick a federation that is in line with your standards of competition. If you like to compete in single ply, triple ply or raw it’s your decision. If you feel the judging is questionable to your standards then find another federation. Location-wise, you should find your first meet within 100 miles if at all possible. Here is a great resource for finding meets. You should perform a search based on location and date, and please give yourself at least 10 weeks until the meet. Once you have narrowed it down to a few meets research the federation for each one.

Once you have chosen your meet you will need to make plans for it. You will likely need a membership card to compete in the federation. Most federations allow you to sign up the day of the meet, but please check with the meet director to make sure. Most meet directors are very approachable and don’t mind answering questions for you. Next, you will need to send in the registration form. There is quite a bit of information on this form, so if there is anything that is confusing, contact the meet director to get some clarification. Even if you don’t have problems, contact the meet director anyway and introduce yourself. Inform them it is your first meet. My experience is they will be helpful in ensuring you have all of your paperwork in order. Read more…