Research which began by analysing more than 400,000 gym-goers worldwide has illustrated how important it is to persevere in the face of early struggles. 

University of the Sunshine Coast Senior Lecturer in Clinical Physiology Dr Dan van den Hoek contributed to the international study, which focused specifically on powerlifters. 

While the age of lifters was one of the greatest indicators of performance, so too was the dedication to stick with the sport for 200 weeks or more. 

Peak performance for powerlifters was usually reached after 4-6 years of competition. 

“Peak lifting was observed at around 27 years of age, but many athletes had to wait until their 10th competition before their best performance,” Dr van den Hoek said. 

“Higher frequency of competing was associated with reaching that peak earlier. 

“One encouraging thing to keep in mind for those starting out is that failing at lift attempts early in a powerlifting career had little bearing on long-term performance. 

“Being able to stick at it, and try, try again seems to be more important.” 

Findings were extracted from competition data between 2012-2026 for 6,524 athletes – whittled down from 420,069 based on criteria which enabled insightful comparison. 

The final cohort was comprised of 62% male lifters and 38% female. 

Analysis was restricted to those who participated in full-power meets incorporating the minimum three traditional lifts of squat, bench press and deadlift. 

In recent decades a number of factors – including social media and a broader understanding of compound weightlifting movements – have seen powerlifting soar in popularity. 

“Despite that, the long-term athletic development of participants has been poorly captured and explained in some respects,” Dr van den Hoek said. 

“Our research will help both individual lifters and coaches. 

“They can now better set benchmarks for performance progression, peak timing, and estimates of performance ceilings. 

“That means clearer goal-setting, scheduling, and individualisation of approaches.” 

Dr van den Hoek worked with lead research author Alexander Renner and Dr Robert Csapo, both of the University of Vienna, Austria. 

Their findings are published in the journal BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation.