Choose first-meet attempts with a decision plan

Use recent, comparable evidence

Start with a short list of recent successful singles or manageable sets in the competition variation. Include the date, load, judging-relevant technique and how difficult the lift felt. A touch-and-go bench personal best is not the same evidence as a paused bench with commands. A squat recorded without a clear view of depth is less useful than one your coach has reviewed under the intended rules.

Separate completed lifts from estimated one-rep maximums. An estimate from a rep set can help describe a trend, but it cannot confirm that a specific single will succeed under commands. Do not make an opener depend on converting a calculator estimate into an exact meet-day prediction. If your evidence is thin, prioritize getting experience with a load you have actually handled well.

Give the opener a clear job

The opener is your first chance to put a valid result on the board for that lift. Choose something you can approach confidently using your established setup, depth or pause, and the referee's signals. Avoid assigning a universal percentage: two lifters with the same best single can have very different consistency and technical experience. Discuss the choice with a coach or experienced handler who has seen your recent practice.

Write a sentence explaining the choice. For example: 140 kg squat because recent 140 kg singles were controlled at reviewed depth, with the same equipment and walkout. This makes the choice reviewable. If the only justification is that 140 kg looks better than 137.5 kg on the entry form, you have not yet identified a reason to prefer it.

Know which decisions become final

IPF ordinary loads use 2.5 kg steps. Submit the next attempt within one minute of the decision lights. Submitted second attempts and third squat/bench attempts are fixed. Third deadlifts permit two changes before the loaded-bar call. One opener change is allowed before the announced deadline.

That short window means your discussion needs a usable starting point. Keep the ordinary plan and a smaller-jump option together. Ask the meet official where attempts go and how receipt is confirmed. Record-related exceptions and unusual officiating situations require the full rulebook and the officials' instructions; a first-meet planning sheet is not a substitute for them. Other federations may have different procedures.

Sources: IPF Technical Rulebook, effective 1 March 2026, version 3

A worked kilogram plan with alternatives

Here is an original example for a lifter whose practice supports these loads. It illustrates a decision sheet, not recommended numbers for an unknown athlete. The third column gives a possible second after a comfortable, valid opener. The fourth is an alternative to discuss if that opener succeeds but is more demanding than expected.

If the lifter later completes 157.5 kg, 95 kg and 185 kg, the total is 437.5 kg. If the successful bests remain 150 kg, 90 kg and 175 kg, the total is 415 kg. Only successful results belong in that calculation. Neither total is assumed merely because it appears on the plan.

Respond to the reason for a miss

A technical miss and an unsuccessful effort ask different questions. If the bar moved comfortably but the attempt failed for a command or technique issue, first identify what happened. Have your handler obtain the stated reason and reduce your next instruction to one clear cue. Repeating the load may be a sensible option; adding weight does not solve a missed command.

If you could not complete the lift, review your setup and how the warm-up felt before choosing the next attempt. Do not increase simply to preserve the original spreadsheet. A concern about pain or an unusual symptom should take priority over the total. The decision sheet should leave space to stop, rather than treating all nine planned attempts as obligations.

Make the third a deliberate choice

After a successful second, use its effort and technical quality to decide whether a further increase is reasonable. A smooth second does not require an aggressive third, and a slow second does not create a duty to chase a personal best. Decide which goal matters most: more experience with commands, a modest improvement, or a total supported by the day so far.

For a total target, subtract the successful squat and bench from that target before discussing the final deadlift. If the target is 450 kg and the successful squat and bench sum to 252.5 kg, the remaining amount is 197.5 kg. Arithmetic identifies the requirement; it does not establish that the load is an appropriate attempt. Your recent evidence and earlier deadlifts still decide that.

Assign the submission job and review afterward

Before lifting starts, agree who watches the lights, who discusses the next number and who submits it. Put the lifter's name, units, rack settings and attempt options on one sheet. A helper should read the chosen load back before submitting it. This prevents an avoidable mismatch between a spoken pound number and a kilogram entry.

After the meet, save all attempts, their results and the reason for each change. A useful review asks whether the opener was supported by practice and whether later choices reflected what happened. Do not judge the plan solely by nine-for-nine success or one personal best. The record should make your next meet's decisions easier and more informed.

Sources and scope

These references support the specific factual points cited above. The examples and decision aids are original illustrations, not individualized coaching or medical advice.

• IPF Technical Rulebook, effective 1 March 2026, version 3

  Checked 6 October 2026; sections 6.1 and 6.3 support submission deadlines, attempt changes and ordinary increments. Examples and attempt-selection judgments are original illustrations.