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What is Opener?
Opener is the first weight a lifter calls for each of the three competition lifts, and it's the one attempt where conservative beats ambitious almost every time. A good opener isn't a personal record attempt — it's closer to a confident last warm-up performed on the platform, chosen specifically so a lifter walks away with a successful lift, a clean bar in hand, and momentum for the harder attempts still to come.
How it works
Openers work as the foundation of a three-attempt strategy: because attempts 2 and 3 are typically planned as jumps from attempt 1, a missed opener doesn't just cost a lift — it can force a lifter to repeat the same weight, throwing off the rest of the meet plan and adding pressure that increases the odds of missing again. Coaches commonly describe a solid opener as something a lifter could triple on their worst day, which usually lands around 88-93% of a lifter's best verified single. Anything much above 93% starts to carry real technical risk, since there's little room for a slightly off bar path or a slow start under near-maximal load.
The scale
| Typical opener target | ~88-93% of a verified/competition-ready best single |
| Feel | About RPE 7-8 — comfortably heavy, not a grind |
| Common gut-check | "Could you triple this on a bad day?" — if yes, it's a safe opener |
There's no official rule fixing this number — it's a coaching convention refined over decades of meets, not a law of physics. Some experienced lifters open closer to 95% when confident in their day; beginners and anyone unsure of their true max should stay closer to 88-90%.
Worked example
Say a lifter's best verified squat single is 180 kg. Here's how they and their coach might set the day's attempts starting with the opener.
| Attempt | Weight | % of best single | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opener (Attempt 1) | 165 kg | ~92% | A weight tripled recently in training — near-certain to succeed |
| Attempt 2 | 175-177.5 kg | ~97-99% | A moderate jump based on how the opener felt |
| Attempt 3 | 182.5 kg+ | 100%+ | The lifter's real attempt at a new competition PR |
The opener sets the tone — a clean, confident 165 kg squat here makes the jump to a new PR at attempt 3 feel achievable instead of desperate.
Opener vs a gym PR attempt
| Opener | Gym PR attempt | |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Near-certain success, sets up the meet | Testing the absolute ceiling, misses are acceptable |
| Typical % | ~88-93% of best single | 100%+, sometimes attempted with less certainty |
| Consequence of a miss | Disrupts the entire attempt plan for that lift | Just try again another session |
| Mindset | Conservative, almost routine | Aggressive, exploratory |
Treating an opener like a PR attempt is one of the most common ways lifters sabotage an otherwise good meet.
By goal
- First-time competitors: Open conservatively, closer to 88-90% of a verified single, so nerves and unfamiliar platform conditions don't turn a normally-easy weight into a miss.
- Experienced competitors: A confident, well-peaked lifter can push toward 92-93%, since they have more data on how their strength translates from the gym to the platform.
Common misconceptions
- "Your opener should be close to your best gym lift." A gym PR and a safe competition opener are different by design — openers are chosen to be a near-certain success, often 88-93% of a verified best single, not a test of your ceiling.
- "A bigger opener always means a better total." Missing an opener disrupts the entire attempt plan and adds pressure to attempts 2 and 3, often costing more total weight than a conservative opener that sets up two clean follow-up attempts.
- "You should never miss an opener, so pick it as light as possible." An opener that's too light wastes an attempt that could have banked more weight — the goal is the heaviest weight you're still highly confident you'll make, not the lightest possible weight.
Related terms
Opener FAQ
What percentage should my opener be?
Most coaches target roughly 88-93% of a lifter's verified best single — a weight confidently tripled on a bad training day, not a maximal or near-maximal attempt.
What happens if I miss my opener?
A missed opener is usually repeated at the same weight on attempt 2, which costs an attempt and adds pressure to the rest of the meet, one reason coaches push for a conservative first weight.
Should my opener be a new PR?
No. An opener should be well within a lifter's current capability, not a personal record; PR attempts are reserved for attempt 3, when a miss costs the least.
How do I know if my opener is too heavy?
If it isn't a weight you could confidently triple on a rough day, or it feels closer to RPE 9-10 than 7-8, it's likely too aggressive for a safe opener.
Who decides the opener weight?
A lifter and their coach typically decide together, based on recent verified training numbers, how peaking has gone, and how the lifter feels leading into meet day.
References
- How to Pick Your Attempts at a Powerlifting Meet. PowerliftingToWin
- Powerlifting Competition Attempt Calculator & Meet Strategy. StrengthLog
- A Powerlifter's Guide to Attempt Selection. USA Powerlifting Maryland
- IPF Technical Rules Book 2023 (attempt and weight-change rules). International Powerlifting Federation
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