SRA Stimulus-Recovery-Adaptation : You get better by training, but the gains are made when you rest. Plan to lift heavier gradually, and do it. Specificity : If you want to become good at something, practice that something. Novel exercises at the right time can spur new gains in size and strength.

Front squats, dumbbell presses and stiff-legged deadlifts are great tools to use for certain periods of time. Fatigue Management : As you train, you accumulate wear-and-tear, your fuel stores deplete, and your hormonal levels change for the worse. A planned reduction in training volume and sometimes intensity every so often reduces built-up fatigue and allows you to make gains faster while reducing injury rates.

Phase Potentiation : Training in a certain style one month can enhance the gains made with another style next month, so proper sequencing is key. However, if you do a hypertrophy phase and then follow that with a strength phase, you take the new muscle from the hypertrophy phase and make it stronger.

The result is a more effective final product. Order matters. With the training principles as our guides, we can now lay the foundation of a basic raw powerlifting periodization. Since our goal is to total more at the end of the 5 months, we have several competing demands.

In no particular order, we need to:. The volume of peak training is too low to add much strength or size, and the reps and volumes of hypertrophy interfere with strength adaptations. Thus, we know that the hypertrophy phase must come before the strength phase.

The strength phase will take that new muscle and pound it into a stronger functioning unit. Peaking is last, and hypertrophy comes before strength… well, sounds like we have a sequence already developing:.

There are more reasons than the ones listed for structuring the phases in this manner. The hypertrophy phase is designed to add muscle, specifically muscle that will translate to bigger lifts. Quad, hamstring, glute, and chest hypertrophy should take precedence for the raw powerlifter.

Because some of the best exercises to build the muscles used in the powerlifts ARE the powerlifts themselves, we can certainly stick to the basics.

What may work slightly better is to use modified versions of the powerlifts as the basis of hypertrophy training. The lifts are modified in such a way as to exaggerate the effects on a particular muscle, so as to more effectively grow that muscle.

In large part, this can be based on particular weak points you may have in your lifting. For example, if your quads are your weakness in squatting, high bar squats and front squats may take precedence in this phase. If your chest is weaker but your triceps are stronger, wider benching and more dumbbell work may be in the cards, etc.

If your sumo lockout is weaker than your pull off the floor, then perhaps some SLDLs and conventional deadlifts are on the horizon. No cable one-arm triceps extensions or band rear-laterals. Basic, compound moves for high volumes are the ticket, which means lots of sets of reps between 5 and 10 per set.

Every weeks, most lifters will benefit from a volume deload week keep the weights heavy but bring the reps down by half in order to bring down fatigue. After about 2 months of this, our hypothetical 5 month plan is ready for a shift. With our set numbers still high, we bring down our reps into the range, and as always, increase weights slowly week to week, staying just shy of failure.

When choosing our exercises, the principle of variation will inform us that our hypertrophy movements will now be pretty stale, but on the other hand, our competition moves will be very fresh again, and what better moves for strength gain than competition lifts? The sub-principle of directed adaptation will remind us that we need to train the competition lifts for quite some time in order to really get to be the best at them, so the strength phase is likely a good time to start.

With the meet only one month away, our goal is two-fold. First, we need to make sure we are fully prepared for the specific task of lifting a 1-RM in competition. While there is some difference between the lifts, you should be working up to your heaviest weights about 1.

In the final week before the meet, many lifters choose to rest completely, to reduce fatigue but others opt for a slightly more nuanced approach. There is research to suggest that doing so will simultaneously bring fatigue down faster than complete rest and keep your technique sharper on the lifts for meet time, which can mean the differences between a missed PR attempt and a good one.

Via phase potentiation, the hypertrophy phase makes the strength phase more productive with its added muscle, and the strength phase gives you the raw brute force to work with for the final peaking phase.

At the end of every peaking phase is a meet, and after a week or so post-meet rest, the next hypertrophy phase begins. And so, the cycle repeats itself, propelling you into higher and higher strength levels and competition success.

As athletes get better and better at powerlifting, the time spent in each phase changes slightly. In a 5 month meet prep, perhaps 3 months of hypertrophy work, 1.

Intermediate lifters are already starting to fill out their frames with muscle, but need to keep expanding their strength base. Thus, they may better spend their time equally between the hypertrophy and strength phases, exactly as mentioned in our primary example through this article.

As they get better, they may lessen the hypertrophy commitment and expand their strength work to a ratio of hypertrophy, strength, and peaking. Advanced lifters will have most of the size they need for their weightclass, and will have an excellent strength base, but will need more time adjusting to the super-heavy weights they lift in competition.

Thus, they will have shorter hypertrophy and strength phases, but longer peaking phases. Some advanced lifters may benefit from as many as 8 weeks of peaking, and only require about 2 weeks for re-gaining the size they lost in the week before and after the meet.

Thus, they take 2 weeks of hypertrophy, 2. What I have given you is a very basic outline of periodization for powerlifting. Use it wisely and you may find that you like the results!

This article was originally published here: Peaking for powerlifting. Of course most people begin to understand at some point that the best way to actually get stronger over the longer term is to train and not just max out.

Most will understand that the process of getting stronger is distinct from the process of showing off that new-found strength. But even for more mature lifters that strive for long-term improvements and are not obsessed with continually testing their strength, the time comes when showing off is exactly the point.

Well, it turns out that things are a bit more complicated if maximal performance on meet day is your goal. As a matter of fact, there are two distinct reasons that training must change several weeks before your meet to maximize performance:.

All the while, the hard training required to stimulate these adaptations also produces some fatigue. The muscles run low on glycogen, their fiber types may temporarily alter to the weaker kind type IIb to type IIa , they accumulate microtears and fray a bit.

The nervous system experiences ion imbalances from continual high level activation and can become quite inefficient while its underlying capabilities expand. Thus, while your machinery might be getting much stronger, your actual ability to express this new-found strength can be hidden by the fatigue that this very training generates.

In order to peak for a 1rm, fatigue must be addressed. We must find a way to lower fatigue while keeping our strength. The weights used can still be quite heavy, but not so heavy as to cause a prohibitive level of fatigue accumulation.

Thus with multiple sets of reps, high workloads with heavy weights can be performed and strength-based adaptations can be well stimulated. Strength is displayed at 1 rep, not 5 reps, and there is a meaningful difference in technique, musculoskeletal forces, and nervous system activity between the two rep ranges.

Thus, while training for strength is best done with multiple sets of reps, training to peak your strength in a 1rm requires a more specific approach. Training in sets of reps during the final prep for a meet may be part of the answer.

So now the question becomes, how do we change training to address these concerns and present the best possible performance on meet day? Time for some sport science terminology to enter the picture. A quick definition guide so that you can come back and reference this later with some other important terms, in plain English and in powerlifting context:.

Fitness : How well developed your body and mind are to lift the most weight possible. Fatigue : How beat up you are, and how much this prevents you from being strong at a particular time.

Tapering : The process of reducing training volumes and intensities to bring down fatigue and express maximal strength. Specificity : How good you are at doing 1rm attempts, rather than just being strong in general.

Matters the most as you get closer to the meet. Specific training matches competition most closely. A considerable amount of research has indicated that in most cases, volume NOT intensity is the primary contributor to fatigue. So, the first move in our attempt to drop fatigue to peak for the meet is to drop volume.

Depending on several factors lifter size and strength, mostly , between 1 and 4 weeks before the meet, training volume must be brought down. Volume reduction is probably the most fundamental component of peaking as not much fatigue will drop without it.

This rule of size, strength, and experience applies to body structures as well as individuals, so that smaller lifts which use less of the body bench vs. squat vs. deadlift, in that order need less time at lower volumes to drop the same amount of fatigue. For fitness conservation reasons to be explained next, we want intensity to be as high as possible for as long as possible.

Realistically, this means that intensity cutting usually trails volume cutting by a week or so for most individuals. The elite lb deadlifter may begin to take weight off the bar 3 weeks out from a meet, the lb squatter may reduce weights one week out, and the 97lb bench presser may take a light day mid-week on the week of her meet.

There are many ways to cut intensity, but the most basic is to cut it like volume, as we shall see in the examples in an exponential fashion… a little at first, but more and more as the meet approaches, until the last training session before the meet is just a technical warmup with super light weights.

Bringing down fatigue is important, but the problem is that almost the same things that bring down fatigue also tend to bring down fitness. The good news is that we know that fitness can be kept high or even elevated through two ways:.

Intensity conserves fitness better than volume. High intensity AND high volumes are needed to get stronger, but a lot of strength can be maintained with even very low volumes if intensity is kept high.

Thus we cut volume first in our taper, and only cut intensity later. This conserves the maximal amount of strength while still allowing our fatigue to be reduced.

Intentional overreaching can be used to actually elevate fitness strength in our case during the course of a taper. Thus by training with crazy volumes and intensities in the week before the volume drop begins, fitness strength can actually reach its peak close to the meet itself.

Combined with the drop in fatigue from the taper, intentional overreaching is a powerful tool for preparedness enhancement. Normally, this would be done by doubling the volume of work in the week before the volume reduction.

Specificity enhancement allows us to further elevate our preparedness. Not generally, but exactly for the powerlifting meet itself. What matters is the specific ability to perform THE powerlifts, and for a 1rm. Thus, training during the taper should reflect both demands, in three distinct ways:.

First, the bulk of your training during the taper should be composed of the lifts themselves. All setups need to be competition-based techniques in the final weeks. If you squat sumo in competition, this is no time for close-stance squat work. Paused benches, squats to regulation depth, and fully-reset deadlifts are key.

This also means wearing your PL belt, wrist wraps, knee wraps, and using chalk, just the same as in your meet. When volume begins to get cut during the taper, most of the early cuts are from the assistance moves, precisely to enhance training specificity.

Toward the end of your taper, the last training sessions are pretty much JUST the big 3 competition lifts and nothing, or almost nothing else. There are important physiological, psychological, and technical differences between rm weights and truly limit 1rm weights.

In order to be the best on meet day, you must practice with super heavy weights for the very lowest reps. This means that during your overreach and during your volume taper, the weights on the bar must be heavy enough to be a stimulus in the rep range.

This is the time to for triples, doubles, and singles in your training. Because volume gets cut incrementally through the taper and intensity is conserved as highly as possible intensity being weight on the bar , sets of reps are the norm through most of the taper itself.

The only things that change are the number of sets and the weight on the bar. Forceful movements not only allow you to practice the specific technique of PL competition, but also conserve more strength by allowing your nervous system and faster-twitch muscle fibers more stimulation.

From the above peaking routine for a lb elite lifter, you may notice several things:. This is not a golden rule, as doubles and even some singles in the highest intensity week particularly are quite ok to use as well. Intensity is still high. This week will be very tough, as you are being asked to lift the heaviest weights of the meet prep while under the highest levels of cumulative fatigue.

Make sure your technique is excellent and you give it as much effort as you must to complete the reps. Some lifters will need more or less time for each lift to drop fatigue but retain fitness. A one-week window in each direction will cover most lifers.

This week will still present some weights that feel a bit heavy especially in the overreached state , but the set numbers are so low that homeostasis is hardly disturbed. Notice that the assistance moves have been cut almost completely.

The last week still has SOME training in it, because light training vs. total rest drops MORE fatigue, keeps your connective tissues more limber and preserves better technique. This is because the lber will drop fatigue faster, and can afford to keep a bit more fitness-stimulus in later with the heavier weights.

Smaller, less experienced and less strong lifters need less time to drop fatigue and peak, and REALLY small and relatively less strong lifters barely need a taper at all! Tapering must be personalized to the individual. The overreach is only the first part of the second to last week, as volume begins to drop in the second half of the week.

The last week is actually still quite heavy, as the recovery of smaller and less strong lifters is so powerful relative to their ability to disrupt homeostasis cause cumulative fatigue , that mostly volume reductions are all it takes to peak.

If you taper these lifters for too long, they just end up undertraining and get weaker! For smaller, less strong and experience lifters, the taper for a meet may end up actually looking much like a standard deload week for most lifters.

Choose the right taper length based on the strength, size, and experience of the athlete. Train mostly for sets of in the entire peaking phase, choose the competition lifts as your program core. Taper by first reducing volume number of sets , then reducing both volume and intensity sets and weight on the bar.

Train very light during the beginning of the last week. This is even better than total rest. This article only speaks in depth about the training-mediated ways to taper. Nutrition, supplementation, and lifestyle are also big concerns.

Tapering changes when more or less food is eaten, when sports supplements are taken or avoided, and when lifestyle factors promote recovery or alternatively cause more stress.

These factors are always going to play a role, so please consider them. The above examples give a sort of maximum-medium-minimum view of the tapering process. Almost every reader of this article will be somewhere between the 97lb female beginner and the lb elite powerlifter.

Individualization is very important to a proper program and certainly to a proper taper. The good news is that you have a cheat sheet to make your taper even better than any recommendation I give: YOURSELF!

By noting how you respond to volumes, intensities and tapers of various lengths and magnitudes, you can fine-tune your own tapering process over the course of several meets. But remember: bigger, stronger, and more experienced lifters need more profound tapers.

So as you get more of all three of those things, make sure you make the adjustments needed BEFORE your next meet, because after is too late.

Use the principles in this article to your advantage, and may the force literally, the one you put into the barbell to move it be with you! With nearly articles available at JTSstrength. com it can be overwhelming to know where to start.

Well here are in our opinion and no particular …. There are some unique considerations to be made for Female lifters to maximize their success in Powerlifting. Want to try Powerlifting but not sure where to start?

We've got you covered. Understanding the principles upon which effective Powerlifting Programming is built is critical to being able to create effective strategies to help athletes improve their strength. We have a problem when we talk about programming and periodization.

Most …. This article was originally published here: There is only one type of periodization: Part 1 TRAINING IS ORGANIZED ON DIFFERENT TIME SCALES.

Conjugation: Regularly changing training stressors with the purpose of training different physical characteristics like maximal strength and explosiveness, for example simultaneously.

The easiest way to wrap our heads around these concepts is by use of a few examples. In this example, increase in intensity and decrease in volume are both linear. Undulation occurs within the training week between heavy and light days.

The conjugate element is obvious: switching out max effort movements regularly. WHAT PHASE THE SPORT IS IN Program features not only change with the sport itself, but with the phase of training being done for that sport.

This article was originally published here: No-nonsense periodization for powerlifting The entire purpose of powerlifting is brutally simple; to get stronger. Enhanced rate of gains 2. Reduced injury rates 3.

Ability to peak for the meet not one week before or 2 weeks after Meet periodization begins right after your last meet and ends with your next one, when it restarts again for the meet after. Here they are, with simple, no-nonsense definitions: 1.

Peaking is last, and hypertrophy comes before strength… well, sounds like we have a sequence already developing: 1. Powerlifting can put a significant amount of stress on your joints, especially the knees and hips. Wearing a squat suit can provide additional joint support and reduce the risk of injury.

The suit's compression acts as a stabilizer, helping to distribute the load evenly across the joints. Furthermore, the squat suit's material can offer a degree of protection and cushioning, minimizing the impact on the joints during heavy lifts.

This is particularly important when attempting maximal or near-maximal loads, where the risk of injury is heightened. By wearing a squat suit, you are providing your joints with an extra layer of support, allowing you to train harder and safer. Powerlifting is as much a mental game as it is a physical one.

Wearing a squat suit can help in enhancing your mental focus and conditioning. The act of putting on the suit creates a psychological association with intense lifting sessions, preparing your mind for the task at hand. The snug fit of the squat suit also creates a sense of pressure and tightness, which can help you channel your energy and stay focused during your lifts.

This mental conditioning can be especially beneficial when attempting personal records or competing in high-pressure situations. In summary, wearing a squat suit provides numerous benefits that can greatly enhance your powerlifting performance. From increased squat depth and power to enhanced stability and injury prevention, the squat suit is a valuable tool in every powerlifter's arsenal.

So, if you're serious about taking your powerlifting to the next level, don't overlook the importance of a well-fitted and high-quality squat suit. see Why do you wear a squat suit? When it comes to powerlifting, wearing a squat suit can make all the difference in your performance.

The secrets to enhanced powerlifting lie within the power of the squat suit. Throughout this article, we have unveiled the importance of wearing a squat suit and how it can optimize your powerlifting endeavors. A squat suit improves performance by providing support and stability to the lifter.

It allows for increased weightlifting capacity by utilizing the compression and rebound properties of the fabric. The suit helps to amplify the forces generated during the lift, enabling powerlifters to explode out of the bottom position and lift heavier loads.

Choosing the right squat suit is essential to maximizing your potential. Understanding your body's proportions, lifting style, and personal preferences are key factors in selecting the ideal suit.

With the right fit, you can enhance your powerlifting performance and improve your overall lifting technique. Not all squat suits are created equal, and the choice of fabric can significantly impact your performance.

Squat suit fabrics ae designed to provide the perfect combination of stretch, compression, and durability. The fabric's ability to grip the bar, provide support, and aid in kinetic energy transfer is essential for maximizing lifting potential.

Mastering the art of squatting goes beyond just wearing a squat suit. Proper form and stability are crucial components for success. By focusing on technique and incorporating squat variations into your training regimen, you can develop stronger muscles and increase your powerlifting performance.

In conclusion, wearing a squat suit offers a multitude of benefits for powerlifters. It provides support and stability, amplifies lifting forces, and improves overall performance.

Choosing the right suit and understanding the importance of fabric selection are key factors in maximizing your powerlifting potential. Combined with proper form and stability, wearing a squat suit can take your powerlifting journey to new heights.

So, why do you wear a squat suit? The answer is clear — for enhanced powerlifting performance and the opportunity to push your limits. A squat suit is a specialized piece of equipment worn by powerlifters during squat exercises.

It is designed to provide support and compression to the muscles, joints, and connective tissues, allowing for increased stability and energy transfer.

The squat suit's tight fit and unique construction help generate more force during heavy lifts, resulting in greater power output and improved performance.

Choosing the right squat suit is crucial for maximizing your potential in powerlifting. Consider these factors when selecting a squat suit:. Yes, there are various types of squat suit fabrics available in the market.

These include polyester blends, canvas, and denim. Each fabric has its own unique properties, such as elasticity, durability, and compression. The choice of fabric depends on individual preferences and requirements.

Properly constructed squat suit fabrics provide essential benefits such as enhanced muscle warmth, reduced risk of injury, and improved performance by maximizing power transfer during squats.

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Accept Decline. Your cart is empty Continue shopping. Clear Close. Unveiling the Secrets to Enhanced Powerlifting" Dec 6, By cs02user. Welcome to the world of powerlifting! Whether you are a seasoned athlete or just starting your fitness journey, you may have come across the question, "Why do you wear a squat suit?

In this article, we will explore the secrets behind the squat suit and how it can give you that extra edge in the gym.

So, let's dive in and unravel the power of performance that lies within the humble squat suit. How Does a Squat Suit Improve Performance? Choosing the Right Squat Suit: Are You Maximizing Your Potential?

When it comes to powerlifting, selecting the right squat suit is crucial to maximize your potential. A squat suit is not just a piece of clothing; it is a specialized gear designed to enhance your performance in the squat exercise.

Here are some key factors to consider when choosing the perfect squat suit: Fit and Size: - The fit of a squat suit plays a significant role in its effectiveness. It should be snug, but not excessively tight, allowing you to maintain proper form and mobility throughout the movement.

It should not be too loose to prevent any unnecessary movement that may hinder your performance. Material and Construction: - Squat suits are typically constructed using a blend of materials such as polyester, nylon, and spandex.

These fabrics provide durability and elasticity, allowing the suit to stretch and conform to your body shape without losing its form over time. A well-constructed squat suit will provide stability and support, reducing the risk of any fabric tears or seam failures.

Thickness and Compression: - Squat suits come in various thickness levels. Thicker suits offer more compression and support, especially when handling heavier weights. However, it is essential to find a balance between thickness and flexibility to maintain proper range of motion during the squat.

Thicker suits may be more suitable for experienced powerlifters, while intermediate lifters may benefit from a lighter suit that provides adequate support without sacrificing mobility.

Approved by Competitions: - If you're planning to compete in powerlifting competitions, it's crucial to choose a squat suit that meets the regulations and specifications set by the governing bodies. Make sure to check with the competition rules and seek guidance from experienced athletes or coaches to ensure that your chosen suit complies with the regulations.

Budget: - Like any piece of equipment, the cost of a squat suit can vary. Go shopping Squat Suit Fabrics: What Makes Them So Essential?

When it comes to powerlifting, the performance-enhancing benefits of a squat suit are not just limited to the design and fit. The fabric used in a squat suit plays a crucial role in providing support, stability, and comfort to the lifter.

The choice of the right fabric can make a significant difference in maximizing your potential and achieving optimal performance. Let's explore the various squat suit fabrics and understand what makes them so essential. Fabric Type Benefits Nylon High durability and resistance to tearing Polyester Moisture-wicking and quick-drying properties Neoprene Provides exceptional warmth and compression Canvas Sturdy and rigid for maximum support Multi-ply Layered fabric construction for added strength and support Nylon: Squat suits made from nylon fabric are known for their high durability and resistance to tearing.

The fabric offers excellent strength and provides a secure fit, ensuring that the suit retains its shape even under heavy loads. Nylon suits are suitable for powerlifters who prioritize durability and longevity. Polyester: Polyester fabrics have become popular in powerlifting due to their moisture-wicking and quick-drying properties.

They efficiently draw sweat away from the body, keeping the lifter dry and comfortable during training or competitions. The lightweight nature of polyester also allows for greater flexibility and ease of movement. Neoprene: Neoprene fabric is well-regarded for its exceptional warmth and compression capabilities.

The material helps to retain body heat, which can be particularly beneficial in cold climates or during warm-up sets.

Neoprene also provides a supportive and compressive fit, enhancing joint stability and reducing the risk of injuries. Canvas: Canvas squat suits are known for their sturdy and rigid construction. The fabric offers maximum support and helps maintain proper form throughout the lift.

Canvas suits are particularly ideal for lifters looking to enhance their stability and control during squats. Multi-ply: Multi-ply squat suits are constructed by layering different fabrics together. These suits provide increased strength and support, making them a popular choice among competitive powerlifters.

The combination of multiple fabrics creates a synergistic effect, maximizing performance and minimizing potential weaknesses. When choosing a squat suit fabric, it is essential to consider your individual preferences, training goals, and the competition regulations you may need to adhere to.

Some federations have specific rules regarding the type of fabric allowed in competitions, so it is crucial to ensure compliance before selecting your squat suit. In summary, the choice of squat suit fabric is a critical factor in achieving enhanced powerlifting performance. Each fabric type offers unique benefits, ranging from durability and moisture-wicking to warmth and support.

Understanding the qualities of different fabrics can help you select the right squat suit to maximize your potential and elevate your powerlifting experience. So, next time you step onto the platform, make sure you're equipped with the perfect squat suit fabric to conquer your lifts with confidence.

The Art of Squatting: Mastering Form and Stability Mastering the art of squatting is essential for powerlifters who want to maximize their performance.

While wearing a squat suit can provide significant benefits, it is crucial to develop proper form and stability to fully capitalize on the advantages. In this section, we will delve into the intricacies of mastering form and stability in the squat, highlighting key techniques and tips. The Basics of Squat Form Before diving into advanced techniques, it is essential to establish a strong foundation for squat form.

Proper setup and execution will not only enhance your performance but also minimize the risk of injury.

Some federations allow a little bit higher back squats. Other federations ask lifters to squat deep. Based on this depth requirement, we can establish a technical model. With the technical model established, we work on technique.

Through technique we can identify areas for growth to be addressed. Ankle mobility? Lower back strength? Weak quads? Well, if the quads are weak, we probably want to go full steam with the low bar squat as the technical model but while training, 12 to 16 weeks out, we train more high bar to target those weak quads.

As we see the technical pattern and what it should be, we can lay out how we can attack the technique and muscles based around the back squat training. I typically recommend training high bar 16 weeks out from a comp with minimal amount of gear ; I also recommend training high bar 12 weeks out as well.

Now as the time frame is closer to 8 to 10 weeks, the shift to low bar needs to happen to really zero in on that technique. On top of that, on the dynamic days, implement plyometric movements later in the week to help with the rate coding and increase the power production at a high rate of force development.

Contrast methods enable the body to learn how to have greater speed and force development which will help when under the bar in a max effort.

The temple of the bench press is very similar to the previous lifts. Are we wearing gear? How does that influence our technical focus? The goal is to establish the groove to be the most effective in muscle recruitment. Some athletes have a much tighter elbow tuck and other individuals let their elbows flare more based on limb length.

This is where we can start to focus on technical work. I am a little bit longer-limbed bench presser who has extremely strong triceps with a weaker chest.

Because of my strengths and weaknesses, further out from competition I will focus, 8 to 12 weeks, on developing my chest movements.

I want to focus on one and a quarter reps and slow eccentrics just above my chest to figure out how to get as much recruitment out of my pecs as possible because once my triceps kick into full gear I can execute and finish.

On the flip, someone with a strong chest and weak triceps, we have to develop their tricep strength. Various grips bench pressing help identify weaknesses as well as target the areas that need more strength development to lead to better performance in competition.

The bench press responds very well to hypertrophy work. Doing sets of seven to twelve reps helps. The bench also responds very well to speed work—pad benches are great for this. Looking at that, we need to identify during what phases we need speed work and hypertrophy work based on technical weaknesses and morphological weak points to help execute the bench with higher poundage to lift more weight.

Day one we are going to do a speed pull. I like to use things like a clean high pull or a snatch pull to a target.

The second exercise we are going to get into a strength movement. This is where we can execute the back squat with different variations to increase overall performance with the movement.

After the overall heavier movement, we get into accessories. So day one is a fast explosive pull, a strength movement, typically a back squat, and then accessories to target the weaknesses.

Day two we will start with an explosive movement. We can do a med ball bench, a behind the neck push press, or even a power jerk. We want to make the nervous system as coordinated as possible. I like to train powerlifters like shot putters, some of the strongest people in the world.

The second movement we get into the strength based movement like the bench press, incline bench press, or other absolute strength based movements for the upper body.

Day three we are going to focus on starting with a speed pull as a warm up into a max effort pull. From there, the second exercise will be a squat variation like a zombie squat, paused front squat, or a single-leg squat with a bit more hypertrophy focus.

Again, the next movement is accessory work to help with recovery and continuously build and enhance weak points within the entire chain of the body. Day four we will again start with an explosive upper body work or stability work.

We can couple that movement with back work to build the contractile strength of the muscle. Then that brings us to the accessories where we are targeting direct weak points.

We need to know a lot when training for powerlifting. We need to know the movement pattern. We need to know the individual and how their technique is influenced by their limb length; their tendencies; their weak points in their technique; cues to enhance their muscular patterning.

We also need to target the specific joints that take a toll from powerlifting. We have to work on the mobility of these areas to improve overall recovery. Parabolic Periodization.

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All Programs All Apparel Books Courses Resources Equipment. TRAIN NOW Submit. Some body types naturally seem to be more successful than others. So, what can you do to improve your powerlifting abilities? One thing athletes rarely consider is trying strongman!

Training plans from real coaches covering any goal, fitness level, and number of sessions per week. Get coached by the best. Olympians, ex-NFL stars, Titan Games Winners, Sport Scientists and more.

So, how does doing a farmer walk or a log press help with your powerlifting ability? Sure there are different techniques for certain events, but the big picture is that you need to train strength to make sure you are the best strongman around.

So how do you implement strongman into your powerlifting regimen? The farmer walk is done by carrying an object in your hands from one location to another.

You could use two handles, or you could use a singular device such as a frame or trap bar. With the farmer walk, you need to have great grip, solid posture, and brutal muscular endurance especially in your legs. It also helps make gains in those posterior chain muscles for improving leg drive off the floor.

Take the guesswork out of training with built-in exercise instruction and basic training programs. Compete against yourself and others. Track your performance and readiness. Smash your goals. The yoke requires you to move a heavy amount of weight on your back off the floor for a specific distance.

This is another walking event, but unlike the farmer walk, the weight is displaced on your back like a squat not in your hands like a deadlift.

Since the weight is displaced on your upper back for the yoke walk, your postural muscles, leg and hip muscles all get a great workout. Not to mention the stability involved in supporting the weight on your upper back.

On the flip side, the more you squat, the more you can yoke walk. The clean helps with explosive ability in the hips, and the overhead press aids your bench press. Supporting weight overhead puts major emphasis on your shoulders and triceps, with less power needed from your pectoralis major the big movers for the bench press.

BUT that extra work on your shoulders and triceps might be what pushes you through a plateau in performance and puts your bench press back on the map! As I mention in Dip Your Way to a Stronger Bench Press , you need that power from your triceps for a big bench anyway!

Sometimes in life and in training, shaking things up is just what you need to make progress or to approach a challenging lift with a new mindset. Strongman puts a little less emphasis on biomechanical advantage than powerlifting, so the movements are fun and can give your inner iron monster a little slap in the face.

I encourage you to mess around with these strongman movements in your next training session and see how they feel — you might be sore in some new places just before hitting your next PR.

As we age, we become more risk-averse — injuries But wait, what is a winter bulk? What does it take, and how do we achieve it? Joseph Lucero CSCS , owner of Harvesting Strength, is a powerlifter and strongman coach with years of How many reps should you do for muscle growth?

How can you get a better pump from a movement that usually doesn't make you sore? Tweaking your program to include high-volume and tempo sets is sure to get you the kind of size and strength you want from your training For Athletes.

For Coaches.