Glossary of Powerlifting Terms for Beginners

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 Lifts:

• Squat:  Kicking off the powerlifting competition is the squat. Athletes begin with the bar racked, then lift it onto their upper back, once displaying control of the bar the head judge will give a squat command, athlete will then descend until the crease of the hip is lower than the plane of the knee,  maintaining proper form, they then rise back to a standing position,  where the head judge will give a "rack" command, the lifter will place the bar in the rack completing the lift.
• Bench Press:    The second lift of a powerlifting meet is the bench press. Here, athletes lie on a bench with the barbell racked above them. They grip the bar and unrack it, lowering it towards their chest in a controlled manner they touch the bar lightly to their chest, the head judge will give a “press” command from this point, they powerfully push the weight back to its starting position, receiving a “rack” command.
• Deadlift:  The powerlifting competition culminates in the deadlift. This test of pure power begins with the barbell resting on the floor. Athletes approach the bar, the head judge will have a hand raised above their head, and the lifter will grip the bar firmly, they initiate the lift, pulling the weight upwards in a controlled motion. Keeping their back straight and core engaged, they elevate the bar to full hip extension, once fully locked out the head judge will lower their raised hand indicating that the lifter may put the bar down, lift complete

Form & Technique:

• Form: The proper way to perform an exercise to maximize effectiveness and minimize injury risk.
• Rep (Repetition): One complete cycle of an exercise (e.g., one full squat).
• Set: A group of repetitions performed consecutively without rest.
• Sticking Point: The point in a lift where it becomes difficult to continue raising the weight.

Equipment:

• Barbell: A long metal rod with weights attached to both ends.
• Plates: Discs with various weights that are loaded onto the barbell.
• Squat Rack: A frame that holds the barbell at different heights for squats and other exercises.
• Mono Lift: like a squat rack, but it eliminates the need to walk out your squats ensuring a safer lift. 
• Bench Press: A padded bench used for the bench press exercise.
• Deadlift platform: A raised platform used for deadlifts to improve starting position and leverage.
• Lifting Belt: A supportive belt is worn around the waist for added stability during heavy lifts.
• Knee Wraps: A compression-type wraps that are designed to provide support and stability to the knee joints. 
• Wrist Wraps: Compression-type wraps that are designed to provide support and stability to the wrist. 
• Equipped lifting: powerlifting that involves using squat suits, bench shirts, and deadlift suits during competition. These suits can be one-ply, which is referred to as single-ply lifting, or multi-ply, which is referred to as multi-ply.
• Single Ply:  Single-ply powerlifting is a type of equipped powerlifting that uses a single layer of high-resistance fabric. The suit is made entirely of polyester and uses the rebound to propel the lifter up during squats. 
• Multi-Ply: Multi-ply gear like single ply is a supportive suit, briefs, and/or shirt that has two or more layers of fabric. 

Other Terms:

• Warm-up: Light exercise performed before training to prepare the body for heavier lifting.
• Cool-down: Light exercise performed after training to decrease heart rate and assist recovery.
• Personal Record (PR): The highest weight you have successfully lifted in a specific exercise.
• Meet A powerlifting competition where athletes attempt to lift the most weight in each of the three lifts.