Meet Attempt Selection Tool
Plan your powerlifting meet attempts for squat, bench, and deadlift. Calculate openers, seconds, and thirds for a 9-for-9 strategy.
The assembly attempt selector will help you plan all nine attempts in the squat, bench press and deadlift for the powerlifting competition. Enter your current maxes, and the tool creates conservative, moderate and aggressive attempt strategies so you can walk on stage with a clear plan.
How company selection works
In a powerlifting meeting, you get three companies per lift. You must make at least one successful attempt (no red lights) per lift to record a total. Your best successful attempt in each lift counts towards your total.
Three attempts have a different purpose:
First attempt (opening): Locks the number on the board. This should be the weight you lift on your worst day, after a bad warm-up and with questionable judging. It's not about impressing anyone. It's about winning 1:1.
A successful attempt: To build towards your goal. This is a weight you've hit in training multiple times. It should feel hard but controlled.
Third attempt: Try for a personal record or a strategic investment. Here you are taking a calculated risk. Not every third attempt has to be PR - sometimes securing an overall result or qualifying number is more important.
Conservative approach (recommended for the first meeting)
- ##:** 88-90% of your gym's maximum capacity.
- Strong: 95-97% of your gym's maximum capacity.
- Third: 100-102% of your gym's maximum capacity.
This strategy prioritizes 9-for-9 (all nine attempts). A perfect day with conservative numbers beats a 5-9 day with one big lift and two failures. Your total return is almost always higher when you make all your withdrawals.
Moderate approach
- Requirement: 90-92% of maximum gym capacity.
- Tough: 96-98% of your maximum gym power.
- Third: 102-105% of the gym's maximum
Suitable for experienced competitors who know how they will react to race day conditions. Assume that the maximum power of the gym is correct and that the peak went well.
Aggressive approach (experienced lifters only)
- Expectation: 92-95% of the maximum power attainable in the gym.
- Excellent: 98-100% of maximum gym power.
- Third: 105-108% of maximum gym performance
High risk. If your warm-ups feel complete and you need a certain total to reach a higher level of competition, aggressive threes may be warranted. Aggressive prelims are almost never justified.
Company selection rules
Never start with something you haven't tripled in practice. If you can't do that three reps in the gym, it's not an opening. Period.
Pre-qualify for a round two before the competition. The opener and round two should be predetermined. Adjust only if something goes clearly wrong (injury, wrong load) or clearly right (opener flew).
**Plan A: everything went well, you are aiming for a PR. Plan B: something went wrong, you take a cautious third attempt to ensure the overall result.
Consider the meeting conditions. Competitive commands increase break time on the bench, depth calls on the squat and lockout requirements on the deadlift. Your gym max with bench touches and squat height will not be your race max.
Common errors
Doing too heavy. Most common single error in powerlifting competitions. A failed opening causes panic, forces conservative second attempts, and collapses the plan of the third attempt. Open lightly. Any experienced lifter will tell you this.
Disregard the total amount. Individual PR values of raises feel good, but your overall performance determines your ranking. A conservative 9 to 9 will almost always produce a higher total return than a 6 to 9 with larger swings.
Modifying your plan based on your competitors. You have no control over what others raise. Chasing other people's numbers leads to attempts you are not prepared for. Raise your own appointment.
Not practicing commands. Meet commands (start, press, rack, down) affect the timing of your raise. Practice them in training at least 4-6 weeks before the meet.
Meet-day warm-up timing
Start the warm-up when you have about 8-10 lifters in front of you. The last warm-up should finish 2-3 attempts before your warm-up. Being cold on stage is worse than being mildly fatigued from the warm-up.
Plan your business ahead and show up with a strategy.