# COMPETITIVE BODYBUILDING - POWERLIFTING - ATHLETICS & SPORTS > POWERLIFTING FORUM >  How much would you have to lift to be competitive?

## johnnybigguns

I was wondering how much weight you would have to lift in each area to be able to compete?

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## powerviking

hehe atlaest 20kg in bench sqaut and deadlift if u can bench 20kg sqaut 20 and deadlift 20ure good to go

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## johnnybigguns

LOL 
thanks for teh serious answer

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## Braveheart04

JOHNNY, I guess it depends on what weight class or level you are talking about. If you are talking about the pro's, well if you are in the 198-220 class, you better be able to total at least 1800-1900 lbs. That's just to be fairly competitive. Check out Doc's numbers! Now if you are looking to be a pretty strong guy, the numbers are much less. My advice is to not worry about what everybody else is doing, but work on getting better every time.

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## johnnybigguns

The idea of powerlifting is really starting to interest me so I was just looking for some info on it. So would you have to be good in all events of could you just say be a good deadlifter or something. I definitely would amature events to start

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## Sherman01

Bro trust me on this, NOBODY at a powerlifting meet will care what your totals are. All they will do is cheer you on and give congrats when you make a lift. Go compete, and when people see you busting your ass to lift the most weight you can personally lift, you will earn respect. Almong they way you will have a lot of fun and meet some new people who might be able to give pointers for moving a more weight.

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## quarry206

there are alot of factors.. what weight class, what level of events, and if you are doing raw or eqquipped

post your weight, and if you want raw or eqquiped and i'll give you top 25 numbers

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## johnnybigguns

I would like to go raw and would probabaly compete around 240lbs.
It woudl be nice to try and win some trophies one day

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## Fat Guy

Johnnybigguns go for it!!! Your question involves a lot of factors if you want to be a champion. Here are some of the factors you want to consider:

Equipped vs. Raw
Tested vs. Untested Fed.
Age Category 
Weight Category 
Single-ply vs. Multi-ply 
Full meets vs. Bench / Deadlift Specialist

I am sure this is clear as mud now… but you might want to check out 
http://www.powerliftingwatch.com/ to better answer some of your questions.

In any which way you go the powerlifting community is very supportive and that is one of the main reasons I love doing it. And don’t look at Doc’s numbers because he is a freak of nature… Normal human beings should not be as strong as him and especially in the 198 weight category…

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## johnnybigguns

I would probably be lifting in Canada would there be any difference?
i think i would really like to go raw.

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## quarry206

here are the 2008 rankings for the 242lb weight class, raw

here are some totals so you can see where you fall
1st place 1835
10 place 1631
25 place 1532

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## powerviking

first of all u will never come to ure first compitistion and win but try to compeat as much as u can dont think about others think about ure self u will then become closer and closer every compitistion to the winners and a must is a big sqaut and deadlift my mate bennidikt has big sqaut and deadlift but not so much of a bench 280kg bench the deadlifts and sqauts count so much in ure total but in the gear double bech shirts some dudes bench about 400avrage hehe so were talking about raw power

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## ironaddict69

> Johnnybigguns go for it!!! Your question involves a lot of factors if you want to be a champion. Here are some of the factors you want to consider:
> 
> Equipped vs. Raw
> Tested vs. Untested Fed.
> Age Category 
> Weight Category 
> Single-ply vs. Multi-ply 
> Full meets vs. Bench / Deadlift Specialist
> 
> ...


I am not trying to hijack this thread, but I have some input as I am also wondering!

raw. untested. 20 years old. 225 lbs. Ply? duno. Bench/Dead. No squats for me!

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## quarry206

> I am not trying to hijack this thread, but I have some input as I am also wondering!
> 
> raw. untested. 20 years old. 225 lbs. Ply? duno. Bench/Dead. No squats for me!



well it would be best if you dropped 5 pounds and went to the 220 class. the 242 class has very high numbers because alot of the guys are 250-260 and diet down. so if you were to compete you should diet down to 220..

bench for that class ranges from 450-525lbs with only about three lifters doing over 500 right now.. do be advised that the most of the guys that do over 500 drop actually into the 198 class but from time to time come to 220.

deadlift kinda changes from time to time but basicially to be in the top 30 have to at least do 600

and i agree please don't look at doc sus numbers and think thats what you have to do.. i see his numbers on powerliftingwatch.com all the time and realize he his a god when it comes to the weights haha.. but if you post any questions he is an amazing online coach.

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## ironaddict69

Wow are you saying they bench 450-525 RAW? Can't I find some under 21 competition or something?

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## johnnybigguns

Theres guys in my gym that do over 450 raw

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## quarry206

well when talking about gym lifts you have to think one, can they do it at a meet, two can they do it with a pause. and three what is real weight..

jeremy honrsta who is the champ in bench for the 242 class has youtube videos of him doing 675.. but while weighing 242 and while doing a real lift he has only hit 615...

there are alot of factors when it comes to seeing somebody in the gym lifting and seeing somebody at a meet lifting

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## johnnybigguns

What do you mean with a pause?

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## johnnybigguns

I guess I should of asked this too what do you mean by real weight?

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## ironaddict69

> Theres guys in my gym that do over 450 raw


Right, and being as I do 375 raw at 19, I think I might be close to the top in an under 21 class, if they have one.

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## johnnybigguns

> Right, and being as I do 375 raw at 19, I think I might be close to the top in an under 21 class, if they have one.


I wasn't trying to knock you if you got that impression I was just replaying to you saying about teh 450-525 comment

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## Fat Guy

> well it would be best if you dropped 5 pounds and went to the 220 class. the 242 class has very high numbers because alot of the guys are 250-260 and diet down. so if you were to compete you should diet down to 220..
> 
> bench for that class ranges from 450-525lbs with only about three lifters doing over 500 right now.. do be advised that the most of the guys that do over 500 drop actually into the 198 class but from time to time come to 220.
> 
> deadlift kinda changes from time to time but basicially to be in the top 30 have to at least do 600
> 
> and i agree please don't look at doc sus numbers and think thats what you have to do.. i see his numbers on powerliftingwatch.com all the time and realize he his a god when it comes to the weights haha.. but if you post any questions he is an amazing online coach.






> here are the 2008 rankings for the 242lb weight class, raw
> 
> here are some totals so you can see where you fall
> 1st place 1835
> 10 place 1631
> 25 place 1532




Dude are you looking at the top 30 lifters on powerliftingwatch.com? That is not a good indicator of the many powerlifting federations out there. Those top 30 are the elite of the powerlifting world and generally most lifters on that list fall into the untested (not tested for juice) category. 

It is not really fair to compare tested lifters to untested lifter because the numbers are significantly different. If you look at the USAPL numbers those squat, bench, and dead totals are a lot lower than the top 30 on PLwatch. 

So like I said it really will depend on the federation as to what the norm is to be competitive. There are feds out there that dont even have record holders for some categories so all you have to do to be a national champ is just show up and hit any number. I think this is more prevalent in Canada with all the new feds coming about.

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## Fat Guy

> I am not trying to hijack this thread, but I have some input as I am also wondering!
> 
> raw. untested. 20 years old. 225 lbs. Ply? duno. Bench/Dead. No squats for me!


I'm not sure what youre asking here but ply means how many layers a bench shirt has. The more layers the bigger bench you can hit. Some benchers claim they get 300lbs to 400lbs out of their shirts when benching. Some people think that the multi ply shirts are cheating so they create feds that don't allow them.

And yeah I am sure there is a fed out there for you in that you could be competitive... There are so many... you just have to shop around

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## powerviking

what is the deal with the no sqaut no dead thing only americans take up that bullshit like jon pall said THERE IS NO REASON TO BE ALIVE IF U CANT DO THE DEADLIFT!

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## Fat Guy

> What do you mean with a pause?


Some feds will give you 3 commands to do a qualified bench press such as the USAPL which is some of the toughest judging around. 

The first command is to hold the bar in the upright position until the Judge says Start then you take the bar down and touch your chest, but you do not take the bar up until the judge gives the command Press and then you take the bar up until you lock out your arms and then the judge will tell you rack and that is when you put the bar on the rack but do not put the bar on before the judge says anything or otherwise it is not a qualified lift. 

Each command has a one-one thousand count that the judge does in his head. So one bench-press movement will take at least 3 seconds which is some cases feels like eternity especial when that weight is sitting on your chest. 

So here is how a competition lift looks like:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVDvZ_ccKyE

notice the pause at the bottom of the lift

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## powerviking

the thoughist judgeing is going on in ipf no dout about that myself am in wpc and ipf is the thoughist even have drug testing

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## Fat Guy

> what is the deal with the no sqaut no dead thing only americans take up that bullshit like jon pall said THERE IS NO REASON TO BE ALIVE IF U CANT DO THE DEADLIFT!


Agreed Squat & Dead are the basis to all lifting. But whats up with the American comment Some of the worlds strongest squatters and deadlifters are Americans. Have you hear of Mike Miller with a 1220lbs squat or 554KLs for you metric types

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## powerviking

some my favorite lifters are from america the american comment was about benchpress only it is such an american thing we in europe dont have that ryan kennelly is all americans talk about today, true heros are ed coan kirk kowaski bill kazmier those dudes

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## amcon

> I would probably be lifting in Canada would there be any difference?
> i think i would really like to go raw.


yes a big dif - you have to say ''eh" after every lift as you crack a molson, with your moose hat on...

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## johnnybigguns

> yes a big dif - you have to say ''eh" after every lift as you crack a molson, with your moose hat on...


LOL we don't drink molson we drink bud.
Where im at alot of the states is more north then I am so how are you northern americans in your igloos never been up there yet to check them out

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## Braveheart04

> LOL we don't drink molson we drink bud.
> Where im at alot of the states is more north then I am so how are you northern americans in your igloos never been up there yet to check them out


Molson is fine, but Canada invented Crown Royal!!! I love that stuff!!!

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## johnnybigguns

Lol!

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## powerliftmike

Yea gym lifts vary alot. Most of the guys in a commercial gym or something who claim to have big benches are bringing their butt off the bench, bouncing off the chest, not touching, or any number of "illegal" things. Or Ive seen spotters lifting the weight up and yelling "all you". what a bunch of shit. Then you got factors out of their control, like plate weight..sometimes actual weight can be off by a couple pounds even. all depends on what your lifting with. at competition the plates are usually either eleiko or ivanko calibrated plates, so not an issue.

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