But, like crack, powerlifting is also addictive and dangerous. While powerlifters can do three things--the squat, deadlift, and bench press--very well, training for just these three lifts creates wear and tear on the supporting musculature that can leave the lifter physically weaker in many ways. At one point, Dave Tate was benching 610 pounds but couldn't military-press 55 pounds 10 times--a challenge any intermediate lifter could handle easily. (Watching me do pullups before one of our workouts, one powerlifter remarked to another, "Remember when we used to be able to do that?")
So if you want to integrate powerlifting into your workout program, it's best to make it only one facet of your fitness regimen. Working the ancillary, supportive muscles and joints--particularly the shoulders, upper and lower back, and abs--with lighter weights or body-weight exercises will protect you from injury and give you a more balanced physique. That said, here are four staples of powerlifting that can work for any lifter.
1. Measure your strength.
The amount of weight you can lift once, or absolute
strength, is the powerlifter's measuring stick of
progress. It's also a great way to get a hernia. There
are better ways to ensure improvement. "Anything less
than a 10-rep max, and especially less than your
five-rep-max, can serve as an equally accurate measuring
tool," says Mark Peterson, C.S.C.S., an exercise and
sport scientist at Arizona State University. Measure
your five-rep max (on any exercise you want) the next
time you go to the gym, then measure again after a
month. If it's increased, you're improving. Body
composition and waist measurements are also useful
guides. But if you still want to know your maximum,
measure your five-, four-, and three-rep-maximums. Then
approximate for two and one accordingly.
2. Make a hormone.
"Few exercises compare with a squat, deadlift, or bench
press in terms of the amount of musculature involved,"
Peterson says. (The squat alone calls 256 different
muscles into play.) The more total muscle you stress
during a workout, the more growth hormone your body
releases--which translates into greater overall muscle
growth.
3. Work as a team.
Powerlifters drive each other to improve through
encouragement and competition. "The adrenaline release
enhances performance," says Peterson. And you don't have
to slap your workout partner upside the head to benefit
from this physiological response. Simply lifting near
other people can help you lift more weight or squeeze
out more repetitions, Peterson says.
4. Move quickly.
Speed training--moving light weights as quickly as
possible--teaches the muscles to transfer strength into
power. While powerlifters alternate days that focus on
speed with days that build strength, Peterson suggests
dedicating a phase of your training (1 to 4 weeks) to
speed workouts. You don't need much more than your own
body weight: Try box jumps and lightly weighted squats
for your legs; medicine-ball throws and plyometric
pushups for your upper body. When you return to heavy
lifting, you'll magically be more powerful. 