/plg/

What is /plg/?

Powerlifting General, or /plg/ is a general community on the /fit/ board that emphasizes training and competition in the sport of powerlifting. We discuss training, competitions, competition prep, coaching, technique / technical proficiency, and big name lifters & national / international competitions, but mostly we just shit post and call each other names and spout shitty memes. Sometimes the memes are ok. We have some of our own collections of resources that may be of interest to you here:

>our own website
http://powerliftinggeneral.com/

>the spreadsheet
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1P-_gNDvxcr6iiXSXvW0AHkN5-xpulB1oAU-V8IXzXUY/edit#gid=0

This spreadsheet contains a vast amount of links to all sorts of things powerlifting related - technique for all three events, conceptual material on programming, training and competing, diet and performance nutrition information, as well as a link to a drop box that contains - fuckloads - of ebooks and pdfs on topics pertaining to strength training, strenght performance, training templates, stretching & mobility, and literally more than you would ever care to read related to powerlifting and athletic training.

What is powerlifting? ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powerlifting )
Powerlifting is a strength based sport that is comprised of 3 events that are each a test of strength.
1) Barbell Back Squat
2) Barbell Bench Press
3) Barbell Deadlift

Each event has subtle rules that make the competition more rigid, such as a minimum squat depth, or disqualification for "hitching" the deadlift. Each event, a competitor is allowed three attempts at the event and can increase the amount of weight on the bar between attempts if desired. Powerlifting is a weight class sport, where the lifter with the highest total weight lifted inside of his or her weight class is the winner.


Popular training Programs:

Beginners:
SS - http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/FAQ:The_Program#Three_Flavors_of_Starting_Strength
SL - http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-beginner-strength-training-program/

Intermediate:
Texas Method - http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/The_Texas_Method
Madcow - http://stronglifts.com/madcow-5x5-training-programs/
5/3/1 - http://blackironbeast.com/5/3/1/calculator
Candito 6 week - http://www.canditotraininghq.com/free-strength-programs/

Advanced:
Westside - louie louie louie
Sheiko - Grab from strengthcalc.com
RTS - http://www.reactivetrainingsystems.com/



How do I know if I'm Advanced, Intermediate or beginner?
Because natural talent varies wildly, it is difficult make assumptions on ones place in training based solely on their performance. The differences in the programs are designed to make the best use of your time, as beginners can increase their performance much more rapidly than the next bracket up. Given that, here are some guidelines;

*If you have never done strength training before, you are almost certainly an beginner.
*If you have trained with weights before, but have never done the squat, bench press or deadlift (or any combination) then you are most likely a beginner.
*If you have previously done strength training including the squat, bench or deadlift, it is possible that you're intermediate.
*in almost no case will an individual be an advanced athlete unless they have been training for powerlifting for a considerable amount of time, and in that case it is hoped that they will have learned enough about training to prescribe their own training or have found a coach


What do I need to start powerlifting?
bare minimum, you need a place to lift that has a barbell and plates, with a squat rack / power rack / NOT a smith machine, and a bench designed for / capable of flat bench pressing.

That's it. For that reason, the sport is very accessible as gyms with these criteria are not difficult to find. There is only one more requirement if you actually desire to compete in a competition, and that is a singlet and a pair of long socks, such as;
http://www.amazon.com/Brute-Mens-Lycra-Wrestling-Singlet/dp/B00015K928/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1455992906&sr=8-4&keywords=singlet
http://moxysocks.com/product-category/deadlift-socks/

There is some equipment allowed in competition that may be useful down the line, but is not inherently necessary for competition in the sport. They are listed below in order of importance (debatable, but this is close)

Powerlifting belt:
usually 13 mm thick, can be single, double prong or a lever action. Made of leather, and designed to increase intra-abdominal pressure during the events for better performance.  If you are going to become active in powerlifting, and wish to make the training for powerlifting a part of your life, this should be your very first purchase, hands down. Prices for belts can range from $50 - $300+ dollars, depending on the level of quality. A very good middle ground belt that will last you for a long time should run you $100-$150 (USD)

Weightlifting shoes / flats:
Weightlifting shoes were made for Olympic Weightlifting originally, but have gained popularity in powerlifting as some people find benefit in having a 10-13mm raised heel, which weightlifting shoes have. it should be noted that NOT EVERY ONE NEEDS / SHOULD HAVE WL SHOES, and in no circumstance should you deadlift in weightlifting shoes with a raised heel if you intend to compete in powerlifting - a quick and easy test to find out if you squat better using these is to put 10 lb / 5 kg plates under your heels with a very light amount of weight in a squat, and to see how it feels. Flats on the other hand, are necessity for deadlifting, and some people prefer them for squat and bench as well. Typical athletic shoes / sneakers will serve just fine as flats as you get into the sport, but many people use "chuck taylors". Anything similar to this will do just fine. Reebok has put out a show designed specifically to imitate and outdo chucks called  "Crossfit Lite TR" and I and many individuals swear by them for use as flat shoes.

Knee sleeves:
most competitions allow either 5 or 7 mm neoprene knee sleeves to be worn during competition. these are in no way a necessity, but they can add comfort during the movement, and help to maintain warmth in the knee joint inbetween attempts during competitions. $50-$100. The two most commonly used are Rehband 7mm and SBD knee sleeves.

Wrist Wraps:
Some competitions allow wrist wraps. These are often an under-rated utensil for a few reasons, in short they can actually be beneficial in all three movements under certain circumstances. Squatting it can be beneficial to have straight wrists in the rack position, bench press they can give some small degree of wrist stability as well as mental comfort, and deadlift they can actually help with grip strength (yes, this is true). $20-$60


If you're interested in anything more specific, feel free to make a srcub post in the current thread, but just be ready to be blasted with memes, shitposting & mockery, and be ready to sift through all that garbage to acquire the desired information. Most of the actual posters are very helpful and like to see people jump into the sport.