How to Improve Powerlifting Skills Effectively

Powerlifting is a rewarding sport that tests your strength, endurance, and mental focus through the three primary lifts: the squat, bench press, and deadlift. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to improve your performance for a powerlifting competition, there are several ways to enhance your technique and strength.   

Below is a guide on how to get better at powerlifting and maximize your potential.

1. Master the Fundamentals of Each Lift

Powerlifting is all about perfecting your form and technique for the squat, bench press, and deadlift. Here’s how you can improve each lift:

Squat

Mastering the squat is essential for improving your powerlifting skills. This requires a combination of proper technique, body weight control, and specific strategies tailored to your weight class. 

Here are the key technical points to enhance your squat performance:

• Setup and Grip: Position your hands on the bar to facilitate a tight setup. Squeeze your elbows towards your body to enhance upper back tightness, which is crucial for stability during the lift.

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• Breathing and Bracing: Inhale deeply into your lower back to create intra-abdominal pressure, which supports your nervous system during the squat. Maintain this pressure throughout the lift.

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• Foot Placement and Balance: Ensure even weight distribution across your feet—the big toe, little toe, and heel should all be engaged. Avoid excessive leaning back onto your heels—instead, focus on a balanced descent.

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• Descent Technique: To effectively utilize the stretch reflex, commit to a controlled yet rapid descent. Aim for a speed that matches your technique's capability.

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• Knee Alignment: To create hip torque, keep your knees aligned with or slightly outside your toes. Instead of pushing your knees out excessively, think about "screwing" your feet into the ground.

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• Ascending from Depth: Initiate the ascent by driving your head and shoulders back into the bar while keeping your chest up. This helps maintain an upright torso and prevents forward. 

Bench Press

Excelling in powerlifting demands mastering the bench press through precision technique, targeted training strategies, and maximizing upper body strength for peak performance. 

Here’s a detailed guide to help you improve your bench press skills: 

• Setup

• Lie flat on the bench with your eyes directly under the barbell.

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• Keep your feet flat on the floor and maintain a slight arch in your lower back to enhance stability.    

• Grip

• To optimize muscle engagement, use a grip slightly wider than shoulder width; a wider grip emphasizes the chest, while a narrower grip targets the triceps more.

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• Ensure your wrists are straight and strong to prevent injury during heavy lifts.

• Unrack and Descent

• Unrack the barbell and hold it directly over your chest with arms fully extended.

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• Lower the barbell slowly toward your chest, keeping your elbows at a 45-degree angle.

• Press

• Press the bar back up by extending your arms and driving through your heels. This leg drive is essential for generating power during the lift.

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• Avoid bouncing the bar off your chest; gently touch it before pressing back up.

• Breathing

• Inhale as you lower the bar and exhale when pressing it back up. Proper breathing helps maintain core stability throughout the lift

Deadlift

Mastering the deadlift is essential for success in a powerlifting meet. This compound movement engages multiple muscle groups and is vital for building strength. 

Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you improve your deadlift technique and performance:

• Stance and Grip

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, toes slightly pointed outward. Grip the bar just outside your knees with your hands shoulder-width apart.

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• Take a wider stance, with feet at a 45-degree angle, and grip the bar inside your knees. This variation can benefit those with longer limbs or specific mobility needs.

• Setup

• Position the bar over the middle of your feet.

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• Bend at the hips and knees to grasp the bar, ensuring your shins are close to it.

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• Maintain a flat or slightly arched back, engaging your core to keep a neutral spine throughout the lift.

• Engagement and Bracing

• Take a deep breath into your belly to create intra-abdominal pressure, stabilizing your nervous system during the lift. This is crucial for maintaining proper form and preventing injury.

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• Pull your hips down towards the bar to create tension in your glutes and hamstrings before initiating the lift.

2. Follow a Structured Strength Training Session

A well-designed strength training program targets specific goals, guiding lifters to steadily build strength while optimizing squat, bench press, and deadlift performance.   

Popular programs include:

Starting Strength

• Target Audience: Beginners

• Ideal for a beginner powerlifter, this program focuses on linear progression and building foundational strength in the squat, bench press, and deadlift.

Candito 6-Week Strength Program

• Target Audience: Intermediate lifters

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• Utilizes three-week training cycles with heavy, explosive, and repetition days to promote variety while effectively targeting the main lifts

Westside Barbell Method

• Target Audience: Experienced lifters

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• This advanced system focuses on developing speed, maximal strength, and explosive power through dynamic and max-effort upper training days. 

5/3/1 (Jim Wendler)

• Target Audience: All levels

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• A popular intermediate program that rotates through different rep schemes, emphasizing long-term progression in strength.

Stick to your program for several months to see measurable improvements.

3. Prioritize Progressive Overload

Progressive overload is the cornerstone of powerlifting, driving continuous strength gains and muscle growth. Here’s why mastering this principle matters to optimize performance and ensure long-term success: 

Stimulates Strength Gains

Progressive overload requires steadily increasing workout intensity to stimulate strength adaptations. Gradually adding weight, reps, or volume challenges the muscles, driving the body to adapt and grow stronger. 

Failing to increase powerlifting training demands leads to plateaus, halting progress and limiting strength gains.   

Enhances Muscle Hypertrophy

Progressive overload directly triggers muscle growth by forcing fibers to rebuild under heavier loads or refined training variables, ensuring continual strength and hypertrophy progression.

Improves Mental Toughness

Engaging in a structured, progressive overload program requires discipline and focus. Lifters must remain committed to their training goals while managing their expectations about progress. 

This process builds physical strength and enhances mental resilience as lifters learn to push through challenges and maintain consistency in their efforts.

Facilitates Safe Progression

Implementing progressive overload allows for a safer approach to increasing workout intensity. 

By following a structured plan that typically recommends gradual increases—often suggested to be around 5-10% per week—lifters can minimize the risk of injury associated with sudden spikes in training load or intensity. 

This careful progression helps ensure that adaptations occur without overwhelming the body.

“Think about it this way: If you break a max by 5 pounds a month, that's 60 pounds a year. If you keep doing that, you're going to be a bad dude.”
—Louie Simmons

The primary lifts target major muscle groups, but you’ll also need to focus on accessory work to strengthen smaller muscles that contribute to overall success in a powerlifting meet. Having the basic equipment, such as arm sleeves, can make accessory exercises more effective in building balanced strength and preventing injuries.  

Some key accessory exercises include:

• For Squats: Lunges, step-ups, and leg presses to develop quad and glute strength.

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• For Bench Press: Tricep dips, overhead presses, and push-ups to strengthen triceps and shoulders.

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• For Deadlifts: Romanian deadlifts, glute bridges, and pull-ups to work the posterior chain and upper back.

These accessory exercises improve muscle balance, prevent injuries, and enhance your ability to lift heavier.

5. Work on Mobility and Flexibility

Mobility is often overlooked in powerlifting but plays a big role in achieving proper form and depth in lifting weights. Incorporate daily mobility work such as:  

• Hip mobility drills: For better squat depth and positioning.

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• Thoracic spine mobility: To improve bench press arch and deadlift posture.

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• Ankle mobility: Crucial for maintaining balance and stability during squats.

Flexibility routines, such as yoga or dynamic stretching, can also help prevent injury and enhance recovery.

6. Focus on Recovery

To get stronger, your muscles need time to recover and adapt. Incorporate these recovery strategies into your routine:

Prioritizing recovery in powerlifting is vital for maximizing performance, preventing injuries, and ensuring long-term progress in strength development. Both physical training stress and daily life stress can impact recovery. 

Track your overall stress levels and adjust your training session based on how you feel physically and mentally.

Consider a Coach or Mentor

If you’re serious about powerlifting, consider working with a qualified coach. A good coach can help you perfect your technique, create personalized programs, and provide valuable feedback and support. 

Many lifters find that having an experienced mentor helps them break through plateaus and avoid injuries.

“It’s not about perfect. It’s about effort. And when you bring that effort every single day, that’s where transformation happens. That’s how change occurs.”
—Jillian Michaels, Fitness Expert and TV Personality

Take Your Powerlifting to New Heights

Powerlifting improvement requires time, dedication, and precision. Perfect your technique, follow structured programs, and prioritize recovery to see progress. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned lifter, sustained consistency will elevate your performance. 

Remember, powerlifting success is a marathon, not a sprint. Be sure to explore our selection of custom powerlifting apparel before you go! From custom powerlifting singlets to a wide range of personalizable training apparel options, show up to your next meet in style!