Your First Powerlifting Meet Checklist
Signing up for your first powerlifting meet is exciting — and a little scary. What do you wear? How do you pick your attempts? What actually happens on meet day? The good news: with a little structure, your first meet can be one of the most fun days of your training life.
This is the exact checklist I walk my athletes through, broken into a simple 12-week timeline. Work through it and you'll show up prepared instead of panicking. (Want it as a printable PDF? Grab the free First Powerlifting Meet Checklist here — same content, one page, ready for your gym bag.)
12–8 Weeks Out: Choose Your Meet
Give yourself a real runway. Eight to twelve weeks is enough time to prepare without cramming (I even encourage planning further out to be easier on scheduling).
- Pick a meet 8–12 weeks out and register early — meets fill up.
- Choose your federation (USAPL, USPA, etc.) and read its rulebook. Rules on squat depth, bench commands, and equipment vary.
- Book travel and lodging if it isn't local.
- Decide your weight class and whether you'll cut to make it.
- Set a realistic goal total based on your current training maxes.
The single biggest first-meet mistake happens right here: picking a meet that's too soon. Give yourself time.
6–4 Weeks Out: Sharpen the Plan
- Confirm your gear is meet-legal — singlet, approved shoes, belt, sleeves or wraps.
- Practice every lift to commands. Pause on the bench, wait for "rack," hit depth on squat. Missing a lift on a command instead of the weight is heartbreaking and 100% avoidable.
- Start drafting your attempts (see below).
- Lock in your weigh-in plan — 24-hour vs. 2-hour — and your nutrition around it.
- Keep training logs so your opener is based on real data, not hope.
The Week Of: Taper and Pack
- Deload. You can't build fitness this week, only lose it.
- Prioritize sleep and hydration.
- Re-read the meet schedule and know your session and flight time.
- Pack your bag (list below).
Your Meet-Day Gear Bag
- Singlet + backup shirt(s)
- Squat shoes + deadlift shoes or slippers
- Belt, knee sleeves, wrist wraps
- Federation card / registration confirmation
- Food: fast carbs, caffeine, easy protein, plenty of water
- Chalk, baby powder, tape
- Headphones + warm layers
How to Pick Your Attempts
Attempt selection makes or breaks a first meet. Keep it simple:
- First attempt: something you could hit for a double on a bad day. Openers are for confidence, not ego.
- Second attempt: a solid single you've made in training (~90–93%).
- Third attempt: a realistic PR — ambitious but makeable.
Remember: a made lift always beats a missed PR. Aim to go 9-for-9.
What Meet Day Actually Looks Like
1. Weigh in, then eat and hydrate.
2. Warm up timed to your flight — about 8–10 minutes before you're up.
3. Squat → Bench → Deadlift, three attempts each.
4. Submit your next attempt right after each lift.
5. Trust your plan and let it happen.
That's it. Nine lifts, a lot of waiting around, and one very good day.
Want a Coach in Your Corner?
Everything above is doable on your own — but you don't have to figure it out alone. At Trash Panda Training I offer online powerlifting coaching and full meet-day handling from Columbia, SC: custom programming, attempt selection built around your numbers, and a coach who runs the platform for you so all you do is lift.
If you'd rather walk into your first meet with a plan and someone in your corner, fill out a free athlete intake and let's talk.
Good luck on the platform. 🦝