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There's a minimum to be sure - but you can join a competition-focused gym and start going as a spectator to meets even if you're not at a level to qualify yet!
by lelandfe 5y ago
There's a minimum to be sure - but you can join a competition-focused gym and start going as a spectator to meets even if you're not at a level to qualify yet!
Those folks are more than happy to help you develop along that road :)
But if you're competing as a male and can do a 1 rep max of either >300lb squat, >250lb bench, or >450lb deadlift, you'll likely be able to find an amateur competition to participate in!
As a final note, if you've never worked towards a 1 rep max, you likely have no idea what your upper limit is. I certainly didn't – my deadlift max wound up being nearly twice the weight I was expecting when I started.
- edanm 5y agoA 225lb bench is often considered a kind of minimum goal to work towards, usually achievable in ~2-3 years, I believe (depending on a lot of factors obviously). So that's somewhat in line with my expectation that you need a few years under your belt before you are really competitive. (FWIW, I've ben lifting somewhat seriously for a year and a half, far less seriously for a few years before that, and I bench ~155lbs 1RM, at least according to a 1RM calculator.)