Equipped Powerlifting…a mind game

I LOVE equipped lifting, and took it up in an era where it could be considered a dying sport with the rise of raw powerlifting…..

Unlike its raw counterpart, equipped powerlifting incorporates additional equipment such as a squat suit and wraps, a bench shirt and a deadlift suit. This equipment is designed to enhance performance, allowing lifters to handle heavier loads and break personal bests.

While lifting more weight is what we are all as powerlifters striving to achieve, equipped powerlifting is an incredibly challenging sport. Not only does it require raw strength (yes we still do loads of raw training) but a HUGE amount of metal determination.

Put simply it hurts…..a whole lot… While you do (kind of) get used to it….by the time you get under the bar (or to it in deadlifts) half the battle is won.

The suits and shirts are suffocating, both literally and metaphorically, as it restricts movement and places immense pressure on the body.

Equipped highlights your weaknesses but in turn supports your strengths…all of us have had a scary bench fail….and an epic squat session where we feel invincible.

What keeps me coming back to equipped week after week is that no two sessions are the same. I can’t have expectations of how the session (or competition) will go as conditions always change. It forces me to lift in the moment and enjoy the long term process.