Ep. #829: Kyle Hunt on Getting Started With Powerlifting

In this podcast, Kyle Hunt and I discuss powerlifting. While I’ve written a bit about powerlifting in the past and done some powerlifting-style training myself, I wanted to get a true expert in the field onto the podcast to chat about it in a bit more detail. In case you’re not familiar with Kyle, he’s a competitive powerlifter, coach, author, and owner of Hunt Fitness, who’s worked with hundreds of powerlifters and bodybuilders alike. He’s also the host of The Absolute Strength Podcast, which I’ve been a guest on a couple of times, and he’s appeared on Muscle For Life twice before to discuss powerbuilding and bodybuilding for beginners. Even if you don’t aspire to be the world’s strongest lifter and have no intention of competing at a meet, powerlifting still has something to offer. At the very least, a powerlifting training block can help add some spice to your training life and keep things interesting. In this interview, Kyle Hunt addresses common misconceptions about powerlifting, technique tweaks, what a powerlifting routine might look like, equipment recommendations, why you should consider participating in a powerlifting meet, meet strategies, and a lot more. So, if you’re at all interested in trying powerlifting or just want to know more about what it is, this is a podcast you don’t want to miss! Timestamps: 8:07 - Who should do powerlifting? 15:00 - Why you shouldn't always be grinding out your sets. 17:27 - What are some common misconceptions about powerlifting 24:00 - How much of a difference does technique improvement make? Should you increase frequency? 29:41 - Why are heavy singles beneficial? 33:58 - What role does confidence play in your strength and performance? 35:56 - Attempt selection strategy. 37:15 - Should you go for the heaviest lift on your third attempt? 40:31 - How can someone get started with powerlifting? 43:12 - Why should you consider doing a powerlifting meet? 45:22 - Weight class discussion. 49:12 - Should you do cardio during a powerlifting program? 57:06 - What's a good program to get started with powerlifting? 59:41 - How do you assess one powerlifting program versus another? 1:04:40 - What type of weightlifting belt do you recommend? 1:06:10 - What shoes do you recommend? 1:15:53 - Where can people find you and your work? Mentioned on the Show: Kyle’s Absolute Strength podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-absolute-strength-podcast/id1146086687 Kyle’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/huntfitness/ Kyle’s book Bodybuilding For Beginners: https://www.amazon.com/Bodybuilding-Beginners-12-Week-Program-Muscle/dp/1641523611/?tag=mflweb-20 Beginner’s Guide to Weight Lifting: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082MSZ2XM/?tag=mflweb-20 Strength Training For Beginners: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08BW24GQ8/?tag=mflweb-20 Legion VIP One-on-One Coaching: https://buylegion.com/vip