Some thoughts on form

When you are lifting to potentially compete, form is important, as the proper execution of lifts is the difference between having your lift count towards competition or not. Power lifting is more of an explosive movement, the idea being that when you are lifting that much weight, you want to get it moving quickly or you will waste energy. So without further ado - here are some notes on proper power lifting form.

Bench press - Power lifters actually arch their backs, putting their shoulder blades against the bench, to engage the lats (back) muscles. They also go up on their toes to engage the quadriceps (leg) muscles. When you arch your back, you'll have less distance to go when bringing the bar down. In power lifting competition, you have to have the bar touch your chest right at the sternum for the lift to count. Note that if you have the bar touch above the sternum, you will use too much of your shoulder muscles, and could end up with a nice little rotator cuff injury like the one I'm dealing with esp. if you are lifting heavy. NOTE: the first time you try the five sets, you might want to go down in weight 20 pounds or so from your maximum, if you have been building up or pyramiding on your sets previously. Also note that when doing the 5 sets, you will rest 2 - 3 minutes between each set.

Squat - Load up the bar on the rack (low enough that you have to crouch a bit to get under), step up under it with a wide (slightly more than shoulder width) stance and position yourself under the bar. Take all the time you need doing this, because once you lift the weight you will want to step back quickly and get into the squat. Make sure your back is arched and bend at the knees, balancing over the middle of your foot or even slightly toward your heels. Engage your core muscles by sucking in your gut. Stop when your thighs are slightly below parallel to the floor (that is a power lifting requirement). Drive up through your heels on the way back.

Dead lift - For powerlifting form, you will load the bar on the floor and lift it from there. Make sure you are standing close to the bar, bend at the knees, and grip the bar at shoulder width. I use an over/under grip so that one hand is gripping the bar palm up and the other is palm down - I simply change up the hands for each set. When ready, lift the bar, arching your back slightly to engage the deltoids, sucking in your gut to engage the core, straightening your arms and bringing the weight up to your hips. When you have completed this movement, bend over and clank the weight on the floor before moving on to the next repetition. Deadlifting is a great workout because you use so many major muscle groups to pull it off.

Flexibility is very important for each of these lifts, and it's easy to lose flexibility as you gain strength. Stretching prior to lifting, as well as between sets and post-workout, is key.