Powerlifting

Powerlifting should really be called strength lifting or force lifting, because although it requires quite high levels of strength, it requires only low levels of power. Remember that strength is the maximal amount of force a muscle or muscle group can generate at a specified velocity. Also, strength movements are slow compared to other movements because it takes time to generate maximal force. Because power movements exert force at a high speed, lighter resistances have to be used than with pure strength movements. So what we have is a sport that was incorrectly named. Powerlifting competitions are composed of three lifts: the squat, the bench press, and the deadlift. Each competitor gets three attempts to achieve her best lift in each exercise. Rest time between the lifts will vary according to the organization's rules and how many people are competing. The heaviest weight the competitor reaches is recorded, and the overall meet winner is the one with the highest total of weight for all three lifts. Awards may also be given to the winners of each individual lift.

A powerlifter needs to become a triple threat in the squat, bench press, and deadlift to rack up serious points. But she can also supersucceed at one lift and merely do well on the others, and still win a competition. Although powerlifting burns calories and increases muscular mass, 1RM lifts in general are not going to make you particularly lean. In fact the more you weigh, the more weight you can push around, and the less distance you have to push it. Therefore, powerlifters frequently try to gain extra weight to improve their performance.

If you are interested in strength training and love to shop, powerlifting just may be the sport for you. You'll need to buy many accessories that are essential in powerlifting. Belts, wraps, straps, shirts, suits, gloves-you just can't have enough training equipment if you are a powerlifter. There is no doubt about the efficacy of these tools for helping to increase a 1RM, though.

Another technique that powerlifters use extensively is called the Valsalva maneuver. Doing the Valsalva maneuver not only helps you achieve a high 1RM, but also protects the low back musculature if you tighten your abdominal muscles at the same time. This maneuver increases intra-abdominal and intrathoracic pressure when you exhale with the glottis (the opening at the back of the tongue) closed. It is frequently described as bearing down, as if you are giving birth or trying to pass something else. Be aware that this technique briefly increases blood pressure and heart rate; therefore, only healthy people who have no history of cardiovascular disease should use it. Sometimes the Valsalva maneuver is performed unknowingly throughout many lifts.

The competition lifts are the squat, bench press, and deadlift, but you can incorporate many other exercises in powerlifting training to increase strength and maintain joint integrity. When training for powerlifting competitions, a lifter doesn't do only the competition lifts. Many accessory muscles contribute to the stability and integrity of the joints involved in these lifts. Exercises that are popular in a powerlifting routine are called assistive exercises and include most of the basic exercises for individual body parts that are listed in chapter 8 through 11. You will find detailed descriptiosn of the squat in chapter 11, the bench press in chapter 9 and the deadlift in chapter 12. But powerlifting squats, bench presses and deadlifts differ slightly Powerlifting squats, bench presses, and deadlifts differ slightly from the standards, so the powerlifting specifics are outlined as follows:

Squat—Powerlifting squats can be different from traditional squats. One technique that powerlifters employ has the bar traveling the least distance in order to maximize the weight lifted. With this technique powerlifters take the widest leg stance possible to make the regulation bend in the knee come sooner than if their legs were shoulder-width apart. This technique causes the powerlifter to lean forward much more than in a traditional squat and transfers a lot of the load to the low back, glutes and hamstrings.

Bench press—The powerlifting bench press includes a pause on the chest with the bar. The bar must come to a complete stop and touch your chest before you explode up. A wider grip and an excessively arched back shorten the distance that the bar must travel to touch the chest. During the lift, the glutes and shoulders must maintain contact with the bench or the lift is disqualified.

Deadlift—You have to be careful with deadlifts, because if you don't maintain strict form it is easy to get injured. In the process of competition, when the weights get heavier and heavier and the pressure to perform becomes intense, the temptation is to lift the bar up any way possible, including such dangerous practices as lifting with a rounded back, bouncing the weight off the floor, and twisting the body. There are two competition styles of deadlifts: conventional and sumo. Both are described in chapter 12. Following the logic of a wide-stance powerlifting squat, if you sumo deadlift, you shorten the distance that the bar has to travel. You need to practice both techniques to determine which one is right for you.

ISOMETRICS AND POWERLIFTING