• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The BarBend Logo in white.

BarBend

The Online Home for Strength Sports

  • News
    • CrossFit
    • Strongman
    • Bodybuilding
    • Powerlifting
    • Weightlifting
    • HYROX
  • Reviews
    • Recovery
      • Best Cold Plunges
      • Best Saunas
      • Best Mini-Massage Guns
    • Supplements
      • Best Protein
        • Best Vegan Protein Powders
        • Best Whey Isolate Protein Powders
        • Best Mass Gainer
        • Best Protein Bars
      • Best Pre-Workouts
        • Best Pre-Workout for Women
        • Best Pre-Workouts for Men
        • Best Non-Stim Pre-Workouts
        • Strongest Pre-Workouts
      • Best Creatine
      • Best Electrolyte Supplements
      • Best Greens Powder
      • Best Meal Replacements
      • Best Nitric Oxide Supplements
      • Best Fat Burners
      • Individual Supplement Reviews
    • Cardio Equipment
      • Best Treadmills
      • Best Rowing Machines
      • Best Exercise Bikes
      • Best Ellipticals
      • Best Recumbent Bikes
      • Individual Cardio Equipment Reviews
    • Strength Equipment
      • Best Adjustable Dumbbells
      • Best Dumbbells
      • Best Kettlebells
      • Best Barbells
      • Best Squat Racks
      • Best Weight Benches
      • Best Resistance Bands
      • Best Leg Extension Machines
      • Individual Strength Equipment Reviews
    • Apparel
      • Best Weightlifting Shoes
      • Best Cross Training Shoes
      • Best Running Shoes
      • Best Gym Shorts
    • Fitness Tech
      • Best Running Apps
      • Best Fitness Trackers
      • Best Workout Apps
      • Best Smart Scales
    • Support Gear
      • Best Lifting Straps
      • Best Gym Bags
      • Best Lifting Gloves
      • Best Wrist Wraps
  • Nutrition
    • Diets
      • Carb Cycling
      • Vertical Diet
      • Reverse Dieting
      • Carnivore Diet
      • Ketogenic Diet
      • Intermittent Fasting
      • IIFYM Diet
    • Muscle Gain
      • How to Dirty Bulk
      • Go From Cutting to Bulking
      • Eat These Carbs
      • How to Eat for Muscle
    • Fat Loss
      • Macros for Fat Loss
      • Calorie Deficits
      • Natural Fat Burners
      • Cut 2 Pounds Weekly
    • Supplement Guides
      • Pre-Workout
      • Whey Protein
      • Mass Gainers
      • Greens Powders
      • Creatine
      • BCAAs
    • Daily Protein Needs
    • Pre- and Post-Workout Nutrition
    • Foods With Creatine
    • Bulking Tips
  • Training
    • Exercise Guides
      • Deadlift
      • Bench Press
      • Back Squat
      • Overhead Press
      • Lat Pulldown
      • Shoulder Exercises
      • Chest Exercises
      • Ab Exercises
      • Quad Exercises
      • Biceps Exercises
    • Training Guides
      • Beginner’s Guide to the Gym
      • How to Build Muscle
      • Guide to Muscle Hypertrophy
      • How to Train on a Cut
    • Workouts
      • Back Workouts
      • At-Home Workouts
      • Chest & Back Workouts
      • Full-Body Workout
      • HIIT Workouts
      • Bodybuilding Workouts
      • Farmer’s Carry Workouts
    • Programs
      • 5×5 Program
      • Bodybuilding Programs
      • Push-Up Program
      • Pull-Up Program
      • 5/3/1 Program
      • Powerbuilding Program
      • German Volume Training
      • Build Your Own Program
  • Calculators
    • Protein Intake Calculator
    • Macros Calculator
    • BMR Calculator
    • Squat Calculator
    • Calorie Calculator
  • Community Forum
Home » Powerlifting News » 5 Things I Wish I'd Known Before I Started Powerlifting

5 Things I Wish I’d Known Before I Started Powerlifting

Written by Nick English
Last updated on July 13th, 2023

The old mantra of “squat, bench, dead,” really understates the complexity of powerlifting.

This is a sport that requires brains: technique, proprioception, mobility, and diet all need to be precisely dialed in, plus you need smart programming, a great coach, a prehab routine, and we haven’t even started on the mental side of things.

There’s a lot to work on. And that means there are a lot of mistakes you can make. We spoke to some pretty extraordinary powerlifters to learn the things they wish they could tell their younger selves before they started powerlifting — there are gems here for even the most experienced lifters.

Blaine Sumner

IPF Open World Record Holder in the Squat (505kg)

“The most important thing I wish I realized when I started was the critical part of being not just strong, but a good powerlifter.

“There is a massive difference between being able to throw up crazy numbers in the gym with sloppy form, and executing quality lifts on the platform. High squats, bounced bench presses, hitched deadlifts, and other ‘delusional’ lifts as I call them have no place for a great powerlifter. Understand what is expected of you in competition, and hold yourself to the same standard in training.”

A post shared by Mark Bell (@marksmellybell) on Mar 16, 2017 at 4:55pm PDT

Jennifer Thompson

IPF Word Record Holder in the Bench Press, 63kg Class (142.5kg)

“I wish I knew that to be the best, it is not just the two hours you put in the gym. It’s getting enough sleep. I find this to be hugely important. Naps are must, even if it’s running out to my car.

“Also, getting the proper nutrition is of the utmost importance. Now I plan everything around training. I used to go out wakeboarding and then try to get a leg day in. I’d stay up late with my friends and think I could get a good workout the next day. Today, I nap and plan workouts into my vacations. We call it the 95/5 rule. You have to be 95 percent of your best 95 percent of the time. You only get 5 percent of the time to screw around.”

A post shared by John Gaglione (@gaglionestrength) on Mar 9, 2017 at 5:31am PST

John Gaglione

Head Coach at Gaglione Strength

“The first thing I’d say is focusing on proper movement and technique and to not worry about the weight or treat each exercise as a separate skill. I used to think I was doing that, but when you’re a teenager, what you think is good form and what is actually good form is different!

“Proper nutrition was also a big one for me, because I kind of put on weight for the sake of putting on weight. So proper nutrition and not just eating excess calories, a more slow and steady gain of muscle over time and proper nutrition. Stay in your weight class as long as you can and be patient with gaining weight.”

A post shared by Charity Witt (@charity_witt) on Mar 13, 2017 at 12:17pm PDT

Charity Witt

GPA Junior Women’s World Record Holder, 75kg Class (447.5kg Total); APC Record Holder, 75kg Class (180kg Squat, 174.6kg Deadlift)

“There are many things I wish I knew before I started lifting, and one of those things I have to remind myself daily. That is, great progress takes a great amount of time. As in, years on years.

“Another is that meeting genuine people who will support you through highs and lows is next to none. So, if you find those people, keep them close. Most people I’ve found, including athletes and coaches, are only out for their own gain or riding the coat tails of your personal success. So, just be mindful and keep your circle tight!”

Jordan Syatt

RPS Raw Junior World Record Holder in the Deadlift, 60kg Class (240.4kg)

“The stronger you get, the harder it gets. I’d like to say, ‘I wish I knew this when I first started lifting,’ but, truth is, you can’t understand it until you’ve been in the gym day after day, year after year, putting in the work, grinding, failing, getting back up, and starting all over again. It doesn’t come with age — it comes with experience. And what it boils down to is this: the stronger you get, the harder it becomes to get even stronger. To put more weight on the bar. To hit new personal records. To advance as a lifter.

“When you first start lifting — even the first couple years — you get stronger on a near daily basis. Personal records are just a matter of showing up, not so much strategy or even mental fortitude. As you advance, though, the stretches of time become longer and harder. It takes weeks. Then months. Half a year, sometimes, to add even five pounds to a lift. Not to mention the daily ups & downs in your strength.

“My point is this: very few people ever reach an elite level of strength because they don’t have the patience. They expect strength to build linearly, as it did when they first got started. But it won’t. The stronger you get, the harder it gets. And the more you understand that now and prepare for the struggle, the more likely you are to win in the long-term.”

Featured image via Blaine Sumner on YouTube and @marksmellybell, @charity_witt, and @gaglionestrength on Instagram 

About Nick English

Nick is a content producer and journalist with over seven years’ experience reporting on four continents. Since moving to New York City in 2013 he's been writing on health and fitness full time for outlets like BarBend, Men's Health, VICE, and Popular Science.

View All Articles

Primary Sidebar

Latest Reviews

Featured image for the Ironmaster Super Bench Pro V2 Review

Ironmaster Super Bench Pro V2 Review (2025): Our Expert’s New Favorite FID Bench

Titan T3 Power Rack Review

Titan T3 Power Rack Review (2025): An Expert-Approved Rig Beckoning to Budget-Minded Athletes

Our tester works out at the beach in preparation for the Rogue Resistance Bands Review

Rogue Resistance Bands Review (2025): Tested by a Certified Personal Trainer

Barbend tester Jake Herod works out on a Force USA Trainer

Force USA G3 Review (2025): Our Experts Tested This Compact All-In-One Rack for Small Home Gyms

BarBend

BarBend is an independent website. The views expressed on this site may come from individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect the view of BarBend or any other organization. BarBend is the Official Media Partner of USA Weightlifting.

  • About Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest

Sections

  • CrossFit
  • Strongman
  • Bodybuilding
  • Powerlifting
  • Weightlifting
  • Reviews
  • Nutrition
  • Training

More

  • BarBend Newsletter
  • BarBend Podcast
  • The Ripped Report
  • 1RM Calculator
  • BMR Calculator
  • Macros Calculator
  • Protein Calculator
  • Squat Calculator

Policies

  • Accessibility
  • Advice Disclaimer
  • Cookies Policy
  • Disclaimers
  • Disclosures
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Copyright © 2025 · BarBend Inc · Sitemap