Bench-Only at Powerlifting Meet

[MattimusMaximus]

Has any entered a "Bench-Only" competition at a powerlifting meet?

The reason I ask is because there is a meet here in March that I was interested in but the 3-lifts portion filled up too quickly and now there's a wait-list. The bench-only is still available though but I feel like a weak moron entering a one-lift contest that I'm not even that good at... I thought it might be okay to get a taste for my first competition though? Less pressure?

Anywho, hopefully someone will have some input about this. Otherwise I will have to wait until August to do a full 3-lift competition, if I'm even going to join.

[Wilhelm]

If it's the lift you're "not good at", why not get a little extra experience in it?
For sure it will focus you on it more in training.
nOOb thoughts here.

[Manveer]

I’d imagine it would be less pressure. I get nervous about squatting. Not really benching. That could be because squats are first too.

[chromoly]

It's weird that there's still space in bench only, but not full power. Have you asked the meet director about getting in on a wait list? People drop out of meets all the time.

I've never done bench only, but from my understanding, you still weigh in at the same time as others in your weight class who are competing full power. You also have to wait until the end to get any awards you may have won.

[MattimusMaximus]

I’d imagine it would be less pressure. I get nervous about squatting. Not really benching. That could be because squats are first too.

If it's the lift you're "not good at", why not get a little extra experience in it?
For sure it will focus you on it more in training.
nOOb thoughts here.

I wouldn't say I'm very good at anything right now as the weight I gained in the past year or two didn't really do that much for strength so my Wilks is kind of crap lol.

Yeah, I'm thinking less pressure too and the experience would be kind of nice. Plus I just checked my province's records from a November meet. The guy who won the bench-only was the same bodyweight as me and his bench was 165kg. I believe my best bench so far is 136kg so I should be in somewhat close proximity to the rest of the lifters and not embarrass myself too much

I get really nervous with squatting too. One of many reasons I haven't entered a competition yet. I couldn't imagine my squatting anxiety if I was putting up the kind of numbers you're putting up Manveer!

It's weird that there's still space in bench only, but not full power. Have you asked the meet director about getting in on a wait list? People drop out of meets all the time.

I've never done bench only, but from my understanding, you still weigh in at the same time as others in your weight class who are competing full power. You also have to wait until the end to get any awards you may have won.

I thought that was weird too! We'll see, I might ask for the wait-list... but I'm anxious to do a full meet (first time). I won't have to worry about awards lol.

[beancounter]

Has any entered a "Bench-Only" competition at a powerlifting meet?

Yes. It was way quicker and less stressful than a full competition. I lifted ~40 kg less than the class winner and came 3/3 in my class.

I've never done bench only, but from my understanding, you still weigh in at the same time as others in your weight class who are competing full power. You also have to wait until the end to get any awards you may have won.

I thought that was weird too! We'll see, I might ask for the wait-list... but I'm anxious to do a full meet (first time). I won't have to worry about awards lol.

The competition I did was entirely bench-only, so we had a two-hour weigh in and presentation after everyone had finished benching. But I've also seen bench-only competitors work in during a three-lift competition and it did work the way @chromoly said.

[LexAnderson]

Enter the bench only and have fun with it. Ask to get put on the wait list and if you're able to do the full meet then have them remove you from the bench only. If they have push/pull available I would try that too.