When I started I was trying to put on weight. I had been a chubby kid and I got my weight down where I looked ok. But I got to the point where I wanted to bulk up with weights. I remember the first set of weights I used they were the plastic coated ones I think from sears or some place like that.
I started off bodybuilding but after a year or two I decided I wanted to get a lot stronger. Esepecially since their was a bunch of powerlifters that came in a lot and I thought damn that would be cool to be that strong. So I started working with this one guy that was cop and probably one of the best pl in the midwest. After only about 3 months working with him he talked me into doing a meet. I was nervous as hell getting in front of all those people and squatting weight that I could never imagine doing before power lifting. It wasn't anything great but for my bw and no longer than I had been lifting it good.