Next, be sure to get your entry form well in advance and get all the info you need. If need be, call or e-mail the meet director, they are always glad to hear from you. When you are sure you are lifting, mail it in so the meet director can plan for the meet! You would not believe the stress it causes when you put a thousand or two thousand dollars into an event and you have 3 entries a day before he deadline.

As for lifting gear, the two biggest requirements are a lifting suit and a lifting t-shirt. The suit can be a simple wrestling singlet or an actual squat suit, but it must be single ply and have no velcro. The t-shirt must be lifting related or plain solid color. No Nike, Budweiser, NFL, etc., and no cutoffs. The idea is to keep a clean, professional looking appearance on the platform. Also, no spandex, compression shorts or Body Armour may be worn. Sports bras are ok.

Aside from the suit and shirt, the lifter must compete in a sport shoe, which means boots are out. Lifting shoes, wrestling shoes, and even regular athletic shoes are ok. Gymnastic slippers also work well for the deadlift.

If you choose to use a belt, it must be no wider than 13 cm (aprox 4 inches.), and can have no velcro or padding on it. Power belts work best, but the traditional thin leather belts also work.

Wraps are allowed on the knees and wrists. The knee wraps can be no longer than 2 meters and have no velcro on them. Wrist wraps can be no longer than 1 meter and velcro is ok here. Some wristwraps have a thumbloop, be sure to take it off the thumb before doing the lift.

Tight lifting suits & shirts are legal as long as they are single ply, contain no velcro, no canvas and no denim. The shirts must also be closed back.

A USAPL card is required and can be bought at the meet. They are $40 for a full year from ate of purchase for Adults. For High School kids they are $30 unless you are lifting in a designated High School competition that falls before May 31st. In this case High School lifters can purchase a H.S. seasonal membership for $15 that expires on May 31st. They have the option of renewing at any meet after May 31st for an additional $15.

USAPL Condensed Rules and Recommendations

Rules for the squat:
Squats must break parallel; top of thigh at hip joint must be below top of knee. Make sure you squat deep enough.
Lifter must wait for verbal "squat" and "rack it" commands.
No lateral foot movement after "squat" command.
No lateral hand movement after "squat" command.
Lifter must make an effort to return bar to rack.
Lifter must start and end the lift with knees locked and torso erect.
No rolling the bar on the back during the squat.
No intentional dumping of the bar.
No downward movement of the bar while coming up.

Rules for the benchpress:
Bar must come to a complete pause on chest. NO BOUNCING!
No uneven extension of the arms.
Lifter must wait for verbal "start" and "rack it" commands.
Feet must remain flat.
Hips and head must remain on bench.
Lifter must start and end the lift arms locked
No downward movement of the bar while coming up.

Rules for the deadlift:
Lifter must wait for verbal "down" signal before lowering bar.
No lateral foot movement.
No hitching or jerking bar.
No supporting the bar on the thighs, or re-bending during pull.
Lifter must stand erect with knees locked.
No downward movement of the bar while coming up.

Some Recommendations
Train by the above rules! It's easier to do it in the meet when you have already been training by the rules. When setting openers, open light, because once you've attempted your first lift, you cannot go down! If you fail to make at leat one attempt in each event, you bomb out. That means you need at least one squat, one benchpress and one deadlift to complete the meet. This is the one rule that has remained constant at every powerlifting meet in the USA. So open light with something you can do 3-5 resp with and then make a bigger jump.

If not setting a State or American record, weigh in the day before. Get acclimated to where the meet is at and register early. This also makes the paperwork go smoother when everyone registers the day before. It allows us to process your openers and get closer to starting on time once weigh-ins are done on Saturday.

While at the meet, seek the advice of better, more expereinced lifters and ask questions....! They too were once new and knew very little and are almost always willing to pass on info and tips that will help you.

If possible, bring a coach or person to handle you. This person should know what you need when getting ready. They should be able to roll wraps, put on suits, pull up straps and pull your belt tight. They should help with loading the bar for each warmup. They also should have an idea of your capabilites and help with picking/turning in your attempts.

USAPL Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is Powerlifting?
A: Powerlifting is a strength sport comprised of three lifts; the squat, the bench press, and the deadlift. In a full competition there is a combination of lifts. There are also single lift competitions featuring just one event.

Q: If I'm having a bad day, can I lower my attempt after I've taken my opener?
A: No. Attempts cannot be lowered. You take the same weight if you miss a lift, or you can always go up.

Q: Do I need a lifting suit, or can I just lift in shorts.
A: Lifting suits or wrestlign singlets are required. Baggy shorts make it hard for referees to judge the lift.

Q: What supplements are illegal to take?
A: It would be easier to name what ingredients to avoid. Avoid anything with Andro or the Andro family. DHEA seems to be falling by the wayside, but it will also cause a positive. Any of the fatburner type supplements that contain Ma Haung/Guarana or Ephedrine will cause a positive due to it beign a super strong stimulant. A little known fact here is that over the counter cold medicine will also cause a positive, due to the psuedo-ephedrine stimulants in it . Refrain from using the OTC cold medication 3-4 days before the meet. Buyer beware when using supplements that are cheaper and that could be spiked without your knowledge or being on the label.

Q: What do I need to know before I compete?
A: Before you compete you need to know the rules. The sport is not as easy as you might think the rules are strict and if you don't understand them you lose. Different federations have different rules.

Q: What's the difference between the federations and why should I care?
A: The federations in powerlifting today are too numerous to name. The USAPL was founded out of the need for drug testing in powerlifing and were the pioneers in this end of the sport. Along with that, the USAPL provides a structured set of rules, records and competitions that allow the use of some powerlifting gear without taking the sport away from being what it was meant to be in the beginning: A true test of strength.
The Washington USAPL and the USAPL as a whole, will not compromise the above values on drug testing.

Q: I'm a great bencher, can't I just do that?
A: Yes, most all Washington USAPL meets have a bench press only division of the contest.

Q: What does a competition look like?
A: A typical meet may have more than one platform. A platform is composed of three judges sitting around the lifting area. The different equipment is set up depending on which lift is being performed. A timer will either be at the platform or the head table. The judges will press a button hooked up to a light bar. White means the lift is good, red means it is not, you need two whites by the judges in order to make the lift count.

Q: What are the weight classes?
A: Womens: 97, 105, 114, 123, 132, 148, 165, 181, 198, 198+
Mens: 114, 123, 148, 165, 181, 198, 220, 242, 275, 275+

Q: What lifting equipment is required?
A: A simple wrestling singlet or one piece, single ply lifting suit is required. Supportive squat suits and benchpress shirts are allwoed, but must be single ply, contain no velcro, denim or canvas.

Q: Can I wear weight lifting gloves?
A: Gloves are not allowed in sanctioned powerlifting competitions.

Q: How do I know when I lift in the meet?
A: The lifters are split up into groups called flights. The flights are based on the number of lifters and usually have no more than 15 lifters per flight. Here is a sample of how the flights could be broken down:
Flight A - Women through Men 165 lbs.
Flight B - Men 181 through Men 220 lbs.
Flight C - Men 242 & up

Flight A lifters perform all three attempts in the squats; then Flight B; followed by Flight C. Once the squats are completed, the order is repeated for the benchpress, and then the deadlift.

Timeline and Checklist for Organizing a Meet

* Note: This is high level and does not include actually setting up and running a meet.

1. Get approval to run a meet fom your state chair.
2. Pick timeframe (month)
3. Locate and visit possible facilities for the meet
4. Discuss date with facility of choice
5. Verify date is ok with state chair
6. Lock up facility with whatever is required
7. Get sanction form from State chair and get sanctioned (This will get your meet on the USAPL's website)
8. Put in PLUSA ASAP
9. Find nearby hotel, secure special rate.
10. Do your homework on what divisions & placings you want to offer. See what the standard is, and what most others are doing.
11. Create entry for m& artwork. (send entry to state chair to proof). Be sure to decide deadline and if late entries will be allowed. If so, decide late fee.
12. Get entry forms mailed if mailing, or online if you have a website.
13. Get entry and flyer to PL meets & nearby gyms.
14. Meet with and get quotes from 2-3 award companies. Also get a date on the absolute latest you can order your awards.
15. Meet with and get quotes from 2-3 T-shirt providers. Also get a date on the absolute latest you can order your shirts and how many more you need for a cheaper rate. It might be cheaper to order more in the long run if you are near that number.
16. Order chalk.
17. Line up referees; as many as possible. Also if possible lineup 3 National Referees in case any American Records are broken. The refs are needed to help with registration the day before, that morning, judge the meet and also perform the drug testing.
18. Line up staff for scorekeeping, announcer table, overhead and expediting.
19. Line up spotters & loaders. Designate an experienced person as the Platform Manager to work as coordinator between the referees and loaders.
20. Recruit staff for setup & tear down.
21. Line up staff for front door and also sale of merchendise.
22. If selling food and drinks, lineup staff for this and delegate this to them.
23. Send order for awards by step 14 date if you know exactly what you need. If not, find out the absolute latest you can turn your order in because you will have lifters calling late wanting to get in.....count on it.
24. Send artwork to T-shirt printer (Refer to step 15 on when you should do this).
25. Get all paperwork ready. This includes:
Lifter meet cards
List of flights
Results sheets
Transparent overhead sheets preprinted at least 15 lines for lifters, a place for attempt # and also a place for flight.
Newsletter or meet preview article
Wallcharts, filled out ahead of time
Signs for registration, equipment check, weigh in, rack height, admission.
26. If possibvle delgate picking up the shirts and awards to someone else
27. Double check that you have everything you need and have it ready to load
28. Load it!

General Questions Asked by All Lifters

How can I get started in powerlifting?
Contact any of our state contacts by visiting our Contacts page, or visit our Clubs page to find the nearest club in your area.

I've never lifted weights before. Does that matter?
No. Anyone can try powerlifting. There are many different weight classes ranging from 97 lbs. to 198+ lbs. for women, and 114 lbs. to 275+ for men. There are also several different age categories and divisions such as Junior, Senior, and Master's divisions.
Visit the USAPL website to learn more about our sport.

Where can I find the rules for powerlifting?
There are several different federations you can lift in powerlifting. If you are interested in lifting in a USAPL powerlifting meet, click here to read the USAPL rulebook.

How much does it cost to powerlift?
There are several federations in powerlifting that require different types of gear at varying prices.
In the USAPL powerlifting federation, most athletes buy a single-ply bench shirt, squat suit, and optional deadlift suit. Many athletes also purchase powerlifting shoes, powerlifting belts, knee wraps, and wrist wraps. The equipment offers extra support for the lifter, and can prevent injury.
If you're interested in finding out exactly what types of equipment you would need, contact any of the people listed on our Contacts page.
Popular equipment distributors in powerlifting include Titan Support Systems Inc. and Inzer Advance Designs.

If I'm a girl and lift heavy weights,will I get big muscles and look like a man?
No. Females do not produce as much testosterone as a males do, so they cannot develop the same muscular size as males. Women can develop and tone their muscles, but are incapable of producing the chemicals needed to ever become as muscular as a man.

How can I help other lifters in my area?
Visit our Contacts page to volunteer your services at Washington State USAPL competitions and events.