Lift Attempt Selection

Lift Attempt Selection

Over this past year, I learned a lot about lift attempt selection. Most of this happened through trial and error. And I expect anyone new to powerlifting will likely have their own trials and errors with lift attempts. However, if you would like a little less error then read on.



A lot of people, even experienced lifters, do a poor job at lift selection. Heck, last weekend I saw a very strong lifter fail on all 3 of his lifts and end up coming in last place with a low total, when he easily could have had first place with good lift selection. There is always the possibility that particular lifter was just all about going for the gusto and didn’t really care about the final results. But there is also the possibility that he, along with many other lifters, didn’t have good lift selection for a strong total.

Common Mistakes in Lift Selection

Lifting Too Much Too Soon

Your first lift should not be your max lift. And typically competitors I see who try to make it their max lift, fail on all 3 of their lifts. Each lift attempt should be greater than the previous.

Increasing Lift Attempts Too Aggressively

If your first lift attempt is 200lbs, your 2nd lift attempt shouldn’t be 300lbs. Either your first lift attempt is too low or your 2nd lift attempt is too high. The point is that one of those lift attempts were wasted, regardless of if you make both lifts.

Your First Lift Attempt

Your first lift attempt should be heavy, but not so heavy that there is any doubt as to whether or not you will complete the lift. This is the lift that you could make rolling out of bed at 2am in the morning still half drunk from the night before (just kidding about the half drunk part). As a general rule, this is about 90% of your 1RM (one rep max). It’s a confidence builder and a warmup that fires up your central nervous system. It’s also the worst case scenario for that lift in calculating your total.

Your Second Lift Attempt

You should have a LOT of confidence in your 2nd lift attempt also. This is your fallback plan if your final lift attempt fails. It’s a hard lift that should post a good number and it’s something you have lifted before.

Judge your second lift based on your experience and how you feel. But in general, this lift should be 97%-99% of your one rep max (a max you have lifted before). If you hit your 2nd lift then you will be that much more likely to break a PR (personal record) on your 3rd lift attempt. And if you fail on 3rd attempt then a successful 2nd attempt should still give you some good numbers to build your total.

Your Third Lift Attempt

This is when you go for the gusto. If you hit your 2nd attempt then this is when you try to set a new PR. Don’t go too crazy though. Remember, if you hit just 2.5kilo more than your last PR, it’s still a new PR. But if you miss your lift then you haven’t broken any ground.

If you fail on your 2nd attempt then it’s decision time. Should you try the same weight or should you drop it? Personally, I think in most cases if your 2nd attempt is 5kilo or more over your 1st attempt then you drop your 3rd lift attempt down just one notch from your 2nd attempt and take the higher score.

However, it’s your call. Some people stick with the same weight for their 3rd attempt if they miss their 2nd attempt. But know this, you are much more likely to miss your 3rd attempt if you missed your 2nd attempt. Be honest with yourself if you are going to try to hit the same numbers again after failure; what changed between your your failed 2nd attempt and your 3rd attempt?

Posted by Clayton Long