The Basics of Powerlifting Episode 1: The required equipment.

The basics of powerlifting: A series of articles by Craig Cassie

Introduction

Hello all.

Within this series I will be covering the basics of powerlifting from the required equipment, ‘minimum standards’, speciality barbells to listing and giving information on the top 3 federations we see today in the UK.

If you’re unsure if powerlifting is for you, simply want to learn more about the sport or what it takes to compete within powerlifting, please read through this article series and hopefully it will help guide you into a pathway that you deem suitable for yourself! Or you may actually just decide to run away, understandable really. 

The required (powerlifting) equipment.

In this initial episode I will be covering the equipment needed to compete and train within powerlifting, and also the optional pieces of equipment you may wish to gather along the way.

Contrary to what you see all over social media, everyone flaunting the latest drop from their favourite brand reselling the exact same product in a different colour, the equipment to train and compete in powerlifting is actually very minimal, much more minimal than you may believe. 

The singlet.

The basic requirement to compete is a singlet, yes that is all, if you are competing on some novice platforms or gym ran competitions you don’t even need one of those. Yet if you wish to compete within a federation and get a total on the ultimate ego checker that is open powerlifting, a singlet is all you require. 

The main point of a singlet is to help make judging consistent and stop people hiding dodgy depth and lockouts. It’s not about looking good under the lights. 

Now who doesn’t want to wear a super thin baby grow and stand under some bright lights straining! 

Worth noting deadlift socks are also an essential requirement for the deadlift in competition to stop folks leaving skin/blood on the bar, very little to say on them nip down to sports direct and grab a £3 pair of Sondico football socks.

Gym requirements.

Yet again another misconception around powerlifting is which gyms are suitable for powerlifting training. The answer is all of them are suitable in some capacity. 

Now don’t get me wrong some gyms ban chalk and the deadlift, but even these gyms can serve a purpose. Due to work constraints I spent about 8 months one year doing all my speed bench in my local leisure centre, so in a pinch or to save commuting time to a ‘powerlifting gym’ when it isn’t the most practical around work/family they can more than serve a purpose. Even the most remote leisure centres these days have racks or cages that can be used for squats or bench press.

To start this piece now I’ve finished wittering about your local leisure centre, let's look at what your average traditional ‘powerlifting gym’ contains speciality bars aside, (I will also have an entry about these), they contain at the very minimum cages or combo racks for squatting MAYBE a Monolift if you’re lucky, then minimal machines, full dumbbell selection and a set of cables. It is the basics that have been getting people big and strong for many years, more years than anyone reading this article has been alive. No booty builder, no three pin variable load plate row or pendulum squat, just shifting some tin on a dirty chalk and talc covered floor with the odd spot of blood on knurling of the bars around the gym.

Funnily enough that is what you find in almost every gym these days, not the chalk, talc or blood, but with the boom of the fitness industry and powerlifting on the whole with the prevalence of social media and since the rona. As previously stated even your local council-run leisure centre will have enough equipment for you to get squat and bench sessions complete, deadlift can be a bit sketchy, but your local chain 24 hour gym will have at least one platform now. 

The training requirements for powerlifting in regards to equipment can be as low as you want it to be, you’re in your garage with a barbell and plates? Awesome that's workable and a comfortable environment for you. You’re at a 24 hour fitness to fit your busy schedule yet still have full access to barbell, plates, dumbbells and a rack? Brilliant. You’re at the super high tech northern body building mecca’s that have multiple machines for every plane of movement, yet still have the basics listed above? Great, expect some horrible accessories making use of these! 

It, in my opinion, is so important for you to find the right gym for you. That sounds very cliche and cringey I’ll admit. Hanging around at a powerlifting gym isn’t for everyone, ACDC blasting, dirty floors and people grunting/shouting might not be right for you. Yet the bodybuilding mecca might be, majority of people working largely quietly, (looking at you screaming bodybuilders on the leg press with wraps on), and working hard, generally speaking they’re very clean and all separated into different areas so easier to isolate yourself a little if not there at peak time. Busy with work or family obligations? 24 hour fitness may be for you. Powerlifting isn’t the be all and end all of life, contrary to what you see on social media, so having a gym you can just nip into to get your sessions in during your commute or during some family downtime sounds perfect. Don’t forget about your local leisure centre too, if you work in the NHS, (as I do), local council or any of the emergency services you will likely get reduced rates and full access to the centre including the pool & other activities providing great options for something a little different for GPP. 

Too long didn’t read - Find the right gym that you feel comfortable in, all equipment is workable if you have access to the basics. The point is to train somewhere you can be consistent, not chase the perfect setup as it might not be perfect on comp day.

Optional Equipment.

The Belt.

Yes a belt is optional, although out of all of the optional equipment the one I’d advise on having and learning to use correctly the most for the biggest support, upcoming article separate from this series on how to brace correctly not just flex your abs will cover this. There are several types of belt available with differing clasps so it is worth weighing up your options before splashing the cash as they are not the cheapest option when you look at the higher end products. Most belts listed below are both available in 10mm or 13mm thickness which is something else worth considering. The difference sounds minimal, yet everyone has their own personal preferences around these, if possible and you’re at a gym with others do try to get hands on with both, some people may find the 13mm more restrictive in the deadlift and the squat than the 10mm.

The Prong Belt.

The more traditional belt, largely similar design to your belt you use to hold your pants up or add that little extra flourish to your dress, just sometimes with two prongs instead of one. These belts tend to be the much more affordable option while remaining more versatile than other options such as the lever due to the tightness being quickly adjustable by tightening or loosening it in the same way you would your dress belt. It is worth noting with the prong belt though if you suffer with pressure problems there is no quick release function here, on the models that claim to be quick release they pale in comparison to the other options available. They also, outside of one major US brand, Pioneer, have only one inch adjustability between holes whereas Pioneer offers half inch adjustability which means there's no awkward in between holes moments.

The Classic Lever Belt.

Want your belt off as quickly as possible, and don’t believe you need the quick adjustability? The lever belt may be a good option. What it lacks in adjustability requiring a screwdriver and some patience to adjust the size, it sure more than makes up in the speed of which the pressure can be released post lift and released in pure style by flicking that belt open. These are very widely available now, although a pricier option than the prong belt, for those of you who don’t manipulate weight or fluctuate commonly these are a great option. I’ve always found the buckle adjustments to wear the screw holes out on these so in an ideal world the adjustments would be kept to a minimum. There have also been cases of the buckles blowing off requiring replacing, thankfully most of the major brands now offer a guarantee on them. Pioneer, (I promise I’m not being paid to keep mentioning them), now offer a lever belt that has a small level of adjustability with three settings in the fixed buckle without the use of a screwdriver making it a much more viable option to consider. In the UK Cerberus has the license to sell these on their belts, at the time of writing.

The SBD Belt.

No matter how many alibaba brands copy, it will be known as the SBD belt. All the size adjustability of a prong belt, but with the practicality of a lever. For many years these belts have set the standard and the price reflects that being the most expensive option in this list. Although the quality of the lever has noticeably changed throughout the years, (compare an old buckle to a newer one), it still stands alone at the top under all metrics. If you can get your hands on an older model second hand in good condition at a reasonable price it is worth snapping up. If you have to buy new, try to get hands on with the other styles of belt and one of the newer models so you can make a more informed decision in regards to your preferences as these sell for a pretty penny. Also worth noting these are only adjustable in one inch jumps like all of the other belts except for the pioneer, (nope still not being paid). 

At the end of the day your belt is largely a show piece if you don’t learn to brace properly so you can transfer more force efficiently, not just feel tighter. 

Knee Wraps

Depending on what class you choose to compete in limits your equipment choices, (upcoming article around the rules will cover this), you may have the ability to compete in knee wraps. 

Coming in lengths of 2m, 2.5m and 3m and numerous designs/fabrics offering different characteristics, the choice may feel overwhelming, and more isn’t always better. You see people in training hitting depth fine raw/sleeved then as soon as they put wraps on they struggle to hit depth consistently, they’re designed to be an aid not a crutch. 

With the many types of wraps allowed and the numerous ways you could self wrap your knees or have someone else, (preferred method), wrap them for you, it is worth consulting your chosen federation rule book on permitted length and if they allow any ‘extra material’ such as velcro. It is also worth noting rule books also state that there can not be excess fabric left over hanging freely from the wrap, so don’t just buy 3m and leave the extra trailing down.

General advice is to get yourself a softer pair to begin with, starting with 2m or maybe 2.5m at a push and becoming accustomed to the feeling, at the time when wrapped properly they may feel awful, but they go on quicker than the stiff sleeves you see these days and certainly come off quicker.

Speaking of the different materials they range from super soft springy wraps that don’t overly restrict the joint in any way, to the cast like wraps you see commonly used in multiply that don’t offer as much rebound, but limit the forward knee travel helping you sit back more into the equipment. 

More isn’t always better, sometimes a shorter tighter wrap offering less joint restriction could be all you need to go boing. 

Knee Sleeves

Now knee sleeves have started to get ridiculous, if you want to talk competition legal only sleeves yet again refer to your federation rulebook, some federations only allowed certain brands or certain thicknesses.

With the advent of the knee super stiff super tight sleeves we’re going to see raw numbers take another jump forward. They're often comparable, if you size down one or two sizes, to loose wraps, but take ten minutes to put on and three people to take them off you. 

If you wish to go the more sensible route the common choice is 7/9mm neoprene with which the tightness is dictated by your size purchase, people buying two sizes is not unheard of, having a training pair and a competition pair of sleeves.

Quite often lifters can be seen wearing them, (see also elbow sleeves and wrist wraps), on lifts that can leave you wondering why do you need them now, but they can quite easily become a mental assistance/crutch, (depending on your outlook), with the joint warmth and support they can offer. 

If you’re an equipped lifter you can look more outside of the hard to put on smelly neoprene sections and into the two and three ply offerings which are perfect to wear when out of wraps and require that little extra support, again though they shouldn’t be something to be relied upon.

Do everyone around you a favour and wash your damn sleeves often, this can help them tighten back up once worn too, not to mention the stench they can create from heavy usage, and you need to ask someone to help you take them off. Be a good gym person and don’t subject others to that!

Seriously though, knee sleeves can be a fantastic training tool for those in wraps or equipment, not just those of us who compete in knee sleeves. Need a little bit of pop sometimes or train in an arctic gym, finding the right pair can be perfect. 

Elbow Sleeves

The devil, obviously I’m being dramatic which I can’t promise won’t happen again.

Far too often are lifters completing all their bench sessions in elbow sleeves then wondering why their competition bench is less than the numbers they’ve hit in training.

Available in all the thicknesses and multiple plys listed above with the knee sleeves, just not usable on competition day.  

A tool when used correctly, as with everything else on this list, can be extremely useful whether that be helping keep joints warm in a cold gym or helping manage an injury or tendonitis, when of course you’re deciding to ignore the instructions you’ve been given to rest or reduce load. 

For equipped lifters they can be great for your raw ME work, as lets be honest we all want to be in the shirt anyway so if this is the best we can have to give a little extra help so be it. 

You’d be hard pressed to find a federation that allows the use of elbow sleeves (UKPU lets you wear them when squatting) so work with your coach to use them intelligently if they are something you want to use, don’t rely on them as it will only end in disappointment on the platform. 

Wrist Wraps

Easily the second most common item on this list you’ll see in the gym. 

Not just for the use of sitting around your wrist loose all session as you’ll see from some folks, made for cranking on and below your wrist to support the joint. Of course as with every other item, differing rule books have different standards for each of these so always check. 

Available in multiple lengths allowing extra revolutions and soft/regular/stiff material, you may think does it matter that much? If you’re the type of bencher who is thumbless or only have their thumb partly around the bar, super stiff wraps can actually force your hand into a more upright position than you are used to causing you to lose the bar out of your hand at times, if you want an example I’ve recently thrown 302.5kg onto my stomach at a bench only competition, yes there is a video find me to see it.

I can hear the cries now of, ‘BUT EVERYONE SHOULD BE HOLDING THE BAR IN X POSITION AND RUNNING IN THIS PATH OVER THE HAND’, yeah thats great mint go for it, are we just forgetting everyone is different and has different restrictions?

It feels like I’m repeating myself yet again, but if you can get hands on with some equipment it is always best to try out, also if you watch your hand position on your bench videos with no wraps it may give a clue as to which wrap might be most suitable for yourself.

For example I have a soft short pair and a long stiff pair, the soft pair is used for my heavier raw work when I noticeably have my hands almost tilted a little further back. The stiff pair comes out once I’m in the shirt and north of 250kg as I require that extra support due to a wrist break back when I was playing rugby.

Not one size fits all, have a look at your joints when you bench then try to make a decision accordingly if you can’t get hands on with a pair. Some people may require the more extreme longer pairs, some may prefer the softer pairs, they all allow a different hand position, find one to match yours.

Post script.

I can see how all of the above to the people newer to the sport may feel overwhelming or make powerlifting seem incredibly complicated and full of minutiae detail that needs to be studied. 

The true beauty of powerlifting is it is as complicated as you wish it to be, if you want to lift in just a singlet and belt, you can. Do you want to try all the equipment and compete like some budget inspector gadget? It's entirely possible too. Care about the latest colour way in a product you already own three times? There will be plenty of brands there to take your money. 

Powerlifting is a sport of whatever you allow it to be, to YOU. Just a style of training, competing with minimal equipment or full blown multiply, it's all viable, all has a place and its own community.

You Can Read More About Craig and His Coaching Here

---

JHEPC Conjugate Powerlifting Team (Online Group Coaching)

£29.99

Buy Now

---

Craig Cassie is a strength coach with over 17 years of coaching experience across rugby, strongman, and powerlifting. A former Team Josh Hezza athlete turned JHEPC coach, he’s known for his sharp technical eye, fast communication, and terrible sense of humour. Craig specialises in building strength, fitness, and resilience through a Conjugate-inspired approach that prioritises both performance and long-term health.

You can read more about him HERE.

Or Follow Him On Instagram HERE.

---