The Starting Conjugate series has provided insight into nearly all aspects of basic Conjugate Method training and training philosophy. From max effort and dynamic effort training to meet peak programming, we have covered enough information to help anyone using the Conjugate Method show up on meet day ready to hit a PR total. 

While the training involved in preparing for competition is most important, we must also address the strategy aspect of a powerlifting meet. 

You may be thinking, it's a three-lift competition with three attempts per lift, how much strategy is needed? However, as with any sport, success is dictated by the strategy applied to the competition. No matter how physically capable an athlete may be, failing to mentally prepare and strategize for competition will most often result in lackluster performance or total failure. 

The strategy I am about to discuss is something I have used for myself and the athletes I work with. It is a simple and to-the-point way of navigating a powerlifting competition. 

For some, this may be considered common sense. However, I wanted to write this article to provide beginner—and intermediate-level lifters with information that could lead to fewer missed attempts and improved totals.

Warming Up

A properly executed warm-up is crucial to the success of each lift's first attempt. The goal is to reach the platform with the involved muscle groups prepared for the task and an overall physical sensitization to the task. Basically, we want the muscle and connective tissue ready to go, and we want the athlete not to be surprised by the burden of the first attempt weight. 

For the squat and deadlift, I recommend warming up to a weight of about fifty pounds under your opening attempt. With most athletes, a fifty-pound jump in weight on the squat and deadlift won't be overwhelming. This approach helps avoid unnecessary added warm-up reps that will only sap energy that is better spent on the platform. 

With the bench press, the goal is to set the final warm-up weight at about twenty-five pounds under your opening attempt. Again, we want to show up on the platform with as much energy in reserve as possible, so the goal is to avoid unnecessary warm-up reps. 

Here is what a squat or deadlift warm-up would look like for an athlete opening at 500 lbs for each lift:

Here is what a bench press warm-up would look like for an athlete opening at 500 lbs for each lift:

While the tables are nearly identical, you’ll notice we perform an extra set and a few extra reps with the bench press workout. This ensures the athlete is within twenty-five pounds of their opening bench press attempt. 

Attempt Selection

In powerlifting, attempt selection can make or break an athlete. Here’s something to consider: you’ll rarely regret opening too light, but you’ll quickly regret opening too heavy. Whether the heavy opener depletes energy reserves or results in a missed lift, opening too heavy can take the day off the rails. 

The first attempt should essentially be the final warm-up. The weight should be light enough to lift it for 3-5 repetitions if required. The correct first-attempt selection should be a weight you can still lift even if form breaks down due to a mismanaged warm-up or an unfamiliarity with the competition equipment. 

Odd things can affect performance in a powerlifting meet. You may walk up to the platform, and the rack height could be slightly off, or the platform barbell differs from the warm-up barbell, so you have to make a slight adjustment to how you’re carrying the barbell. Keeping the first attempt somewhat light allows the athlete to complete the lift, even if there are some issues. 

Often, an athlete finds opening at a weight around 85% of their most recent training max optimal. 

On the second attempt, we want to exceed the 90% intensity mark. This attempt aims to get a number on the books to help build a decent subtotal and set the athlete up correctly to attempt a PR on the third attempt. A second attempt will often be around 92-95% of the most recent training max. 

The third attempt is where the PR totals are built. Our goal on the third attempt is to make at least a 5-10 lb competition lift PR—anything less, and we would need to address our training and competition preparation. 

Here is what would be considered an appropriate attempt selection for an athlete with a recent training max of 600 lbs on the squat, bench, or deadlift:

 Keep in mind that these percentages and attempts are merely recommendations and could be increased if necessary. This would be considered a safe approach. 

Missed Attempts

During the competition, our goal is to execute all called attempts successfully. However, this will not always be possible. When a missed attempt occurs, it is critical to identify what caused the miss. This will help decide whether the athlete retakes the attempt or moves on to the second or third attempt. 

If the issue is related to a mild execution error or something like knee wraps that make the athlete's legs numb due to a mistimed wrap, we would typically recommend that the athlete continue with their next attempt.

However, if there was a clear issue with strength and the miss was more taxing than expected, we recommend the athlete take the missed weight again. Moving on to the next attempt would only increase the risk of injury, which we want to avoid. 

Athletes need to understand the idea of living to lift another day. Unless you know you are on your last run in powerlifting, it never makes sense to take significant risks with attempt selection and management. Even with the best training and preparation, things can go bad, so it is best to avoid making them worse. 

If you have a bad day at a meet, it is not a big deal. It happens to the best of the best. Most important is making smart decisions that allow you to leave the competition relatively unscathed and return to the gym to train. Ambulance rides and medical bills aren't cheap, and one poor decision in this sport can become an instant retirement party. 

Don't Overthink It

The strategy described above represents a simple and uncomplicated approach to attempt selection in powerlifting. This strategy can be used by beginner, intermediate, and advanced-level lifters. It will allow the athlete to reach adequate preparedness in the warm-up room and avoid being overwhelmed by first, second, or third-attempt weight selections. 

Nowadays, it is common for many coaches to find overly complicated solutions to what should be considered simple problems. Due to the need for many coaches to create daily social media content, it is common for many athletes to overthink simple issues such as selection attempts during a powerlifting competition. 

Training can indeed become complicated at times. Therefore, coaches and athletes should use simple solutions for simple problems and focus their thoughts and creativity on solving the more complicated aspects of strength and conditioning. 

The simple approach to competing in a powerlifting meet described above will help an athlete properly warm up, reduce the number of missed attempts, and avoid injury due to poor decision-making. If implemented as written, I have no doubt this strategy will help any powerlifter, regardless of experience level. 

For more information regarding Conjugate Method training, check out the rest of the Starting Conjugate series.

Sources:

Simmons, L. (2007). Westside Barbell Book of Methods. Westside Barbell.