Powerlifting is about strength not speed, but it requires an attribute seemingly out of favor in our age of instant gratification: discipline. The important thing with powerlifting is to keep plugging along, one week at a time, one day at a time, one meal at a time.

If you know that getting strong is hard, and it hurts, and takes a lot of time, and a lot of guts you think you don't have, you might be asking: Why should I bother? Think about how good it feels after you're done working out. Think about how good it will feel to watch your muscle mass grow and your strength increase. With powerlifting, it helps to have a great support system from athletes who know the ropes.

That being said, try your best to get a training partner with similar goals or to train around people you know will push you and not allow you to back down from lifting heavy weights.

Creatine is a popular supplement with powerlifters. Although not everybody responds to creatine, most bodybuilders find it boosts both performance and gains in muscle mass. If I were you I would try taking creatine supplements. Always consult your physician before beginning any new supplements, however. Unless you have checked to see if any substance is specifically approved - you should not put it into your body.

So many people neglect other electrolytes that are needed, such as potassium and magnesium. So make sure you have a balanced supplement intake.

Since powerlifting is all about one shot it doesn't really matter if you can do the second and third rep rather easily all that matters is the first. It can be hard to gauge how exactly many reps one will be able to get with a given weight since success requires such a tremendous power output.

Don't forget to breathe in, and while performing the lift, don't forget to breathe out. With powerlifting, take some time to enjoy the fruits of your labor, train but just for the enjoyment of training for a couple of weeks, then go for it again.

Also, be sure and eat a lot of protein to feed your muscles and build mass. Powerlifting may not be easy at first, but stay focused. Stick with it and just keep adding a little bit to your workout every single workout, whether it be pounds, reps or effort the results will come. In the end you will be successful.

Harold Campbell is a hard working bodybuilder who has accomplished much in the field.