No one really cares what you call yourself.

>have you entered a powerlifting meet?
>if yes, you can tell normies you're a pl
>if no, you can still tell normies you're a pl theyr'e stupid as fuck lmao

>>36701297
>Is it when you start competing?

yes, that is the only yes/no metric involved. if you haven't competed in a drug tested fed like the usapl, you are not a powerlifter

>>36701297
It's when you become fat and pretentious

>>36701297
>What if you squat 100 kg and bench 70 kg in deadlift 140 in competition, are you a powerlifter then??

yes, but if you look like a twig or just look like a fat mess then normies will make snide remarks about you not looking like a powerlifter. it's best just to not mention it to anyone until you're on at least 2/3/4/5, and even then people won't really care

>>36701297
Physical image and status quite often directly correlate, whether this is the brands you're wearing, your car, or your body.

You're a powerlifter when you look like enough of a powerlifter for society to clearly see so. Try not to assign your own status, when someones see's your size and the clothes you wear or your sports equipment and comments on it, then society is noticing and applying you the status itself, then it is okay to own it.

t. armchair sociology 101

>>36701297
It's when you are too unaesthetic to be called anything else.

>>36701322

that's not true. You can compete in a non-tested fed or in one of their non-tested divisions and be a PL. sheesh.

>>36701374
best answer so far.

>>36701297
If you train for power-lifting, you are a power-lifter

unless you do west side, west side makes no sense unless you are an equipped power lifter

>>36701374
Excellent.

>>36701297
Powerlifting is a sport. When you compete in that sport, you are a powerlifter.

Doing bench, squat, and deadlift doesn't make you a powerlifter. Being very strong doesn't make you a powerlifter either.