Why Powerlifting? I've been lifting weights since I was 18 years old, but have always admired strength. My first hero as a child was Superman. Powerlifting training and competition have given my workouts focus. Granted, I had gotten stronger over the years prior to competing, but never had experienced the gains I saw when training for that one big lift on the platform at the end of the powerlifting training cycle.
Powerlifting is not for everyone. Strength training is not for everyone. If you want to be good at it, you have to love it. Based on my cardio track record I believe that if it's a chore to hit the gym, you will have difficulty sticking with it. You have to crave the steel biting into your back as the bar bows deeply from the stacks of wheels piled onto each end on heavy squat day. You have to stare down the hundreds of pounds lying on the floor on back day, and say “I will not be intimidated; you are going up!” You feel the need to add another 20 pounds to the bar just because you lifted the last weight.
What qualifies me to write about strength training? There are always going to be better powerlifters out there. I have the benefit, however, of making about a lot of the mistakes and am not shy to talk about them. I've been the guy in the corner piling on an impressive stack of plates on the squat rack, only to do partial squats. I've been stuck under a heavy bench press with no spotter. I decided to write this series of articles on powerlifting to pass on what I've learned from my mistakes, I've found that you learn much more from your mistakes than from your successes.
When I first started lifting, I knew nothing. I'd watch what other people were doing and try it. If it worked I kept doing it, if it didn't I tried something else. I had been lifting weights for 10 years when the powerlifting team at my local gym drew me in and got me started competing. I was hooked. The rush I got from stepping onto the lifting platform made the months of pain and sweat worth it. The improvements in my training techniques and the focus on the meet at the end of the training cycle drove my strength gains through the roof.
If you would like video demonstrations for some of the powerlifting lifts, see the links at the end of this article.
Types Strength Training
When I tell someone I'm a powerlifter, they ask, “Do you win prize money?”, “Will you be on TV?”, “Are you going to be in the Olympics?” To help understand the types of strength training, you may want to know the genres.
- Bodybuilding: Ok, you may not consider bodybuilding strength training. I would argue, however, that you have to lift big to get big. I would argue that you need to develop the muscle mass before worrying about definition. Bodybuilding is likely the most widely known genre in weightlifting. Most of the mainstream weightlifting magazines cater to the body builder. Bodybuilding focuses on sculpting the shape of your muscles and your body, whereas powerlifting focuses on that one heavy single lift. If body building is your goal, a good powerlifting routine can help you build a solid well balanced base and significant muscle mass-providing you the raw material to sculpt.
- Strongman: Strongman competitions have gained significant recognition through televised events. These events have been seen worldwide, gaining recognition by masses outside the strength training world. Strongman competition typically consist of various feats of strength, such as pulling and carrying heavy objects down a track, pressing objects over the athlete's head, lifting awkward objects, such as large stones or kegs of various weights, and deadlifting various objects. Again, a solid powerlifting routine can provide a strength base for many of the strongman events.
- Weightlifting: Olympic weightlifting or simply weightlifting refers to the strength events you see in the Olympics. I once heard someone give the simplest distinction between powerlifting and weightlifting-in weightlifting you lift the bar over your head. Weightlifting lifts, the snatch and the clean and jerk, require the lifter to lift the bar from the floor and press it above the head.
- Powerlifting: Powerlifting requires the lifter to demonstrate raw strength. It consists of three basic lifts, the squat, bench press and deadlift. These lifts are basic building blocks for any strength training routine. Once you master the basic powerlifting lifts you really have the core strength that can be applied to nearly any area of strength training.
The Basics of Powerlifting Training
