In our series, “Overcoming Lousy Leverages,” Eric Cressey and I covered all three power lifts and discussed how smart training can lead to bigger totals. In this series, we will discuss the biomechanics behind each lift as well as several strategies to destroy any sticking points you may have. We will examine:
I think everyone was holding their breath at this years WPO meet at the Arnold Classic.
As covered in my last article, the dynamic effort (DE) session is dedicated to speed. Max effort (ME) is dedicated to huge weights and re-writing the record books every session you train. My approach is a bit different from the traditional Westside approach.
Almost a year ago, Matt Bash and I put our collective heads together and were thinking of different ways to approach our weak point in the deadlift; the lockout.
As I traverse the bumpy road that leads to elite level lifting, I’ve pondered what things can hasten the journey. Most trainees can rapidly progress from being a beginner to an intermediate level lifter, but many often plateau and never move out of the intermediate phase. This article is designed for the intermediate level lifter, to help them kick-start their process and get back on the road to elite lifting!
The deadlift is the bastard child of powerlifting; it doesn’t get much love. Maybe it’s the fact that the deadlift is less impacted by equipment than are the squat and bench press, so it may require less practice.
I’ve wanted to write this article for awhile and there have been several questions on the Q/A that touched on this subject. For those not familiar with the term “deload” by basic definition of it is this: to take a break from extreme training.
On April 19th of this year I won the lottery. Our new precious baby girl, Taylor Lea, was a long time coming and definitely worth the years of waiting. We literally hit the jackpot and thus I refer to our bundle of joy as Lotto
For those that don’t know how I train or how I think – it all comes down to one thing; Going Heavy.
When training your lower back, think about it two ways; to strengthen your lower back and injury prevention. These don’t necessarily go hand in hand. Many people who have very strong backs injure themselves.
Matt is one of the least physically gifted lifters that I have ever seen.
The alarm goes off signaling for me to get my ass up and moving. Today is dynamic squat day and I have to be in the gym by 8:15 to begin the session by 8:30
Being a part of Elite Fitness Systems for the past couple of years as well as powerlifting and competitive sports, I have been exposed to a lot of critics telling me what I’m doing is wrong or, in the case of football, what the team is doing wrong.
We’ve all been there. Whether it be in front of our families, while lying in bed with a significant other or while sipping on a few cold drafts with a new acquaintance at a bar, we’ve all encountered the question; “Why do you powerlift?”
“What on earth are you doing young man?” blurts the utterly bemused dog walker, as I was about to complete a 200ft trip of backward dragging. Knowing that she’d struggle profusely in trying to piece together what was going on, I politely stated that I was just doing some ‘fitness exercises’.
I learned more about training during my preparation for this meet than I have any other one in the past. This is because it was one of the worst training cycles I have ever had. We will start with the meet and work backwards.
There are two variations to this structure. For the sake of time and space, I will only discuss one at this time. The second variation is a bit more complicated and is recommended for an experienced lifter only.
We both attended the 2003 IPA Worlds in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania this past August 8-10 and it got both of our competitive juices flowing. You couldn’t help it. The chalk dust in the air, the screams of intensity, and the huge weight being moved was too much for two competitive athletes to handle.
The program listed below was done by one of my training partners, Kevin Deweese.
About 4 years ago I told myself I would become a strength coach. At this point in time, I had no idea what steps needed to be taken or where this career path would take me.
What you learn while young you practice in the older age. When it comes to power lifting, the skills and techniques help you through your whole career.
Through out the years, the deadlift has been our ”national sport” here in Finland. World records has been broken since early 70´s. What makes Finns pull so much, what is their secret?
Here is a training diary and some thoughts on my preparation for the 2001 IPA Nationals.