POWERLIFTING:
A Scientific Approach
Hatfield. Frederick C
Powerlifting: a scientific approach.
A special thanks to Mike Lambert. Editor of Powerlifting USA for his assistance in
obtaining permission to quote from The Science of Powerlifting.
Copyright © 1981 by Frederick C. Hatfield All rights reserved
1 - Powerlifting: The sport of strength
2 - Building a foundation for competitive powerlifting
3 - The lifts
4 - Diet and nutrition
5 - Getting ready for your first powerlifting contest
Epilogue
APPENDIXES
A. The official rules of powerlifting
B The Schwartz Formula for determining merits of powerlifting accomplishments
1 - POWERLIFTING: THE SPORT OF STRENGTH
Welcome to the sport of strength. Throughout history, men like Sampson, Hercules, many
mythical gods and supercreatures have been subject matter to poets, storytellers, and
minstrels alike. More recently, the incredible feats of strength performed by men like
George Sandow and Paul Anderson have crept into folklore and legend in much the same
way as the feats of ancient strongmen did.
What’s behind this preoccupation that we have with strength? And, more relevant to this
book, what’s behind the recent popularity explosion in powerlifting? The answers to these
questions border on the metaphysical. In any event, people can relate to feats of strength.
To lift nearly one thousand pounds, while incomprehensible on a physical level to the
average mortal, is nonetheless a feat that each one of us can grasp on a purely intellectual
level (“That’s a lot of weight!”).
Football, golf, tennis, baseball, basketball are all very popular sports, both from the
spectators’ as well as from the participants’ points of view. The reason, according to many
sport scientists, for the kind of popularity these sports enjoy is that anyone can somewhat
successfully participate in them. This fosters more participating and a greater interest in
spectating. Anyone can lift weight. Providing the competition is at the same level that you
are, you may even win a few contests and even derive some very important ego
gratification in the process.
But beware! Once you’ve lifted weights and have experienced some success at it, you’ve
been bitten! The road to the top is long and painful. It is sometimes fraught with injuries,
with mind-blowing failures, and always with Spartan dedication. But you will continue
because it is worth the pain and discomfort. It is the essence of sport that you’ve
experienced-the need to excel.
You, the reader, can be categorized as (1) a beginning powerlifter, already involved in the
sport, (2) an experienced powerlifter (most of whom read anything and everything about
their sport), or (3) someone who has not yet experienced the tremendous exhilaration and
joy of breaking personal records, of winning a contest, of excelling. All of you will get
what you are looking for from this book. It is a guide to the sport for newcomers. It is a
training manual for beginning lifters and advanced lifters alike. And it is one of the very
few publications ever devoted strictly to the topic of getting into powerlifting.
For those readers who want to learn more about the sport of powerlifting, the first chapter
is devoted to you. If experience serves as a good teacher, you’ve picked up this book
because of your very human interest in great strength. This interest in strength may act as
the catalyst to change your life forever. When the great Lou Ferrigno emerges from the
incredible metamorphosis as “The Hulk” of TV fame, so will you experience a similar and
profound metamorphosis upon getting into the sport of powerlifting. To feel strong, to
walk among humans with a tremendous feeling of confidence and superiority is not at all
wrong.
The sense of superiority in bodily strength is borne out by the long history of mankind
paying homage in folklore, song, and poetry to strong men. You will sense it; you will be
awed by it; and your fellow man will indeed, as he has done for thousands of years, pay
you homage.
WHAT IS POWERLIFTING?
The opening line of this book, “Welcome to the sport of strength,” really says it all.
Powerlifting, unlike most sports, gets at the heart of the most basic of all athletic qualitiesstrength. Athletes in other sports rely upon strength to help them achieve greater skill or to
increase their performance capabilities. Though an important component in achieving
success, strength is not the most vital factor. In powerlifting, strength is the point. In
powerlifting, to become strong is the ultimate objective.
If you were to develop a truly scientific method of measuring strength, you’d probably
come up with some system of lifting weight with various muscles. The strength of each
muscle then would be compared on the basis of how much weight it could move. That is
precisely how powerlifting was developed. Over the years prior to 1964 (when
powerlifting was officially born), odd-lift competitions were frequently held in
conjunction with bodybuilding meets and Olympic weight-lifting meets. These contests
generally consisted of two or three different lifts to measure muscle strength. Some of the
typical odd-lifts were bench press, chin-ups, deadlift, curls, squats, and pushups. There
were many more.
As early as 1957 the strength set, consisting of the curl, bench press, and squat, was used
to test the overall strength of a competitor. The three lifts represent each muscle group that
is most important to overall body strength. It was considered that the winner of such a
competition was indeed stronger overall than his rivals.
By 1964 the United States had solidified the three lifts currently used as the sport of
strength. In 1964 the first national championships in the sport of powerlifting were held,
and consisted of the squat, bench press, and deadlift. England followed America’s lead
shortly thereafter, and in a short time the International Powerlifting Federation was
created, representing nations from all over the world. Today, over 40 nations can compete
in the world championships.
It seems rather redundant to some to have three different sports related to strength.
Bodybuilding and Olympic weight lifting have shown very well what weights can
accomplish. The addition of powerlifting to the group, although thoroughly accepted by
most men of strength, is still the baby of the family and is looked down upon by some.
The tremendous increase in popularity powerlifting has enjoyed over the past few years
and the media’s ever-growing interest in powerlifting have gone hand in hand,
continuously feeding one another. Now, women have their national and world
championships and get every bit as much media attention as men’s powerlifting does.
Strength is a universal concept, not relegated strictly to men.
A great many offshoots from powerlifting have been developed, notably by the media and
their unquenchable thirst for new gimmicks to throw at the viewing public. Shows like
CBS’s “World’s Strongest Men” and “Strongest Man in Football” are examples of how the
media has picked up on the preoccupation with great strength. It was only natural. It is
good. It is certainly contributing to the ever-growing ranks of powerlifters in this country
and abroad. The exposure, it seems, has whetted the already large appetite of the public for
feats of strength to be awed by and to gasp at.
So, for those of you who are new to powerlifting, what is it? It is a sport wherein strength
is contested. Strength is measured by having the contestant perform three lifts-squat,
bench press, and deadlift. The amount lifted in each lift is then totaled, and the contestant
with the highest total is the winner. He is the strongest overall. One can, therefore, lift
more than his rival in the squat, only to be outdone by a larger margin in the other two
lifts, and lose. It is not uncommon to see world or national records broken by a man who
does not win the championship. Generally, the person with the best all-around ability, even
though he is not great at anyone lift, will win.
SO! YOU WANT TO BE A POWERLIFTER?
Powerlifting is fun. Sport, in general, is fun. It is also damned serious to some! Oftentimes
it becomes laborious, traumatic, boring, and fraught with disappointment after
disappointment. The pain of high-intensity training, the accursed injuries, the rigorous
dieting, the expense, dedication, and discipline-all are part of the sport of powerlifting.
There are a few sayings that have made their way into the folklore of powerlifting. Two of
them describe the kind of sport that powerlifting often seems to be: “You gotta train
through pain to gain”; and, “Powerlifters: Strong enough to bear the strain … man enough
to take the pain.” The mentality of the originator of these little sayings comes through loud
and clear: tough, single minded, disciplined, dedicated, thoroughly ego oriented, and in
love with the sport.
For every bad thing about the sport, though, the self-knowledge that you are strongstronger than any man more than compensates for them all. Powerlifters spend time
looking in the mirror. Not in the sense that body-builders do, but more to observe total
structure. More to observe the tremendous power that resides within. This kind of egotripping is part and parcel of the kind of mentality it takes to become a world champion. If
a baseball player could look at his pitching skill in the mirror, he would do so. If a
quarterback could capture the essence of his greatest completion in a looking glass, he
would likewise do so. The mirror becomes the mind’s eye to the powerlifter, not an
instrument purely for egocentric purposes. It is vital that powerlifters believe that they are
strong. They must feel strong. This attitude, fostered and allowed to direct training and the
other points of discipline in the sport, contributes as much as any factor to developing a
champion. Call it a winning attitude, or call it ego-tripping. Whatever you call it, the point
is clear-to excel.
If you want to be a champion powerlifter, you must do all these things. To become
proficient, like any athlete in any sport, it takes much training, dedication, and living with
pain and general discomfort too often to think about. To become a bit stronger than
average, however, and to enjoy the sport without all the anguish associated with high
competition, can be accomplished quite easily. Just a slightly altered lifestyle, providing
there is some talent, can and has produced champions. At that level things are always
great-no pain, no discomfort. This kind of person is rare indeed. It is far more usual to
become strong enough to win a city or state championship, which to some is reward
enough. At that level little has to be sacrificed, and the returns for whatever training you
do can vary from few to many.
Buying a pair of pants, a car, or a house is the same: You get what you pay for. In
powerlifting, if you pay the price to become champion, you may indeed become one. If
the payment is less, the chances of becoming a champion are diminished commensurately.
It is up to you, and the kind of enjoyment that you wish to derive from the sport. Whatever
your preference, you will become stronger! You will be able to walk among your fellow
men and feel proud.
As in any sport, powerlifting presents situations that require special training procedures:
dietary considerations, and a host of other factors dissimilar to a normal, everyday
lifestyle. Also, special equipment is needed to maximize your attempts at succeeding in
the sport. Such factors are presented in detail throughout the book. What follows is a brief
introduction to the kinds of factors that a powerlifter must deal with.
BUILDING A SOLID FOUNDATION
Recall the biblical parable of the man who built his house on sand. The storm came, and
the sea and wind washed his house away. But his neighbor, who built his house on rock,
remained a homeowner. The human musculature and skeletal structure act to allow human
movement and the ability to apply force to an external object. If the musculoskeletal
system is weak, it will break down. And, if it is subjected to “storms” such as heavy
powerlifting without being prepared, it will surely collapse. In Chapter 2 all of the various
methods of developing a solid foundation of fitness are presented to guide you, as a
blueprint might guide the architect, toward happy, healthy, and successful powerlifting
competition.
NUTRITION: PART OF THE SOLID FOUNDATION
Soothsayers in our sport often extol the virtues of megadosage vitamin therapy.
Megadoses of vitamins, they say, make you stronger. If you’ll pardon the expression,
that’s a lot of horsefeathers. The truth is really quite simple: If you already have a vitamin
deficiency (and most of us do), then you definitely need additional vitamins to bring
yourself back to good health. It does not take megadoses, generally speaking. All athletes
in heavy training need additional vitamins and minerals because they are subjecting their
bodies to severe stress. Often, the vitamins and minerals found in food are not in sufficient
supply to cope with this kind of extreme stress. Higher than average (MDAR) doses are
called for in such cases.
Work is being carried out at this minute by doctors involved in sports medicine to
determine appropriate dosages and ratios of vitamin/mineral requirements of various
classes of athletes. Until such research is forthcoming, the best advice is to use vitamin
and mineral supplements in moderation, but by all means strive to get what you need
through sound nutrition and eating habits. Much more is said on powerlifters’ dietary
practices in Chapter 4. Not only what to eat, but how much to eat, on what schedule to eat
it, and the essentials of gaining and losing weight are all components of proper dieting.
And the wise powerlifter truly believes and practices the old expression, “You are what
you eat.”
WHAT’S NEEDED TO BEGIN?
Many sports are extremely expensive and tend to exclude a major segment of the
country’s citizens from participating. This is not the case with powerlifting if you are
fortunate enough to live near a YMCA, spa, or health club. All it take is a membership fee
(anywhere from $100 to $200 at most YMCAs and up to as much as $400 at some
exclusive spas) and a willingness to work hard, get strong, and win contests.
While a coach is definitely a help in getting started, he isn’t totally necessary, as you’ll
discover by reading through this book. Later on, when training programs get to be very
scientific or when progress tends to cease, a coach who is well versed in the science of
powerlifting will be necessary.
Remember that the first thing you must do if you want to enjoy long years of successful,
injury-free lifting, is to build a solid foundation of fitness. Then, and only then, should you
progress to performing maximum lifts. Any average YMCA or gym will have the
necessary equipment. It is listed here for those of you who wish to purchase your own.
Barbells. Weight is weight. It doesn’t have to be fancy, chrome, or imported. Developing
the fitness base prior to heavy lifting requires a simple barbell set and a very few pieces of
equipment. If you plan to make an investment that will carry you through the rest of your
powerlifting career, then you should consider a more appropriate set of weights. They
must be approved by the IPF if they are going to be used in international competition.
They must be graded in kilograms instead of pounds and conform in every measurement
detail to IPF specifications. A 200 kilogram set can be purchased for as little as $175.00
for the bar and collars and around $1.21 per kilogram for the plates (total-about $385.00).
Be sure to purchase enough weight to allow you to progress uninterrupted as you become
stronger. Experience dictates that at least 300 pounds of weight be available initially.
Dumbbells. Dumbbells are an important means of training for the powerlifter, for they
allow a great deal of versatility in exercise selection. Either solid dumbbells or the plate
type are excellent. The adjustable type must be of good quality, since very heavy
dumbbells will often be used, and it is not uncommon to have to drop them. Such
dropping may ruin a cheaply made set of adjustable dumbbells, as well as make them
unsafe. Solid dumbbells can be purchased for about $.55 per pound, as can the plates for
adjustable dumbbells. The bars and collars cost more.
The power rack. Next to the barbells, the power rack is the most important piece of
equipment a powerlifter can own. It is versatile enough to be used for both squats and
bench presses and has the extremely useful feature of being safe! If it’s used correctly, it
offers the user a means of self-spotting. Many, many exercises can be performed with a
power rack, making it so versatile that it may well be the only piece of equipment you’ll
care to buy! There are all types, including free-standing and wall-mounted.
The bench. As with the barbells, there are IPF regulations governing the size of the
bench-press machine. Be sure to buy this type because it will help you adjust quickly to
the regulation bench later when you get into competition. There are two very helpful
features that you should look for also. Newer model benches have a step next to the head
of the bench for easier and safer spotting. They also have self-spotting racks that attach to
the sides of the uprights. These will be useful if you find yourself training alone.
Squat racks. Squat racks are necessary for competition. They are not necessary if you
have a power rack, since your rack is easily used for this purpose. However, if you want to
simulate contest conditions in your training (which certainly isn’t a bad idea), then look
for solidly constructed squat racks. The base should be small enough so that it doesn’t
interfere with foot placement, and both heavy and wide enough to be stable. The height
should be easily adjusted to accommodate training partners of different heights. The best
form of adjustable racks on the market are the “jack racks,” which are nothing more than a
car’s bumper jacks modified to hold a barbell.
Specialized equipment. There are literally dozens of different pieces of equipment that
you will, at one time or another, have occasion to use. Most of them are, for the most part,
unnecessary in your endeavor to develop a solid fitness base or in your powerlifting
training. Some, however, are useful in getting maximum isolation of the muscle you are
trying to exercise, and therefore should be included in your shopping list. Some of the
more useful items are:
1
Dumbbells and barbells
2
Power rack
3
Bench press machine
4
Squat rack
5
Sit-up station (for crunchers)
6
Leg extension and leg curl machine (can also be used for doing
hyperextensions for the lower back)
7
Pulldown machine (for arms and lats)
8
E-Z curl bar (for arm work)
How to use these, and many more items, is demonstrated in Chapter 2. You will discover
that the major factor in each item’s construction is that near-complete isolation of each
muscle being exercised. This isolation principle is one of the very cornerstones of modern
training science.
MYTHS AND OLD WIVES’ TALES
Talk to the aging coach at your school. Talk to any “old-school” jock, baseball player, or
woman athlete. In fact, talk to practically any medical doctor not schooled in sports
medicine. They’ll all tell you that weight lifting is bad for you. It’s bad for the heart, bad
for the joints; and when you quit, you’ll turn to flab. That’s what they say. Girls shouldn’t
lift weights because they’ll end up looking like boys, weights will stunt your growth,
cause hernias, slow you down, tighten you up so much that you’ll be “muscle bound” and
inflexible. You will lose all of your coordination. The objections to weight lifting are
nearly endless and stretch beyond the reaches of enlightened athletes’ imaginations.
A cursory review of the available scientific research on weight training spells out a very
different tale. Weight training, if performed properly,* will do the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Produce greater speed
Contribute to greater flexibility
Increase muscular endurance
Increase strength, power, and tonus of muscles
Help prevent injuries in sports
Help rehabilitate joints and muscles after injury or surgery
Increase numbers of capillaries and therefore increase cardiac efficiency
Promote muscular growth when desired or maintenance of present size
Allow maintenance of muscle integrity during periods of severe fasting or
dieting
Assist in altering basal metabolism such that calories are utilized more
efficiently
Assist in percent body fat reduction and control
Assist in increasing coordination through development of a sound fitness
base for skill acquisition in sports
Help youngsters become more fluid in their movements and therefore
increase their ability to learn skilled movements
The list of positive benefits could go on-it would simply require relating weight training to
your specific needs or requirements. With respect to the competing powerlifter, it is
obvious that the most important mode of exercise will always be weight training.
Powerlifting itself is a sport, just as football, hockey, or auto racing. As a competitive
sport, powerlifting has some of the same disadvantages as any other tough sport-one of
which is that the body is not designed to be pushed beyond the realm of human capability.
Football players’ knees are torn upon impact. Hockey players often get severely bruised in
tough checking situations. And athletes in other sports get their lumps too. This, to some,
is one of the reasons that sports is so appealing. If there were no danger, anyone would
dare to do the impossible. To lift a weight that no man has lifted before is like exploring
virgin territory. It is as if you are treading on unbroken ground, not knowing what lies
ahead. The kind of stress imposed upon the human body in such sport-related endeavor
sometimes causes injury. It most often causes the body to adapt to the higher level of
stress, with injuries being the exception rather than the rule.
This book is, in fact, a how-to book that describes the best, most scientific method of
getting into powerlifting in such a way that none of the potentially damaging things will
happen to your body. Already discussed was the concept of developing a sound fitness
base before doing any heavy lifting. The proper equipment was described, and, in the
remainder of the book, various other safeguards are cited to assist you in deriving
maximum benefit and enjoyment from your new sport.*
*A number of excellent sources are available on proper weight training. The author has
contributed to the list with the following books:
1
Personalized Weight Training for Fitness and Athletics: From Theory to
Practice, Kendall/Hunt, 1978
2
Weight Training for Young Athletes, Atheneum, 1980. 3
Practice of Physical Activity, Kendall/Hunt, 1979.
4
The Science of Powerlifting, Powerlifting USA, 1981.
Theory and
2 - BUILDING A FOUNDATION FOR COMPETITIVE
POWERLIFTING
Only a fool would build a house without a foundation. For such a structure, however
beautiful and functional it may appear, will surely topple in a short time. The stresses of
the elements (wind and storm) most certainly would become too much for the fragile
frame to bear. [1]
Now, such a house will serve its purpose well for a short time, giving its inhabitant a false
sense of security. The devastation which is sure to follow most often will come as a
complete surprise to the inhabitant, and the dwelling may or may not be reparable. If it can
be repaired, the inhabitant would be a double fool to rebuild it the same way-without the
very necessary foundation.
Does this sound like a familiar scenario for beginning athletes? Well, it is, unfortunately,
and the intent of this book is to steer powerlifters toward those training practices designed
to build a solid foundation of fitness in order that they might endure the tremendous
stresses that are borne in high competition. Extending the analogy of the foolish home
builder, athletes who enter the incredibly stressful world of powerlifting without first
preparing their musculoskeletal structure to bear those stresses are doomed to injury.
Further, if athletes who have been injured rehabilitate and continue to lift heavy weights in
competition without considering the causes of their initial injury, they are even more
foolish. Most likely these powerlifters rarely prepare themselves for the stresses of heavy
lifting. So injuries continued to be at least a problem, and at worst they caused the end of
what otherwise might have been championship careers.
Often, heredity plays an important part in an athlete’s seeming predisposition to injuries.
In the next chapter, methods of choosing the most appropriate technique in the competitive
lifts are discussed. These methods will go a long way in helping you avoid injury to
susceptible joints or muscles. By far the greatest problem however among athletes who
seem to suffer more than their share of injuries is that they did not build the solid
foundation of fitness first. This chapter explores the essential aspects of fitness for the
beginning powerlifter and the best ways of achieving them. It should be noted that the
problem of injuries is not restricted to beginners in the sport. Intermediate as well as
advanced lifters who have chronic injury problems will do well to return to the basics
advocated in this chapter, and solve many of their injury problems once and for all.
THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF CONDITIONING
All forms of exercise, jogging, jumping rope, gymnastics, calisthenics, cycling,
swimming, or weight training, have one essential component in common. To be most
effective, they must involve stress. Stress, when properly applied, is what forces the
organism to adapt to a higher level of fitness.
Take, for example, the hands. If you were to rub your hand on a rough surface in just the
right way and for just the right amount of time, a callus would appear. This callus allows
the hand to withstand the stresses you have imposed upon it. If, however, you were to rub
your hands on a rough surface very rapidly too long a period, blisters would form, and the
adaptive process would never be given a chance. The same kind of physiological
adaptation occurs in many other organs of the body, including muscle, tendon, and
ligament tissues.
How do beginning powerlifters determine what kind of stress to impose upon their
musculoskeletal system? Fortunately, science has come a long way since the days of the
early strong men. In fact, the relatively recent invention of the electron microscope gave
scientists the opportunity to see for the first time what goes on inside a muscle. Discovery
followed discovery, and today many of the mysteries of the training effect are well known.
Pumping iron is passé. Forcing specific adaptive processes within the muscle to occur
through appropriate application of stress is now in because it is more scientific and,
therefore, more effective.
Scientists now know how to improve strength, largely because they now know the
microscopic mechanisms that contribute to strength, and because they have found the most
effective methods of stressing those mechanisms to adapt just in the desired way. The
same is true for muscular endurance, muscular size, power, agility, flexibility, and even
cardiovascular endurance. Each of these components of fitness have different underlying
mechanisms, and each must be stressed in their own peculiar way in order to effectively
increase each.
For any form of exercise (including weight training) to be truly effective, the following
principles must be adhered to:
1
The overload principle. To force the right kind of adaptive
process to occur, the proper mechanism must be stressed beyond its
normal level. That is, it must be stressed beyond the point that it is
accustomed to. Overload may range from mild to severe, and generally it
is severe overload that will force the most rapid adaptation to occur. As
the muscle adapts to the stress being imposed, greater and greater
amounts of stress must be applied, for the muscle will not continue to
adapt without it.
2
The isolation principle. The only muscle receiving the
maximum benefit of the overload being applied will be the weakest of
those acting to overcome the load. So to insure efficient adaptation, the
muscle of interest must be isolated from all others, or, at least made the
weak link in the chain.
3
The SAID principle (Specific Adaptation to Imposed
Demands]. Each mechanism comprising a muscle responds to different
types of stress. Thus, the appropriate type of training stress must be
applied to experience the type of training effect you want.
4
The simulation principle. Where skill is involved in a sport
movement, that movement must be done against stress in addition to
isolating each of the muscles involved separately (as described in #2
above). This type of training is designed to facilitate motor coordination
and thus one’s ability to perform the skill with greater power output.
Before progressing to a discussion on how you should train, let’s take a look at the
components of fitness required to build that solid foundation spoken of earlier.
THE POWERLIFTER’S FOUNDATION
What does a mechanic do if he wants to race a car? The first step would be to go out and
get the biggest engine possible (within the specifications of the class he intends to race in).
Then that engine would be modified for power. The car itself would be stripped of all
unnecessary chrome and accessories for efficiency.
Powerlifters have to do exactly the same thing. The wise powerlifter would first bodybuild
in such a way that those muscles most essential in each of the competitive lifts would be
enlarged and the unnecessary muscles in each lift would be trained for strength, since their
job will primarily be involved with stabilizing body parts during the lifts, or possible with
synergy (“helping” the primary muscles). This procedure is similar to the race car
preparation. If you were to put a huge, powerful engine in a small, weak chassis, the
tremendous torque generated by the engine would soon tear the chassis to bits. Developing
huge, powerful muscles for use in the competitive lifts without shoring up the rest of the
musculoskeletal structure (the “chassis”) predisposes the lifter to injury.
To tie the comparison together: Like the race car, lifters must rid themselves of
unnecessary fat, strengthen the entire body for stability and synergy, develop and modify
the important muscles for great power, and throughout the process, train appropriately
with specific objectives in mind.
Some of the important concepts are explained below. These fitness components are
important to beginners, and should become an integral part of your training procedure
throughout your lifting career.
Strength
Many things contribute to strength. Leverage is one factor that cannot be altered through
training since it is an inherited characteristic. However, through placing yourself in
mechanically efficient positions, you can improve upon your lifting technique. The next
.chapter covers this concept in detail. The ratio of red muscle fibers (“slow twitch” or
endurance muscle fiber) and white muscle fiber (“fast twitch” or power muscle fiber) is
another inherited characteristic that cannot be altered through training. However, you can,
through the right kind of training, increase the efficiency of either one. It is white muscle
fiber that the great lifters appear to have in greater abundance, but through strength and
power training methods even red fiber can be made stronger or more powerful. The
arrangement of the muscle fibers is yet another genetically controlled factor contributing
to overall strength level. The longer (fusiform) muscle fibers contract through a great
distance, but are not as strong as the shorter tweedlike muscles (penniform). There is little
that can be done in the sport of powerlifting (or any other sport) to insure that either is
being used, and it is a factor that is not considered in training.
So, with all these hereditarily controlled factors contributing to strength, how do you go
about getting stronger? The factors that come to bear in your training methods are (1) the
presence of appropriate enzyme concentrations in the muscle cell, (2) the location of the
defense barrier of the muscle (the point at which the muscle stops contracting due to too
great a load being placed on it), (3) the coordinative action of all muscles involved in the
movement, and (4) the number of myofibrillar elements within each muscle cell (the
actual contractile mechanisms of the muscle). There is a fifth factor; it involves learning.
One learns to be strong through mental conditioning procedures.
Of course, strength athletes are going to want to increase all of these factors as much as
possible. The methods associated with each factor are determined within the guidelines of
the SAID principle of training. Research tells us that training should include between three
and eight repetitions to develop maximum numbers of contracting elements within the
muscle cell, and that the right balance of enzymes will be present also. The average is
around five repetitions, and you should do between three and six sets of each exercise.
Most lifters who are generally well trained find that five sets of five reps is most
appropriate. Beginners tend to develop faster using around four sets of eight reps. The
learning factor is assisted by giving total attention to the movement, attempting to get as
many muscle fibers involved in the movement that you possibly can. The heavier the
weight being used, the further back the defense barrier is pushed, allowing greater and
greater levels of contracture.
The coordinative aspect of strength training is not important until the actual competitive
lifts are being worked on. During strength training remember to isolate the muscle(s) you
are concerned with so that you can deliver maximal overload to them. This is the fastest
and most efficient way to develop great muscular strength.
Power
Power is strength with speed. It is the ability to perform explosively. Lifting a huge weight
is normally done slowly only because the heaviness of the weight prevents lifting at a
faster speed. The great powerlifters train explosively so that they can lift explosively in
competition. This kind of training is actually a learning process. As with strength training
the learning process in power training involves concentration on the part of the lifter to get
as many muscle fibers contracting as possible. The major difference between the two is
that in power training the maximal recruitment is instantaneous, while it may not be in
strength training. Strength training should always precede power training-just like getting
the big engine before modifying it for power. This is to avoid placing too much stress on
the musculoskeletal structure with too explosive (and jerky) movements.
The synergistic and stabilizer muscles (the helping muscles) need not be trained for
power-only the primary muscles and then only after great strength has been achieved.
Squats, bench presses, and deadlifts are generally the only training exercises that are
trained explosively, particularly by the beginner.
Flexibility
Many injuries can be prevented in powerlifting by maintaining good flexibility around the
joints. Through proper flexibility training, you will also be able to exert more muscular
force in extreme ranges of movement. Coming out of a deep squat or blasting from the
chest in a bench press movement requires the ability to exert maximal force from positions
of extreme muscular stretch. By improving hip and shoulder flexibility, this ability
improves-with the essential by-product of reducing the chances of injury to joints and
muscles from overstretch.
The most advanced (and safest) system of flexibility training is called proprioceptive
neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) training, and is used universally by physical therapists in
rehabilitation therapy. The principles of PNF training for athlete flexibility have been
applied to powerlifting and are presented later in this chapter. It is essential that beginning
and advanced powerlifters alike employ PNF in their training, both as a warm-up
technique as well as a means of warming down following training.
PNF, although it sounds like an extremely technical term, is actually very simple in
practice. It involves a sequence of about three alternating bouts of isometric contracture
and progressive stretching. The contracture phase lasts for about six seconds, and the
stretching phase is done under total relaxation, and lasts for about five or six seconds also.
The contracture both fatigues antagonistic muscles as well as causes nervous system
defense barriers to be exceeded slightly, resulting in a greater range of movement
potential. It is far more effective than the old technique of static stretching.
Endurance
Powerlifting does not require a lot of cardiovascular or muscular endurance. However,
there are at least two good reasons for the beginner and advanced powerlifter alike to train
somewhat for endurance in the off-season. First, endurance training will cause a marked
alteration of your basal metabolism, allowing you to burn calories more efficiently. This is
very important in the process of reducing your percent of body fat. It is never advisable to
be fat in any sport, especially in those sports that use weight divisions. Naturally, muscle
weight is more effective in moving big weights than is fat weight, and you should do
everything in your power to achieve optimal muscle mass within the desired weight class.
This will require ridding yourself of fat weight. . Second of all, having a moderately
efficient heart will allow you to get through grueling workouts with a minimum of trauma.
This is necessary, particularly in the off-season where overall fitness is stressed, since the
last sets of the last exercises in each workout are going to be done with less effectiveness
if you have a low level of endurance. Maximal gains cannot be made unless you are able
to get through the entire workout using maximum overload.
HOW TO BEGIN TRAINING FOR POWERLIFTING
The foregoing discussion of the basic fitness components (strength, power, flexibility, and
endurance) contained the essence of the beginning powerlifter’s training program. You
must always remember the analogy of the house built on an infirm foundation: It will
collapse eventually under the stresses of wind and storm in the years ahead. It is vital that
you adhere to the following guidelines in your training, especially during the first year:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Use full-range movements in training. The light stress placed on
ligaments and tendons will force them to adapt by becoming thicker and
more able to withstand the great stresses of competition later on.
Primary effort during the first year of training should go into developing
strength in all muscles, especially those involved in the three
competitive lifts. Later, power is developed in the most important
muscles in each lift. Often injury occurs in the smaller muscles involved
in the movements, and strengthening them will help prevent this
breakdown.
Since fat contributes nothing to maximum effort, except perhaps as
added leverage for the heavies and superheavies, lean muscle mass
should be maximized and fatty tissues removed. Appropriate diet and
also an appropriate training regimen designed to increase your basal
metabolism is necessary in the early years of powerlifting training.
Together with #3 above, developing maximum muscle mass in the
important muscles of each of the competitive lifts (i.e. the quadriceps,
hamstrings, gleuteii, erector spinae, pectoralis majors, anterior deltoids,
and triceps) will set you up for developing maximum power in these
muscles later on.
Always adhere to the basic principles of conditioning in whatever
system of training you choose to follow. This is the only way to
maximize gains.
From day one of your training, assume that you have no strengths-only
weaknesses. As time progresses, concentrate on perceived weaknesses,
as these are the areas that tend to delay or limit gains.
Regard yourself as an individual, for that is what you are. The training
programs of the champions of our sport are as ill-fitting as your size
small shirt would be on “The Hulk.” Your problems are not the same as
a champion’s, and neither are your goals. Your training program should
reflect this fact.
These guidelines, of course, are just that-guidelines. Personal adjustments and capabilities
will necessarily come to bear on your final selection of training techniques. Table 2-1 and
Figure 2-1 are offered as similar guidelines for maintaining maximal effectiveness in your
training. Notice that the numbers of repetitions and sets correspond with a range of
percentage of maximum, and that appropriate adaptation (in accordance with the SAID
principle) takes place within these bounds.
*In size training, variation is the key; for maximal size, use all of the methods listed,
interspersing them through each set or between sets. For powerlifters, size resulting from
increased contracting elements of a muscle cell (strength system using about 8 reps per
set) is most appropriate.
**In deference to the principle of overload, you should always attempt to use the
appropriate amount of resistance. The last repetition in each set should be a near-maximal
effort. For strength and power training the resistance should exceed 80 percent of your
maximum capacity, for muscular endurance above 40 percent, and for size it should vary.
The systems of training that follow are intended for use by the beginning powerlifter. In
many cases, they will become applicable for advanced lifters as well and especially so
when a return to basics is called for in eliminating observed weaknesses.
The superset system
The term superset means a very big set. Two anatomically antagonistic movements are
used in each superset, and each movement is repeated alternately for the required number
of reps. For example, hyperextensions are supersetted with situps in the following manner:
You can see that a total of forty-eight repetitions is done in one superset. There should be
no rest between situps and hypers; do all forty-eight repetitions back-to-back in order to
maintain a heartrate of about eighty percent of maximum (about 150 beats per minute for
lifters in their twenties).
Two points need to be explained: (1) why antagonistic exercises, and (2) why the nonstop
requirement? Antagonistic exercises alternating back and forth in the manner described
will do two things. First, they will keep the blood supply confined to a relatively small
anatomical area. This will allow a speedy recovery for the protagonist while the antagonist
is working. Second, by exercising the muscles on both sides of the joint(s), greater
flexibility will be achieved owing to a balance in the tonus and strength between each.
All forty-eight repetitions must be done without resting in order to keep the heart working
at the required eighty percent level for a prolonged period. This procedure is designed to
develop cardiovascular efficiency. More importantly, however, is the effect it has on
metabolic function. Enzymatic changes take place in the muscle that have the net effect of
increasing the efficiency with which the muscle can use calories. In the long run, this
metabolic change will assist in controlling body fat.
Another point that should be made here is that between each of the forty-eight repetitions
a slight pause (less than a second) should be included, during which complete relaxation
of the muscle occurs. This must be done in order to allow more oxygenated blood into the
area being exercised and waste-laden blood out. This practice will have the net effect of
allowing speedy recovery during the course of the superset. This is important since you
will be able to maintain maximal tension (resistance) throughout the superset, instead of
having to lower the weight being handled during the course of the superset because of
increased fatigue.
The superset system affords you with many important points of development. It allows for
increased flexibility, so important in avoiding injury and developing good technique. It
helps in developing strength through increased numbers of myofibrils (“contracting” part
of a muscle). It allows the beginning lifter to increase his metabolism and, therefore, lower
his percentage of body fat. And, it also develops maximum muscle size. Below is a typical
superset system workout. It includes all of the basic exercises that, if done properly, isolate
the largest muscles of the body, including those most important to a powerlifter. While
strict adherence to the example program below is not necessarily advised, it is an excellent
starting point for the beginning powerlifter. As time progresses, changes can be made to
accommodate such factors as identified weaknesses, situational factors, increases in
fitness, and hereditary factors.
Method: Perform each superset for the required repetitions per set in a nonstop fashion.
Between each superset, take a brief rest, just enough to allow the heart rate to fall back to
a manageable level (approximately 100-120 beats per minute). Then, go on to the next
superset.
You have undoubtedly noticed that each superset progresses to an area of the body far
removed from the previous superset. This is to make sure that some of the same muscles
aren’t being used in back-to-back supersets, thereby preventing undue fatigue.
Super-multiple-set system
An offshoot of the superset system, the super-multiple-set system again centers on exactly
the same areas of fitness as the parent system. The only difference between the two is that
one exercise is completed for three sets, and then followed by the antagonistic exercise. To
use the same example as presented for the superset system:
It is apparent that this system is not designed to yield cardiovascular effects; nor is it
designed to allow you to use calories more rapidly. It is, however, an excellent means for
improving upon or maintaining flexibility. It is also a better system for increasing strength
than the superset system, since maximal recovery between sets is allowed.
Compound-set system
This system was popularized by bodybuilders. However, it is also a good system for
strength increases and for developing local muscular endurance. It also overloads the
cardiovascular system for general endurance. This system works best for garnering as
much size from a muscle as possible by stressing many mechanisms, rather than simply
the myofibrils, since strength wanes with the kind of fatigue this system produces.
The basic structure of the compound-set system is to go to a muscle far removed from the
first, and, while the first muscle is recovering, exercise in that fashion. For example, the
lifter compounds curls with toe raises in the following fashion:
…And so forth for the required number of sets.
The advantage of this system for beginning powerlifters is that it is an excellent means of
increasing aerobic fitness, although it is not recommended as a continuous system of
training; anaerobic work is more important ultimately. It is also good for the powerlifter
who is fighting to reduce his percent of body fat.
The set system
The set system is perhaps the single most popular system in use. This is so for the lifter
and bodybuilder alike. It derives its popularity from its versatility. Many, many offshoot
program can be accommodated within the general confines of the set system and often are.
The simplicity of the set system is hard to match. All that is required is that the lifter
exercises for the appropriate reps and sets, resting between sets, and then moves on to the
next exercise, continuing in this way until the end of the workout. It is not adaptable to
cardiovascular training since rest periods are frequent. It is, however, the best system for
improving strength, owing to the ample rest intervals. Beginning powerlifters generally
have some deficiencies in general fitness areas that may negate the applicability of the set
system. Often, beginning powerlifters must contend with inadequate endurance and
flexibility. Too, the beginning powerlifter may have too high a percent of body fat that
needs to be tended to. The set system, though extremely versatile, cannot accommodate
these interests and probably should be retained for periods during which strength increases
are called for.
The peripheral heart action (PHA) system
The PHA system is the most efficient method of deriving general fitness. Nearly all of the
components of fitness are served, depending on how the sets and reps are arranged. To
illustrate this system, the following workout is presented. You will probably have
difficulty finishing this workout, as it is extremely rigorous. In fact, initial contact with
weight training should not include this system; go to it only after a few months of
supersetting, circuit training, or some other system not quite as taxing.
Method: Perform the exercises in S1 nonstop for the required number of reps sequentially.
Repeat the sequence two more times, and progress on to S2, performing this sequence
three times as well. Progress on through S3 and S4 in the same fashion. Go nonstop
throughout, except if your heart rate exceeds the required 150 beats per minute, in which
case either slow down or rest briefly.
The principal functions of the PHA system are to increase cardiovascular efficiency, to
effect enzyme changes for caloric metabolism, to increase or maintain flexibility (S1 is
supersetted with S2, and S3 with S4), to increase strength and/or size, and to afford the
beginning powerlifter with a sound foundation of fitness before attempting the rigors of
pure strength and power training.
Notice that the exercises in each sequence are chosen on the basis of how far removed one
is from the other. The exercises traverse the entire body in each sequence, forcing the
blood to be shunted up and down. This will, of course, benefit the cardiovascular system,
but it will also allow the recovery of each area before blitzing it again. While the heart is
working hard, the refreshed muscle can endure maximal overload again and again, due to
the long periods of active rest between each exercise.
Circuit training system
Another very excellent system for beginners aspiring to improve general fitness is the
circuit training system. The main objective in completing all of the stations in the circuit is
decreased time. Choose those exercises most important to you from the standpoint of
observed weaknesses, and incorporate them into the circuit. The most important exercises
are played early in the circuit, and the least important ones later in the circuit. Then go
through the entire circuit, attempting always to shorten the time it takes. Cardiovascular
efficiency and increased metabolic efficiency will result. As target times are achieved, or
as new weaknesses crop up, changes in the circuit are made accordingly.
To illustrate the circuit, presented below is the one used by the U.S. Marine Corps in their
fitness training program. It is a good and sound program from the perspective of achieving
general fitness. It can be altered to meet individual needs. The circuit may be repeated for
as many sets as desired, either by resting between sets at each station or by going through
the circuit nonstop several times. Naturally, the amount of resistance used at each station
will vary depending on individual differences.
Notice also that each station in each sequence tends to involve body areas far removed
from each other, a practice designed to avoid undue fatigue in any given muscle or muscle
group.
Mixed systems
Throughout the foregoing discussion on systems of training for beginning powerlifters,
discussion was restricted to those systems designed to yield an array of fitness objectives.
This is the path the beginner should take. Concentrating on general fitness will insure that
a sound foundation is developed for the stress that is sure to follow during competitive
years. In fact, most experienced powerlifters would do well to return to the basic systems
at least once a year to stay fit, especially early in the off-season, when intense training is
less important.
The systems presented thus far are merely guidelines. Many of them can be mixed,
depending on personal objectives. You can easily incorporate one system into another, as
was the case with supersetting in the PHA system. As you get to know your limitations, it
will become apparent to you that what works best for one aspect of fitness may not be so
effective for another. In fact, different body parts may respond better or worse to the
different systems. By the time you have trained for about a year, you will have picked out
those systems that best serve your needs, and may decide to mix systems. This is
appropriate. Bear in mind, however, that in the course of progress, you may actually
outgrow a system. That is, as a muscle develops, you may be forced to change systems in
order to force continued development; do not allow your progress to wane.
It is precisely for this reason that the beginner or intermediate lifter should not attempt to
adopt the training programs of the champions. They will have achieved an entirely
different level of conditioning than you, and they incorporate methods of training that fit
their particular needs. These methods will rarely coincide with your needs. In some cases
methods used by the champions may actually prove counterproductive to the beginner or
intermediate lifter. An example of this may be that the champion stresses power in his
training, whereas the beginning lifter should be concentrating on strength and flexibility or
on other such fitness-related concerns. The beginner may actually suffer serious injury if
the tendons and ligaments are not yet ready to endure the explosive stresses of power
training. In any event, you will certainly not build the solid foundation that will enable you
to achieve championship caliber later. Do not be fooled into believing that what’s good for
the champion must be good for you. Initial gains may certainly be made by following a
champion’s program, but these gains will level off prematurely if the foundation is not
there to sustain continued development.
Before progressing to systems geared more for the needs of intermediate or advanced
lifters, a final comment needs to be made regarding power training for beginners. To
illustrate the point that beginners should not engage in extensive power training, consider
the following analogy: If a karate expert were to pile, say, 500 pounds of weight on a
board supported at both ends, the board would likely hold fast. However, if he were to
apply 500 pounds of force in a karate chop to the center of the board, that kind of
instantaneous application of force would shatter the board. Now, muscles have an amount
of elasticity that could easily absorb such instantaneous force, but ligaments and tendons
have no such elasticity. Before you begin to apply maximal instantaneous force on
ligaments and tendons through the application of power training, some initial ligament and
tendon strengthening exercises should be done. That is not to say that beginners should
totally avoid power training or that injury to ligaments and tendons will be inevitable.
First, such practices will increase the chances of such injury, and second, controlled power
training will assist in preparing the ligaments and tendons for enduring the stresses
associated with maximal power training.
Controlled power training for the beginner should consist of lighter weights done nearly
explosively and through the full range of motion. The full-range exercises will develop
more capillaries in and around the joints, where tendons and ligaments attach, bringing
nutrients to and wastes from the stressed area. This practice is important in maintaining
healthy joints and in strengthening the ligaments and tendons. Use of lighter weights will
accommodate the relatively undeveloped tensile strength of the ligaments and tendons
until they are developed sufficiently to withstand the stresses of maximal power training.
In short, give your joints the time it takes to develop stress-enduring capacity, and you will
have relatively injury-free training in later years. Don’t be in a hurry, because such
adaptation takes time-years in some cases. Many joint injuries can be traced to incorrect
preparation for powerlifting, and those who enjoy injury-free training and competition
often are those who have prepared appropriately. Such controlled power training can
easily be incorporated into anyone of the recommended systems listed above.
CATALOG OF EXERCISES
The following section of this chapter depicts the basic exercises for each of the major
muscles of the body and describes how each is to be done for maximum isolation and
overload. It also explains when each becomes applicable to beginning powerlifters’
programs. For every muscle there are at least a half-dozen variations of the exercises
listed, and your choice of exercises is largely preferential. However, some exercises will
achieve better isolation than others, so those should be the ones you use. Often, only
careful experimentation with the array of possible alternatives is required.
These are the exercises that beginning powerlifters should do. The competitive lifts-squat,
bench press, and deadlift-are not generally done during training except during the peaking
cycle immediately preceding your first contest. You will notice that the training variations
of each lift are included in this section. Look at them closely, and you will discover that
they differ from the contest variations because they allow better isolation of the muscles
involved as prime movers in the respective contest lifts. This is essential since in the end
greater strength will come from adhering to the isolation principle.
Peaking for your first contest requires different techniques of training than those
elaborated upon in this chapter. Methods of contest preparation are covered in Chapter 5.
Don’t be in a hurry to compete. Lay a strong foundation first, and your career will be off
to a healthier and stronger beginning.
EXERCISES FOR THE CHEST
1. Bench press showing correct spotting procedure:
Bench pressing can be extremely dangerous, because the weight is hovering over your
head and throat. Be certain never to bench press alone, for anything can happen during the
exercise, resulting in serious injury. The photos here illustrate correct spotting and correct
form for training bench presses. Notice that the bar is lowered to the chest with the elbows
directly out from the torso at 90 degrees, a practice designed to insure greatest isolation of
the chest muscles. It is not until the peaking cycle that you will want to begin doing bench
presses with competition technique. Such training bench presses are best accompanied by
front dumbbell raises and triceps extensions (described in exercises 8-10 and 14-16
respectively) to insure total bench pressing strength in competition.
2. Dumbbell bench press: An excellent substitute for bench presses with a bar, dumbbell
bench presses have the additional advantage of allowing very complete development of
some of the smaller stabilizer and helping muscles surrounding the shoulder joint. This
can be extremely helpful in preventing injury later on. The exercise is performed in the
same fashion as regular bench presses, except that a spotter is not necessary; that is,
dumbbell bench presses are relatively safe to do if training alone.
3. Isokinetic bench press: Performed exactly like the regular benches, isokinetic bench
presses will assist in developing the explosiveness you will need to become a top caliber
bench presser in competition. The isokinetic device allows maximum overload throughout
the movement, something conventional weight training cannot do.
4. Flys: Flys are an excellent substitute for bench presses, as are the dumbbell bench
presses. Allowing the weight to go out from the sides as pictured adds greater stress to the
chest muscles due to decreased leverage efficiency. It is, therefore, possible to get a good
workout for the chest with relatively light weights.
5. Incline bench press: Some lifters prefer to work the upper chest muscles using incline
bench presses. Again, as in regular bench presses, the arms should be out from the torso
when the bar is lowered to the chest, to insure maximum isolation of the chest muscles.
6. Dumbbell bench press: Dumbbell bench presses performed at an incline as pictured
here afford the lifter an excellent substitute for incline bench presses. Like the dumbbell
bench presses, incline bench presses also allow greater development of stabilizer and
helper muscles surrounding the shoulders.
EXERCISES FOR THE SHOULDERS
7. Shrugs: All lifters need to do heavy shrugs for their trapezius muscles (located at the
top of the shoulders near the neck). The traps are important in supporting the entire
shoulder girdle when squatting and deadlifting, and in helping to complete the deadlift. To
perform this exercise, simply attempt to draw the shoulders up to the ears while holding a
heavy weight.
8, 9, 10. Front deltoid raises (standing, Incline, and supine): This exercise is designed
to strengthen the front shoulder muscles (anterior deltoids) so important in the initial drive
off the chest when bench pressing. While holding a dumbbell in each hand (in any of the
three positions-most lifters prefer the incline position) raise the dumbbells straight up to a
position in front of the shoulders.
11. Rotator cuff exercise: The shoulders are very complex joints. They allow movement
in all directions including inward and outward rotation. The group of muscles controlling
rotation is called the rotator cuff and is usually rather weak. This situation often leads to
severe injury when handling heavy weights year in and year out. Like any muscle group,
they can be strengthened to minimize the possibility of injury. Lying prone on a bench
with the forearm hanging over the edge, raise the dumbbell up as high as possible to the
front and then to the rear. Do not swing the weight as this may cause undue stress on the
joint.
12. Partial dumbbell press: The shoulder muscles are called deltoids. The mid portion of
the deltoids are strengthened with heavy partial presses as depicted here. It isn’t necessary
to go to a complete extended position, since to do so would require a slightly lighter
weight than that used in partial movements. Further, the deltoids stop working when the
elbows reach shoulder height, making further movement unnecessary and wasted. Simply
press the dumbbells (together or alternatingly) straight up to the indicated position and
repeat as prescribed.
13. Lateral dumbbell raise: This exercise is identical to partial presses, except that it can
be performed using lighter weights, owing to the less efficient leverage you are using by
raising the dumbbell straight sideways. Notice that the arms are slightly bent to allow for a
shorter radius (distance between the weight and the shoulder). This can be done to
compensate for fatigue in the latter stages of a set or when using a weight that is slightly
too heavy to do the exercise in a straight-arm fashion.
EXERCISES FOR THE ARMS
14, 15, 16. Triceps pushdowns, extensions, and dips: The triceps are the most important
muscles in the arms for you as a powerlifter. They contribute strongly in the bench press.
As with the front deltoids and pectoralis muscles, the triceps need to be isolated to get full
benefit from the overload you are placing on them during exercise. Triceps pushdowns,
triceps extensions, and dips are three methods of isolating the triceps, the choice of which
is largely up to the individual. Sometimes soreness or injury will dictate the method of
choice, but all are excellent generally. You may even want to mix them in your own
workouts.
17. Close-grip bench press: While not strictly an isolation exercise, close-grip bench
presses are a favorite with many powerlifters who want to work the arms (triceps) in as
close a fashion as possible to their competition bench pressing technique. It is also an
excellent exercise for the front deltoids.
18. Wrist curls: This exercise is generally regarded as an excellent exercise for improving
the grip. Gripping strength is important in deadlifting, and a lack of gripping strength has
caused many a missed dead lift. Allow the bar to roll to the fingertips, and then, by flexing
the forearms and fingers, roll it back up.
19. Scott curls (preacher curls): The cushioned platform allows you to relax all of the
other muscles of the arms and shoulders while concentrating on the biceps only. It is a
popular variation of the regular curl.
20. Alternate dumbbell curls: Also a popular variation of the regular curl, alternate
dumbbell curls allow for development of helping and stabilizer muscles in the arms and
shoulders, not generally achieved while doing regular curls. Simply flex the elbow so the
weight is raised to the shoulders, and, while lowering it, raise the other in like fashion.
21. Biceps curls: The most popular exercise for fitness enthusiasts, biceps curls are easily
performed with a barbell. The arms are often the most visible telltale sign of someone who
has been training with weights and so the biceps has come to be the most popularly
worked muscle in the gym. Powerlifters ought to do curls also. But strong biceps are really
not that important to you, and should not be done to the exclusion of the other necessary
exercises.
EXERCISES FOR THE TRUNK AND BACK
22. Side bends: An often neglected exercise for powerlifters and bodybuilders alike, side
bends produce very strong side muscles (obliques), so necessary for deadlifting and
bearing the weight of heavy squats. The obliques and other muscles controlling lateral
flexion of the body help stabilize the lower spine and, therefore, can be of great assistance
in minimizing back injuries so prevalent in our sport. The upraised arm stretches the
muscles of the side more strongly. Bend toward the weight, lowering it to about knee
level, and stand back up to an erect position, for the prescribed number of reps.
23. Crunchers: Situps are obsolete. Never do situps, as it is a dangerous exercise as well
as less productive than crunchers in developing a strong abdomen. With traditional situps,
the lower spine is pulled at by the very strong psoas muscle (a hip flexor), resulting in
many low-back pain cases. Further, the abdominals only act as a stabilizer muscle while
the hip flexors do most of the work-not in keeping with the important principle of
isolation. Crunchers, on the other hand, concentrate all of the stress on the abdominal
muscles rather than the hips or back. Simply “crunch” your chest toward the knees, and
hold the position for a second. Lower back down, and repeat as prescribed.
24. Inverted crunchers: Inverted crunchers have the same advantages as regular
crunchers, except that no weight is needed-only a slant board. The weight of the legs and
hips acts as the resistance in lieu of the weight. Beginning from a flexed knee/hip position,
raise the knees and hips up until the knees are in contact with the forehead, and then lower
them. Repeat as prescribed. To increase the resistance, simply raise the incline a bit.
Conversely, to decrease the resistance, lower the incline.
25. Stiff-legged dead lifts: This exercise is performed during the off-season in lieu of
competitive-style dead lifts. It is an excellent exercise for isolating the strong back
muscles (erector spinae) so important in the deadlift. Bend the knees slightly so as not to
sustain injury to the knees. Keeping the bar close to the legs, raise the body to an erect
position. Repeat as prescribed.
26. Isokinetic stiff-legged dead lifts: This exercise is identical to regular barbell stifflegged dead lifts, except that it is performed on an isokinetic machine. Isokinetic devices
have the advantage of allowing maximum overload through a full range of motion, even
near the top of the pull where leverage increases.
27. Isokinetic deadlifts: Since isokinetics do not involve a lengthening of the muscles
against resistance (called eccentric contracture) it is safe and advisable to perform
competitive-style deadlifts with such a device even in the off-season. It is the eccentric
phase of an exercise that is responsible for most of the soreness that accompanies heavy
training. Since it is eliminated with isokinetics so is the soreness. Such a practice carries
with it the advantage of being able to maintain and improve upon your pulling technique
year round.
28. Bent rows: Bent rows are used to strengthen the upper back. A strong upper back is
necessary in completing heavy deadlifts, and also to support the weight of a heavy squat.
In a bent over position, pull the bar to the chest using a wide grip-elbows out position. Try
to relax the arms and use only the muscles of the back to elevate the bar to the chest (the
rhomboids, located between the scapulae).
29. Inverted flys: This exercise is identical to the bent rows, except that dumbbells are
used, and the weight is lifted laterally instead of straight up. The loss of leverage allows
you to use a much lighter weight, and to concentrate more fully on the back rather than
having the arms do most of the work.
30. Long cable pulls: Performed correctly, long cable pulls are an excellent exercise for
the latissimus muscles (located under the arms, extending down the back). The lats are
important in deadlifting, and, in fact, become slightly involved in bench pressing as well.
Try to avoid pulling with the arms (biceps). Instead, force the elbows back as you raise up,
thereby stressing the muscles of the back and the lats.
31. Back extensions: Sometimes called hyperextensions this exercise is an excellent
supplement to stiff-legged deadlifts for strengthening the lower back muscles used in dead
lifting. It isn’t necessary to raise up beyond the parallel position depicted; to do so invites
unnecessary stress on the lower spine.
32. Topside deadlifts: Sometimes called pulls from the pins, this exercise allows you to
use much heavier weights than normal in a partial deadlift movement. Since the leverage
is very efficient at this body angle, much heavier weights are used, thereby producing
more severe overload for the muscles of the back and shoulder girdle and, as a result,
greater development. It is an exercise normally reserved for the peaking cycle, since offseason training should not be intense.
33. Corner rows: Corner rows are used for developing the latissimus muscles, and are
identical to the long cable pulls described in exercise 30. No more than a bar stuck in a
corner and weighted at the end is necessary (a practice that gave rise to the name corner
rows).
34. Lat pulldowns: This exercise is actually the same as pullups. If you cannot perform
the required number of reps by doing pullups, then use less than body weight by doing lat
pulldowns. If, however, you can perform more than the required number of pullups, then
load more than your body weight on the bar. Note the position of the elbows in the
pulldown position: They are being forced directly downward, a technique necessary to
isolate the lats. Also, note that the bar is pulled in front rather than behind the head as is so
often seen in gyms. This is again to insure proper isolation of the lats. Pulling the bar
down behind the head often will not allow the lats to pull with direct force, thereby
limiting the overload on the muscle.
35. Trunk curls: The trunk curl is one of the famous Jesse exercises, named after their
developer. This exercise is a must for all aspiring powerlifters because it helps develop
some of the smaller muscles located very close to the spine. These small muscles give
great support and stability to the vertebrae of the spine, and assist in preventing injury
later. Try to isolate the action of each vertebra separately while “curling” the bar upwards
with the trunk. Slowly lower the weight again, using one vertebra at a time in doing so;
repeat as prescribed.
36. Bent trunk twists: Another of the Jesse exercises, bent trunk twists develop the
muscles near the spine that cause the spine to twist. Strengthening these muscles causes
the spine to be more stable and capable of withstanding greater stress over the years. It is a
must for all beginning powerlifters. Note that only one end of the bar is weighted. Once
one side is exercised, switch the weighted end to the other side, and repeat the exercise as
prescribed.
EXERCISES FOR THE LEGS
37. Leg extensions: Performed on a leg extension machine, this exercise is an excellent
means of isolating the action of the front of the leg (called quadriceps). These muscles are
very important in squatting and deadlifting. Leg extensions are an excellent means of
warming up for squats and also a great exercise for periods when the back is tight or sore
but leg exercise is still desired.
38. Leg curls: Designed to develop the hamstrings (muscles in back of the upper leg), leg
curls are another of the list of must exercises for young lifters. Strengthening the often
neglected hamstrings actually causes the entire knee to become more stable, since a more
even “pull” between the hamstrings and quadriceps results.
39. Jefferson squats: Named after its developer, Jefferson squats afford the lifter an
excellent alternative to regular squats during periods when the back is fatigued or
overtrained (or injured). Simply straddle the weight, and, with one hand forward and the
other back, grasp the bar. Stand up using the leg muscles. For variation, switch sides on
alternate sets.
40. Toe raises: Perhaps the best exercise for developing the muscles located on the back
of the lower leg (the calves or gastrocnemius), toe raises should be done at least with
every squat workout. Part of the calf muscle extends above the knee, acting as an assistant
knee flexor. Therefore, together with leg curls, toe raises assists in knee stability. Also, this
exercise is the only effective means of strengthening the ankles.
41. Hack squats: A weighted sled on rails offers lifters another great means of getting in a
leg workout even when the back says “no.”
42. Leg presses: Leg presses are yet another exercise for the legs during periods when the
back is tired or injured. Together with Jefferson squats, hack squats, leg curls, and leg
extensions, leg presses are a great method of rehabilitating the knees or hips from injury as
well, for they provide the lifter with a relatively safe method of applying overload.
43. Safety squats: Actually, the squats are no different than regular squats, but the
apparatus allows you to squat with safety. The steps built into the rack allow you to squat
down and, if you can’t come back up because of too heavy a weight, simply let the bar
down an additional inch or so to the safety step under it. Note that the bar is placed high
on the shoulders as opposed to the low position used in competition. This is to allow the
majority of the overload to be done by the legs instead of the back. Also, the heels are
slightly elevated, further removing stress from the back and placing it on the legs. As with
most of the exercises described in this chapter, isolation is a key principle to insure that
the muscle being exercised is deriving maximum overload. This is the fastest, most
efficient method of increasing strength.
44. Isokinetic squats: Identical to regular squats, isokinetic squats allow the lifter to
achieve maximum overload throughout the entire range of motion. The bar is kept high on
the shoulders, the torso is kept nearly perpendicular to the floor, and the legs are forced to
do the work instead of the back.
45. Olympic style squats: Called training squats by most lifters, Olympic style squats are
done in very strict fashion. Notice that the legs are contributing nearly all of the muscular
force necessary to complete the lift. The back is flat, the hips are under the bar (instead of
behind the bar as they often are in the competitive technique) and the heels are slightly
elevated. All of these measures are designed to insure maximum isolation on the legs so
that maximum overload is induced. It is not until the preseason peaking cycle that the
competitive squatting technique is practiced. The competitive squatting technique makes
use of all the muscles used in squatting, rather than just the legs. It is, therefore, not an
efficient means of improving leg strength, even though more weight can be lifted.
PNF EXERCISES FOR FLEXIBILITY TRAINING
Each of the proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) exercises are done in a
similar fashion. First, the person getting stretched should assume a position of comfortable
stretch in the joint he is concerned with. Then, the partner doing the stretching applies
force, attempting to stretch his partner even more. The first partner resists, however, and a
state of isometric contracture is maintained for about six seconds. Neither partner should
overcome the other; each should push with equal force, the person being stretched as hard
as possible, while the other one pushes only hard enough to not allow movement.
After the first six-second contracture, the process is repeated after a one to two second
rest, only this time the limb is stretched another couple of inches, again to a point of
comfortable stretch. During the brief rest period, the person getting stretched should
concentrate as much as possible on total relaxation of the stretched joint. Repeat the entire
process for a third isometric contracture, this time with the extent of stretch at maximum
without undue pain or discomfort.
It is important to the process that you completely relax during the rest intervals between
each maximum isometric contracture.
Exercise 1: Shoulder stretch: The arms are stretched toward the midline of the body and
upward over the head.
Exercise 2: Frontal shoulder stretch: The arms are being pushed directly forward over
the person’s head.
Exercise 3: Pectoral stretch: The arms are straight out from the sides, and force is
applied directly down into the floor.
Exercise 4: Trunk (spine) stretch: The exerciser twists his torso maximally and attempts
to come to a neutral position against the resisting partner. Both sides are done this way.
Exercise 5: Hamstring stretch: Keep the knees flat on-the floor, and do not apply
pressure upward against the partner by using the hands. Use only the force of the
hamstrings by pressing the heels into the ground and pushing upward with the back.
Exercise 6: Another hamstring exercise: This time press into the partner’s shoulder with
the calf.
Exercise 7: Hip and quadriceps stretch: The partner sits on the exerciser’s hips to keep
them down and stretches upward against the downward force of the exerciser.
Exercise 8: Groin stretch: The exerciser attempts to close his legs against the resistance
of the partner.
Exercise 9: Ankle and foot stretches: In each case, the person being stretched applies
force directly into the partner’s hand. The first photo is flexion, the second extension.
3 - THE LIFTS
Everyone is built differently. Musculoskeletal leverage, body build, different levels of
strength in individual muscles, flexibility, and stamina are factors that come to bear in
choosing a contest technique. The sad fact is that most beginning powerlifters gravitate
toward a particular technique that they had seen another lifter use. As commonly, they
may embrace a technique that a respected lifter told them to use.
The photographs in this chapter attest to the tremendous array of techniques used in each
of the three lifts. For as many champions as there are in the sport, there are as many
techniques. So, if you can’t emulate the champions in technique, and if you can’t listen to
the guy at the gym, how do you derive the technique that’s most suited to you? There is no
easy answer. In fact, as time passes, and you acquire greater strength in a weak muscle, or
flexibility in a tight joint, your technique ought to change commensurately. Technique is a
very tenuous concept. It varies with time, conditioning, changes taking place in your body,
and (often most importantly) with injuries.
There are a handful of coaches around the country who are qualified to assist beginning
powerlifters. There are hundreds of would-be coaches who try. It is sad but true that most
beginning athletes in practically every sport imaginable are given poor or downright
incorrect advice by well-meaning pseudo coaches. Choosing a good coach is nearly as
hard as choosing the best technique to use. If you’re lucky enough to find a coach who
understands the complexities of the physiology, kinesiology (the study of human
movement), and psychology of exercise and who also has broad experience in the sport of
powerlifting, you will succeed. There is no doubt.
The situation is not as bleak as it sounds, though. The sport of powerlifting has grown in
popularity because of its strikingly simplistic nature. It is quite possibly the most basic of
all sports. The extent of coaching required to become a champion is intense in any sport,
and powerlifting is no exception. The extent of coaching required to become familiarized
with the sport, with the types of training programs involved, and with technique variations
in general is quite minimal. Minimal should not be taken to mean incorrect, however.
Choose your coach carefully, and keep an open mind on the techniques of training and
lifting.
CHOOSING THE BEST TECHNIQUE FOR YOU
Karl Faeth, the official trainer for the U.S. Olympic Weightlifting Team, compiled a study
on the proper age to begin heavy competitive lifting. His thorough investigation revealed
concepts that are as applicable to powerlifters as well as Olympic lifters and bear
summarizing here. Children who are in their prepubertal age who engage in heavy,
competitive style weightlifting could suffer:
1.
2.
3.
Possible damage to the spine;
Possible damage to joints;
Possible damage to the immature bones’ growth plates;
4.
5.
Possible psychological damage;
Possible overtaxing of the heart.
Also the sport could suffer from a tarnished image and even lawsuits.
Aspiring athletes younger than thirteen should be totally concerned with developing a
sound fitness base, as described in Chapter 2, and should not engage in competitive
powerlifting for the reasons noted above. Neither the body nor the mind is capable of
withstanding the tremendous stresses that competitive powerlifting produces at these
young ages. There is plenty of time to compete, and do so more safely and with greater
enjoyment and fewer injuries later when maturation is complete.
The reasons for developing a sound base of fitness are many and should not be neglected
by youngsters or grownups just getting into any competitive sport. Close supervision of
young athletes engaged in weight training for fitness is definitely recommended to insure
that they are training safely and efficiently.
With the above caution in mind, some of the factors involved in choosing an appropriate
contest technique for your particular age, level of fitness, state of health, and anatomical
build are encapsulated in the three charts below.
Squat
The squat, when performed in competition, requires the lifter to descend into a bent-knee
position, with the bar placed on the shoulders within three centimeters of the top of the
deltoid. The thighs must be below parallel to the floor before coming up, and the upward
movement must be performed nonstop. (See the powerlifting rules in the Appendix.) This
presents problems to some lifters, particularly those who have inflexible ankles or hips or
who cannot assume the required position because of some anatomical constraints. Table 31 lists some of the more common problems lifters have and how to remedy them.
Beginning powerlifters who have developed a sound fitness base will find that fitness
factors such as relative weaknesses in some body parts is not a big problem. The most
prevalent problems will most often arise in anatomical factors being more or less
conducive to one technique or another.
Regardless of what technique you choose, there are some basic guidelines that apply in
competitive squatting techniques. You must descend with control, keeping the weight of
your body and the bar centered directly over the center of the foot. Shifting to the balls of
the feet will cause you to round your back and use too much back, rather than legs and
hips. And. squatting on your heels will place undue tension on the legs, leaving the back
and hips out of the picture more than they should be. This is called the groove by
experienced lifters. You must also maintain a very stiff torso, and prevent the back from
rounding forward. Not doing so opens the door to injury. Most experienced lifters use a
weight-lifting belt that’s ten centimeters wide in front (maximum allowable width). The
belt prevents the back from rounding too far forward since it is very wide and stiff. Such a
belt is rarely used in periods of training where submaximum amounts of weight are being
used. In fact, none of the competitive technique is used in such training; instead it is
replaced with training squats or Olympic squats, as they are sometimes called.
While not recommended as a permanent solution to the problem of inflexible ankles or
hips, it may be considered a stop-gap measure to insert a one-inch heel inside the lifting
shoe. This heel will allow you to keep your hips under the bar, rather than allowing them
to protrude too far to the rear, placing undue strain on the back. Such inflexibility
problems can be eliminated, in most cases, by careful stretching and PNF methods of
warming up. (See Chapter 2.)
This lifter has an unusual technique in the squat. His knees tend to turn inward during the
ascent-an indication of weak quadriceps. He is also relying too much on the lower back in
the lift, a practice that could be dangerous. The same lifter (Jerry Jones) went on to break a
world record in the squat a short time after this photo was taken, a fact that indicates it
isn’t always possible to predict success by looking at someone’s technique problems.
(Klemens photo)
Here is one lifter who took his training squats to the meet with him. John Kuc, the world
champion in the 242-pound weight class, uses the Olympic style squatting technique,
keeping the feet close, the bar high on the shoulders, and the torso very erect. All of the
pressure is borne by the legs. Olympic squats are the recommended training lift for
developing leg strength, since great isolation of the leg muscles is possible. Such a
technique is not generally as productive for competition, however, as is the wider stance,
which also has the torso bent slightly forward and the bar farther down the back to
improve leverage. (Klemens photo)
The lifter in this photo (Jim Rouse) has allowed the hips to rise too quickly, putting
tremendous stress on the lower back. This is one of the most prevalent reasons for back
injuries in powerlifting-using poor leverage in the squat and dead lift. (Courtesy of Marvin
Meinstein)
Aimo, the great Finn, displays excellent technique in the close stance squat. Despite the
closeness of the feet, Aimo is able to keep his back flat and hips under the bar for greater
leverage. This technique calls for excellent ankle flexibility and lower-back strength.
(Klemens photo)
Pound for pound the greatest powerlifter of all time, Mike Bridges displays perhaps the
best squat technique for the average powerlifter. Back and legs both contribute to the lift,
the bar is placed well down the back, and the back is kept flat. The head is held high to
allow the hips to come under the bar as soon as possible-leverage personified. An
intermediate stance is used, as opposed to the very wide or very narrow stance. This
technique is probably most suited to over seventy-five percent of all powerlifters.
(Courtesy of Powerlifting USA)
As a final guideline for choosing a competitive squatting technique, you should consider
the problem of sticking points in the lift. All lifters, beginning or advanced, have this
problem. In the squat the sticking point occurs at about thirty degrees flexion. It is
believed to be the point in the movement where the strong gluteal muscles are through
with their portion of the task, and the quadriceps must assume the majority of the burden
from there upward. This transitional zone is rarely a smooth, contiguous movement. There
seems, most often, to be a lag at this point, and the best way to overcome it is to drive the
hips forward. With this adjustment you can make sure that the weight is put directly onto
the leg muscles and away from the hips. Driving the hips forward, under the bar, must be a
conscious effort to avoid this sticking point in the lift. Failing to do so results in too much
weight being borne by the back, and the weight is lost forward.
The squatting technique displayed by Alan Lord in this photo requires tremendous lowerback strength. It is not the recommended technique, since the legs can move much more
weight than the back and also because back problems arise too often using this technique.
(Klemens photo)
BENCH PRESS
When performing the bench press in competition, the groove spoken of in the section on
squatting becomes all important. Training bench presses are generally done in strict
isolation fashion, assuring that most of the stress is borne by the pectorals. Triceps and
frontal deltoids are isolated separately. However, in the competitive style you must use all
three of these muscle groups to your greatest advantage. If you are relatively weak in the
chest, you must use mostly arms and shoulders. If you are weak (relatively speaking) in
the arms or shoulders, you must use mostly chest.
As with the squat, various constraining factors will pretty much tell you what the best
method of benching is for you. (See Table 3-2.) The rules of benching require the weight
to be lowered, under your own power (i.e. without assistance) to the chest. There it rests
until the head judge gives the signal to press the weight up. From this point, no sinking of
the bar is allowed; it must go only upward and continue until completion. When the bar is
at arms’ length, the head judge will give the signal to rack the weight. How you get the bar
to the chest and then to arms’ length is largely a matter of strength and technique. You
must choose your technique wisely in order to derive the full benefit from your strong
points. With time, weaker points may become strengths, and alterations in technique will
be called for. There is no such thing as a permanent style of competitive technique, since
your training methods vary from season to season, and states of fitness or injury vary
accordingly.
Doug Young, one of the greatest bench pressers in the sport, displays what has become the
most prevalently used technique for bench pressing. The elbows are at nearly ninety
degrees from the torso, and the grip is relatively wide. This allows the pectorals to do most
of the work. Notice that Doug’s back is slightly arched, allowing him to use some strength
from the latissimus muscles. Also, his feet are “locked” under himself for stability on the
bench. (Klemens photo)
As with the squat, there are some general principles that appear to apply to all bench
pressers. While there is no universal sticking point, one most commonly occurs about four
or five inches off the chest. This is the transitional zone within which the anterior deltoids
become the weaker acting muscle, and the triceps and pectoralis take over. The initial
surge of power from the chest is generally accomplished by the anterior deltoids. An
exception to this generality is the lifter who keeps his arms perpendicular to the body
during the movement. This elbow position will put most of the stress on the chest right
from the first movement, leaving the deltoids relatively out of the picture. The way to cope
with this kind of problem is to work each muscle (deltoids, triceps, and pectorals)
separately and get them as strong as possible. The sticking point will not have vanished,
but it certainly will have been adjusted upward! Finding another groove is often helpful in
overcoming such problems as well.
With a chest and arms like Bill Seno, bench pressing is no problem! Bill uses a narrow
grip to take full advantage of the strength in his shoulders and arms. When the bar is
lowered to his chest, Bill’s elbows are at about forty-five degrees from his torso, allowing
him to use more shoulders and less chest. (Klemens photo)
Arching the back is allowed in competition, provided the buttocks do not leave the bench.
If you are fortunate enough to have a very flexible back, use it to your advantage by
assuming a deep arch position under the weight. This position will tend to place some of
the stress on the strong latissimus muscles under the arms, and therefore make the strain
on the pectorals somewhat less. This, of course, generally allows more weight to be
hoisted.
Occasionally, from injury or lack of concentration, one arm lags behind the other during
the bench press. While it seems logical that the arm lagging behind is the weaker, it
usually is the opposite. The weaker arm tends to go to a position from which it can easily
extend rather than deep into flexion. In the case of Larry Pacifico in this photo, the injured
left shoulder is being protected by not being allowed all the way down, thus putting most
of the stress on the good right shoulder. If the bar were to reach lockout unevenly, it would
be a “no lift.” However, an uneven beginning and an even termination in the bench press
is legal, and sometimes advantageous although always dangerous. (Klemens photo)
The bench press is perhaps the most popular of the three lifts. The question most asked of
lifters used to be, “How much can you press?” Nowadays it’s, “How much can you
bench?” A deep, barrel chest and huge arms are impressive-the most visible signs of lifting
prowess and strength. Remember that the bench movement involves the shoulder joint,
which is a very complex joint, highly susceptible to injury. Developing a sound base of
strength in all the muscles surrounding the shoulder area will help you not only develop a
great bench, but also will allow you to keep it for years of competition ahead.
This is the moment all athletes can relate to-being honored before an appreciative
audience of peers. (Klemens photo)
DEADLIFT
The deadlift, while not precisely the same as the squat, employs the same muscles. The
rules state that the bar must be pulled from the floor to an erect position in a nonstop
fashion. Erect is further defined as meaning having the front of the shoulders farther back
than the front of the chest. One need not be leaning backward, as is so often observed
among novices-just erect. Aside from the obvious difference between squats and deadlifts
regarding the position of the bar, the most important one is that you needn’t control a
weight going down. It is not unusual to see the better lifters squatting more than they are
able to deadlift. Some say that this is due to the fact that the descent in the squat “sets up a
groove” within which it’s relatively easy to ascend. The deadlift, beginning from the floor
as it does, allows for no such setup. The weight must be pulled from a dead stop and from
a condition of total muscular relaxation (i.e., no eccentric stretching prior to contracture).
Observe Table 3-3. As with tables 3-1 and 3-2, attempt to select the most appropriate
technique for your particular build, fitness level, and strength level. Again as with the
squat and bench press tables, this one is no cure-all for lifting problems. It is only a guide
to assist the uninitiated in selecting the best technique for them. Generally, a good coach
with an eye for technique problems can help as much or more than any table or graph can.
There are three common sticking points in deadlifting. One occurs at the bottom: Lack of
sufficient leg, hip, and back strength prohibits any movement off the floor. The weight is
just too heavy. The second sticking point commonly observed is at knee level. It is often
due to pulling while the body weight is on the toes. This leaves the weight out in front of
the body too much and causes the glutes and back to work too hard because the legs can’t
work effectively in this position. It may also be due to a weaker back, since it is the point
at which back strength becomes critical. A sticking point near the top of the deadlift very
often is the result of the lifter not concentrating long enough. The pull has been nearly
completed (“I can take it easy now.”); this kind of thinking causes such a problem. As
commonly, however, is the fact that the rhomboids (muscles that pull your scapulae
together in back) may be unable to do their job, either because of weakness or because of
being out of position. Simply strengthening the trapezius with heavy shrugs and the
rhomboids with bent over rows will most often cure such a sticking point. Poor grip
problems can, of course, be cured by strengthening the grip (see Chapter 2).
This lifter has just “completed” his deadlift. However, the lift was red-lighted because his
knees are bent. It is not necessary to lean back as this lifter has, since it not only causes the
knees to bend, but it requires more effort and stress on the lower back. All you have to do
is stand erect-not bent back. (Klemens photo)
The great Lamar Gant displays his incredible deadlifting ability. Note the relative length
of his arm. They allow him to begin his deadlift with his hips higher, thereby giving him
greater leverage, and a shorter distance to pull the weight. At a body weight of 123
pounds, Lamar deadlifted 620 pounds! (Klemens photo)
This lifter is having trouble near the top of his deadlift. This is a common problem
stemming either from weak trapezius muscles (the muscles just below the ears on the
shoulders), from weak rhomboids (the muscles between the shoulder blades), or from just
plain fatigue near the end of a tiring lift. The remedy is more bent rows and shrugs (see
Chapter 2). (Klemens photo)
Compare the distance this short-armed lifter has to pull the weight with the distance
Lamar Gant had to, and you’ll see that Lamar has a distinct advantage. Yet, Tony Fratto is
one of the world’s great powerlifters. He became exceptionally strong in order to
overcome such anatomical difficulties. (Klemens photo)
Perhaps the greatest deadlifter of all time, Vince Anello uses a technique all his own.
Vince’s pull begins with the legs driving the weight off the floor. Then, when his legs are
nearly straight, his back takes over. All the while, the bar remains very close to his legs.
The average lifter who tries this technique almost always finds the bar too far out in front
of him, making the weight seem far heavier than it really is because of poor leverage.
(Klemens photo)
John Kuc, deadlifting nearly 900 pounds as a 242-pound competitor, displays a technique
similar in some ways to Anello’s. John uses his legs strongly off the floor, and then allows
his back to assist in completing the lift. Most lifters who try this technique find themselves
pulling with their back rather than pushing with their legs. It causes them to fail with the
big weights, because the legs are stronger than the back (you must use the stronger
muscles first because you are in a poor leverage position during the beginning of a
deadlift.) (Klemens photo)
This lifter is an excellent proponent of the so-called Sumo style of deadlifting. The feet are
placed wide apart (outside the hands rather than inside), and the torso remains relatively
upright during the initial pull. This technique requires exceptional hip and leg strength
rather than back strength, since the back remains fairly erect throughout. (Klemens photo)
In this photo, the lifter displays perhaps the most common technique of all. The back is
kept flat; the feet are only slightly apart; the head is up; the bar is kept close to the body;
and the pull begins with the legs and is assisted later (near the knees) by the back. Perhaps
as many as seventy-five percent of all lifters should be using this technique. (Klemens
photo)
Doug Heath, one of the nation’s outstanding young lifters, pulls the bar from the floor with
a rounded back and gets into trouble. A lack of flexibility in the hamstring muscles (back
of the upper leg) and general weakness in the upper back are the two major factors causing
this problem. Both can be combated with proper training. (Courtesy Jerry Koplin)
Don Reinhoudt, the greatest superheavyweight powerlifter of all time, gets assistance from
a couple of fellow lifters. Like any sport, powerlifting done at the level of championship
competition can be tough. (Klemens photo)
Before closing this chapter on the lifts and some common problems associated with each
one, it is important to remember that you are an individual. The technique you choose is
going to get you further in this sport if it matches your own body. Be cautious also to
prepare for heavy lifting through months of fitness training. This point cannot be stressed
too often, for it will help you get as strong as you are capable of being and also will keep
you free of injury.
4 - DIET AND NUTRITION
Sound eating habits are a must for any serious athlete. Let’s call upon the analogy of the
house built on a rock once more. If the solid foundation is important, so is the way in
which the house was constructed. One’s diet and nutrition can be thought of as the mortar
that binds the building blocks of the body together.
There have been many old wives’ tales spread around the gymnasiums of the country for
countless decades. Just as there are all too many pseudo coaches around, so too are there
soothsayers who would lead us to believe the following:
1
Lifters need huge quantities of protein.
2
Lifters need far greater volumes of vitamins and minerals.
3
Lifters’ muscles turn to flab when their lifting days are done.
4
Fat people often have a hereditary predisposition to their
obesity.
8.
9.
10.
5
rate.
Some people just can’t gain weight because of their metabolic
6
Women get unfemininely muscular from lifting weights.
7
A good method to gain weight is to constantly eat all day long.
The best method to lose weight is simply to stop eating.
Low cholesterol diets are essential for athletes.
Athletes need plenty of fresh meat before competing in a contest or
game.
You no doubt can come up with many more such statements. They amount to so much
banter. Some have a grain of truth in them, but, for the most part, you will be better off
throwing all such notions completely out the window and starting from scratch.
The aspects of diet and nutrition that you, as a powerlifter, will become most concerned
with are (1) gaining weight in the form of muscle mass, (2) losing fat weight, (3) making
weight just before a contest, (4) what and how to eat, (5) what and how to supplement
with vitamins and minerals, and (6) making the decision to avoid dangerous ergogenic
aids (drugs that are supposedly able to help you get stronger).
If you have been hanging around athletes all of your life, you no doubt have heard all of
the wives’ tales listed above. To dispel them and get you back in the mainstream of
appropriate eating and supplementing would require you to keep an open mind, to apply
strict discipline in your daily eating habits, and above all to avoid any faddist approach to
dieting, whether to gain or lose weight. There is no way this chapter can give you the
discipline you’ll need or the ability to avoid faddist food plans, but it can give you the
right information.
The trouble is how do any of us know what the truth is about diet? Nutritional research is
progressing from its infancy very slowly. The tremendously complicated interactions that
take place in the body when vitamins and minerals combine, react, form other compounds,
and produce energy is too much for the human mind to grasp-for now. Scientists have,
however, uncovered some basic facts that seem to apply consistently in our diets. These
few but important facts are what this chapter is all about. Speculation and myths about diet
are cast aside, and basic facts are presented.
CALORIES
A calorie is nothing more than a measure of heat. To be precise, it’s the amount of heat it
takes to move one gram of water up one degree centigrade. We get our calories from the
food (or “fuel”) we eat. All foods are categorized according to the number of available
calories they can offer from [1) fats, (2) carbohydrates, and (3) proteins.
Gaining weight
To gain weight, you must provide more fuel (calories) than your body burns each day.
This is called a positive caloric balance. However, without weight training the only
possible outcome of such a practice is that the additional calories will turn to fat. They
cannot be converted to muscle. Weight training is the key, for with weights you can insure
that the additional calories will be converted to muscle weight. One caution: Do not
attempt to gain weight any faster than one-half to one pound per week. The body cannot
manufacture muscle any faster than that, even under ideal conditions of diet and training.
This means that you should not add more than about 300-500 calories per day onto your
present diet. Why? Because:
3,500 calories =1 pound fat
That is, if you were to burn one pound of fat, you would produce enough heat to equal
3,500 calories.
Losing weight
Losing weight is very similar in logic to gaining weight. Simply reverse the process, by
putting your diet into a negative caloric balance. Be sure that you do not reduce your
caloric intake any more than about 300-500 calories per day, however. If you take in an
average of, say 2,500 calories per day, and you want to lose weight, you should drop to
about 2,200 calories per day. This will force the body to shed fat rather than muscle.
Taking in too few calories (as in a fasting diet) causes much of the weight loss to come
from muscle. For powerlifters this would be devastating on strength levels. Prudent
reductions in caloric intake together with sound bodybuilding will insure that the only
weight lost will be fat weight, and you will become far more efficient in lifting.
CHECKING YOUR PERCENT BODY FAT LEVEL
Of course, the key to knowing just how much weight to gain or lose is knowing how much
of your body is fat and how much is muscle. As a general rule of thumb, only the
superheavyweights can afford to have greater than ten percent of their total weight in fat.
This is because they have no restrictions on their size, and because they cannot, owing to
hereditary and species-related factors, gain all of their ponderous body weight in muscle.
The lighter classes can, however, and must. They must because they will be more efficient
when lifting. Muscle weight is more efficient in moving the barbell than is fat; fat cannot
contract as muscle does.
Once you know how much of you is fat, you will know how much you should lose. You
have three choices: (1) stay the same weight but replace the fat with muscle, (2) gain
muscle weight while dropping fat weight, but in such a way that total body weight is
increased, or (3) gain or maintain muscle weight while dropping fat weight, but in such a
way that total body weight is decreased. All three choices, for the powerlifter, involve
reducing the percent of body fat. Again, by controlling your caloric balance (either
positive or negative) and by weight training, any of the three alternatives can be
accomplished efficiently with little psychological trauma. You must take your time.
Nothing can be accomplished in a hurry when it comes to altering your body composition
and strength levels.
There are many very accurate methods of estimating your percent of body fat. Most of
them are not practical for powerlifters because they require special equipment. Below is a
very simple method of estimating body fat for men. It is accurate within plus or minus
four percent.
A simpler method requiring no equipment other than a scale and a tape measure is as
follows:
A relatively simple method for women is:
Care must be taken when obtaining body measurements to insure accuracy. Skinfold
measurements for men must be obtained by using a skinfold caliper, and insuring that the
outer layer of fat is all that’s being measured-not the underlying muscle. The
measurements obtained with a tape measure are critical, too. The tape must be pulled
snug, but not too snug. The following guidelines should help in getting the proper
measurements:
Men: waist measurement-tape positioned parallel to the floor, and even with the umbilicus
(belly button).
Women: wrist diameter-tape positioned around the wrist bone (knuckle that sticks out on
the top outside part of the wrist). Then, when a circumference is obtained in that manner,
divide it by 3.14 (pi) to get the diameter.
Women: forearm circumference-tape positioned around the widest part of the forearm,
just below the elbow.
It is a good idea to check your percent of body fat once monthly. This will help you in
your attempts to get in shape for lifting. If no progress in body fat reduction is noted from
one month to the next, you can be assured that your diet or training program is unsound.
Make the proper adjustments. It does not make sense to train hard and not make gains.
Once you have achieved a body fat level under ten percent, you can be reasonably
comfortable with the knowledge that your diet and training programs are pretty good. It is
time then to concentrate on getting strong.
WHAT AND HOW TO EAT
Fats, carbohydrates, and protein
All foods are rated according to the amounts of fat, carbohydrates, and protein they
contain. These are the body’s calorie sources and should be considered as carefully as you
consider the gas you put in your car, for they are the body’s fuel.
It is a myth that athletes (and especially weight lifters) should not eat fat or carbohydrates.
It is a very dangerous myth that they should starve themselves of many important vitamin
and mineral sources while stuffing an overabundance of unusable protein into their bodies.
To insure proper nutrition, your body needs fats. It needs carbohydrates, and, of course, it
needs protein. All of these calorie sources are essential to life itself. Each contains
essential nutrients the others cannot provide. It is recommended that powerlifters take in
the proper proportions of these essential elements at every meal (see Table 4-1)
In fact, these guides are applicable to any strength athlete engaged in heavy weight
training. Endurance athletes need not consume as much protein, but rather get their
additional calories from good quality carbohydrates (e.g., vegetables, fruits, nuts, and
whole grains). Strength men can easily obtain all the protein they need by simply eating a
bit more cottage cheese, eggs, and milk. Fresh meat, if you prefer, is also a good protein
source. Fats of the type essential to life are found in abundance in both protein and
carbohydrate sources. You needn’t go out of your way to find them. A good idea, however,
is to minimize the animal sources of fat as much as possible.
Sugar is pure carbohydrate. It is a simple carbohydrate, whereas the other sources listed
above are complex sources. Sugar enters the bloodstream very quickly, and leaves it just
as quickly. In the process, all sorts of disruptive things happen to the digestion and
(according to mounting research evidence) to the mind. Behavioral patterns, thought
processes, and personality are known to be altered unfavorably because of too much sugar
in the diet. And, for you as a powerlifter, sugar causes a general weakening of muscle-not
quick energy as is so often believed. Get off sugar, especially before weight lifting meets
and workouts.
Vitamins and minerals
Above it was stated that you should eat fats, carbohydrates, and protein in something close
to what appears to be an equitable ratio (i.e., 20-40-40). Doing so will practically insure
that you are getting the appropriate ratio of essential vitamins and minerals as well. The
fact that soil depletion and erosion over the years in America has caused a lessening of
certain nutrients is accepted fact. The fact that many foods are processed and changed so
much that they resemble chemical factory sludge is also accepted fact. Even animals are
pumped full of chemicals to enhance their flavor, texture, and appearance. The result of
these “high technology” practices is that much of the food we eat is nearly unfit for human
consumption. So, while the appropriate ratio of essential minerals and vitamins can be
derived by appropriate eating, it seems at least questionable whether you will get enough
of them. It is a good idea to engage in supplementing your diet with pills, more during
periods when you know your diet to be deficient and less during the periods when you are
eating well, more during periods of heavy stress and less during periods of calm, more
during periods of heavy workouts and less during periods of inactivity. A good
multivitamin will do. You need not go crazy over the pill popping, for it is both dangerous
(because some vitamins and minerals can be extremely toxic) and unnecessary (because
megadoses will not get you stronger).
DRUGS
Since the late 1950s, strength athletes from many sports have engaged in the use of
“ergogenic aids” to enhance their strength. The most commonly used drugs are listed
below. The research evidence supporting the use of such dangerous drugs is practically
nonexistent, while the research evidence indicating that such practices are, at best, mildly
efficacious, is voluminous.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Caffeine
Caffeine (coffee and caffeine pills)
Nicotine (cigarettes)
Sugar (in the form of snacks/junk food)
Uppers (amphetamines, mood elevators)
Anabolic steroids (taken orally and via injection)
There is considerable research evidence that excessive use of caffeine interferes with the
metabolism of both carbohydrates and protein. Therefore, it is unwise for any athlete
interested in building muscle to use coffee in large amounts (e.g., more than one to three
cups per day). However, it is also known that the stimulating effect of caffeine can, if used
properly, act as a mild upper during a competitive situation. However, the amount of
carry-over value such a state of arousal may have on the athlete’s performance ability is
questionable. Certainly such a practice is not to be relied upon as your sole means of
getting psyched for a lift!
Nicotine
Cigarette smoking is hazardous to your health. Period. There is no research indicating that
nicotine is in any way an ergogenic aid. There is much evidence that smoking will cause a
decrease in performance levels over time, even for powerlifters, who have few
requirements in cardiovascular fitness.
Sugar
Sugar taken immediately before a maximum lift may not cause any decrease in strength.
However, if sugar is taken one-half hour or more before a lift, it has been shown to reduce
strength levels by as much as fifteen percent. The belief that sugar is quick energy is very
widespread. It is not. The blood sugar rises rapidly and falls just as rapidly after ingesting
sugar, disrupting normal blood sugar levels to such an extent that energy is actually
diminished!
Uppers
Uppers, especially the amphetamines, are potential killers. They have been known to
cause death in sports on many occasions. High dosages cause skilled athletes to lose
coordination, resulting in lower performance levels. Where coordination isn’t important
(e.g., long distance running), it masks pain and oxygen debt so much that you can actually
run yourself into the ground-in fact, six feet below it. The body’s defense system is so
thrown off that it has no way of letting you know that you are about to collapse.
Low skill sports are shown to be the only sports in which amphetamine use is in any way
ergogenic. Powerlifting is a medium skill sport, wherein some attention to position and
groove is important. If you become highly aroused, as you would on uppers, your skill
factor would be diminished so much that the chances of getting the weight out of the
groove is increased. Missing the lift and perhaps getting injured is the normal result.
Any good athlete can psych himself up well enough mentally (without the use of drugs). It
does not make sense to use such drugs when safer and better methods of getting up are at
your disposal. Mental practice, TM, self-hypnosis, and other mind control techniques
really work.
Anabolic steroids
Anabolic steroids have become the most commonly used drugs among powerlifters and
strength athletes throughout the world. So many misconceptions have become prevalent
that it is hard for young athletes to learn what the truth really is. There has been
considerable research done on steroids, but the type that has been done has not touched
upon the real issues surrounding steroid use. Nor has the question concerning the actual
mechanisms that become involved in the muscle been answered. The discussion that
follows is as accurate a statement as exists regarding the true ergogenic properties of
anabolic steroids.
Steroids, as the theory goes, save nitrogen in the muscle. Nitrogen is one of the primary
parts of protein molecules, and without enough of it you could not build muscle as fast.
With it you are not only able to build muscle tissue at an increased rate, but also recover
from heavy exercise more quickly. Since you can build and recover faster, you are able to
work out heavy more often, thereby accelerating the rate of muscle growth even more.
However, as great as this sounds, there are some problems.
First of all, anabolic steroids can perform the above function, but only if you increase
protein (nitrogen) intake, train heavy more often, and develop a nutritionally sound diet in
general.
Second, if your percent of body fat is already very low (less than five percent), and you
are having trouble making weight for contests, steroids cannot help you. This is true
because the added weight from steroid use is going to have to be shed before the contest in
order to make weight, and the result will be a loss of strength and size.
Third, athletes under the age of about twenty-two generally are producing abundant
supplies of testosterone (the male hormone that steroids resemble) to perform growth and
recuperation tasks. The additional steroids will only cause minimal increases in your
capacity to add muscle. The major portion of whatever gains in size and strength you
experience will come from increased fluid in the cells of the body (edema). This, in turn,
creates advantageous leverage for each individual muscle cell to operate with. For
example, picture a group of muscle cells filled to capacity with fluid. The cells tend to
pack more closely together, and, therefore, can pry against one another during contracture.
This is called interstitial leverage and is one of the reasons some fat lifters have good
strength levels. The fat cells create the same kind of interstitial leverage that fluid does
from steroid use.
So, even though strength may increase dramatically while under steroid therapy, the
strength is fleeting. It goes away with the loss of the fluid or fat.
Fourth, many serious problems can arise from steroid use, especially for those under age
twenty-five. The drug is known to be cancer causing, especially among women. Steroids
cause severe edema, which can be dangerous to any athlete with heart problems. Steroids
place tremendous stress on the liver and kidneys, causing them to break down. They cause
the sex organs to dysfunction: Male testes shrink and become incapable of maintaining
normal sperm production. They can also cause growth problems in the long bones of the
body. The drug is extremely dangerous if you are a diabetic or are potential diabetic.
And fifth, whatever elevated growth that is taking place in the muscles is not necessarily
taking place at a similar level in the tendons to which these muscles attach. This is
extremely dangerous. A powerful muscle pulling on a less powerful tendon is going to
cause that tendon to break down. The muscle grows faster than the tendon because
tendons do not have as good a blood supply as muscles. The process is analogous to the
mechanic who puts a huge Dodge Hemi engine into a Volkswagen chassis. The
tremendous power generated by the engine will in time tear the tiny chassis to bits.
Normal growth of muscle will insure that tendon strength increases with muscle strength
at the same speed. The muscles’ and tendons’ strength will remain compatible, and injury
will be less likely.
There are five good reasons why lifters should stay away from steroids. The fact that so
many lifters don’t care what happens to them and the fact that they feel forced into steroid
use to keep up with their competition are now known to be false arguments. The truth is
that by getting your percent of body fat down to under five percent, staying within a few
pounds of your competition weight limit, and training sensibly will yield as much strength
as any steroid on earth and allow that strength to stay longer as well as allow more injuryfree years of competition.
5 - GETTING READY FOR YOUR FIRST POWERLIFTING
CONTEST
All who have experienced the exhilarating joy of maximum effort in sport know
unquestioningly why they participate. All who know the stress of competition know, too.
The camaraderie among athletes. The intensity. The ego gratification (or potential for it if
successful in winning). The common denominator in sports, by any athlete’s standards, is
to excel. For some powerlifters excellence not only means being strong enough to win but
looking the part as well-looking and feeling good about yourself. Knowing that in the eyes
of your contemporaries you are a special breed of person. You are a powerlifter.
All right then, so you feel that you’re ready to compete in powerlifting? Welcome to the
sport of strength! If you have carefully heeded the advice presented throughout this book,
you are indeed ready. You have taken care to build a strong foundation of fitness first.
Your strength is good in all muscles, including the smaller helping muscles.
Your ligaments and tendons are strong because you have taken the time to allow them to
adapt to the greater strength of your muscular system. Your flexibility is good; your
positions in each lift are not strained or tight under heavy tonnage. You have acquired the
strength and wisdom necessary to operate the ultimate machine under the most stressful
conditions possible-the human body in powerlifting competition.
YOUR FIRST CONTEST
The purpose of your first contest should not, under any circumstances, be to break records,
set the powerlifting world on fire, or prove anything to anyone. The purpose of your first
contest is to learn. The first time you ever tasted a new food, the fork was probably lifted
to the mouth rather carefully, with considerable trepidation and anticipation. The tongue
carefully reacted to sense what was to come, and the nose worked to gather similar
information simultaneously. The food carefully entered the mouth, and taste buds reacted
to complete the data collection process. You liked it or you didn’t. Food could not possibly
hurt you, like heavy weights can. The contest atmosphere is entirely different from what
you’ve experienced in the gym thus far. Enter the meet with the idea that you are there to
gather information, as if you were tasting food for the first time, carefully sifting and
weighing bits of data and storing this data for later use.
The point is that it will be to no advantage to bomb out at your first meet, to hurt yourself,
to aggravate your competitors or officials over your naiveté. Plan your debut with care.
This chapter is designed to assist you in doing just that.
Listed here are some of the factors that need to be considered in the early stages of contest
preparation. This period is called the peaking period and generally involves about eight
weeks prior to the date of competition.
1
Avoid doing max singles in the gym; if singles must be done,
then stay under 95 percent total effort.
2
Gradually increase the intensity of your workouts-go from high
reps to low reps and light weights to heavy weights over the full peaking
period.
3
Pay close attention to diet, as you must maintain a body weight
not in excess of 3.5 percent of your competition body weight.
4
Get plenty of rest just prior to the meet; do not train heavy the
last few days.
5
Avoid mentally dwelling on the meet, as this will cause many
physical problems: Heart rate increases, adrenaline is secreted, and
general strength and vitality will be lowered by this.
6
In general, try to go about your life as normally as possible
before a meet; don’t interject anything so new that it will be disruptive to
you.
PEAKING FOR THE CONTEST
It is during the peaking period that you must begin to gradually set aside the strict
isolation exercises that you were doing for each important muscle and begin doing the
same movements that you will be required to do in the meet. During the last three weeks
of the peaking period, you will be doing contest lifts exclusively. In the squat the bar will
be moved down the back rather than remain high on the trapezius muscles. The feet will
be spread farther apart, and both back and leg muscles will perform the squatting
movement rather than just the legs. The bench press will be performed using all three
muscles-the frontal deltoids, the triceps, and the pectoralis muscles-not just the pectorals
as practiced during the pre-peaking period. And the deadlift will be performed with the
legs and back, rather than just with the back.
Table 5-1 is an illustration of a typical program for peaking for a meet. Notice that it does
assume:
1
That a sound fitness base has been established beforehand;
2
That the lifter is capable of recovering over a seven-day cycle;
3
That the lifter has no severe technique problems or injuries that
would tend to cause him to modify his strategy;
4
That the lifter must be virtually dedicated in his attempt to get as
much out of his body as he can on the day that it counts-the competition.
The cycle goes from high repetitions (low intensity) to low repetitions (high intensity) and
from strict isolation of muscles to competitive technique. The transition takes the full eight
weeks. The last two weeks involve very high intensity, which requires that you rest a great
deal on days off.
While many changes can be made in this illustrated cycle, particularly with regard to the
number of sets or reps you perform, and the percentages of maximum weight that you use,
the basic trends noted above are of utmost importance to insure readiness on the day of the
contest.
Your percentages should be chosen on the basis of how much weight you realistically
think you can do in each lift. When performing training techniques, the percentages should
be based on your estimation of how much you can do in that fashion. And when
performing the competitive lifting techniques, your percentages should be reflective of
how much you think you’ll be able to do using those techniques.
If you have a weight problem, you must carefully consider that losing the excess weight
before a contest will tend to weaken you. You must account for that fact when choosing
your starting attempts in the contest, and you must try to minimize the trauma you
experience from dieting. Naturally, the best practice is to stay within easy striking distance
of your weight-class limit all the time. An allowance of about 3.5 percent above class limit
is not bad, but more than that will cause strength losses upon losing the weight. It may be
necessary for you to reread the last chapter on diet and nutrition at this point. It doesn’t
make any sense whatsoever to do everything right and lose it all just because you lacked
the self-discipline to maintain an appropriate body weight.
THE CONTEST
Here it is. The day of reckoning. The day that you must put it all together. You’ve trained
hard, endured tremendous stress on the body and mind, and have held a dream of
excellence in your heart for a period longer than you perhaps care to remember. Now that
you’re at the contest, don’t blow it all by ignoring some very common-sense precautions:
1
Do you have all of your gear? Belt, shoes, lifting suit, warmup
suit, wraps, talcum, etc. are all part of the powerlifter’s tools.
2
Have you used common sense in choosing starting attempts?
Were they based on your peaking cycle performances?
3
Have you carefully planned your contest strategy, mapping out
exactly what your 2nd and 3rd attempts will be in each lift?
4
Have you revised your anticipated attempts according to the
amount of weight you’ve found it necessary to lose to make weight?
5
Have you eaten sensibly over the past few days, and especially
after weigh-in? You should avoid the following foods: (a) sugar in all
forms (honey, junk food, etc.) (b) roughage (salads, etc.) (c) fried foods of
all types (d) high protein foods of all types (milk, eggs, steak, chicken,
tuna fish) … and eat sparingly of these types: (a) easily digested
carbohydrates, such as fruits low in fiber, pancakes, spaghetti, potatoes,
fruit or vegetable juice (b) be sure that the above foods are not foreign to
your normal diet, and stay away from very spicy foods and gas-producing
foods
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Does -your coach or second know exactly what your
attempts are to be? Do you trust him? Get together and
carefully go over all aspects of the meet beforehand.
Are you awaiting the meet in a normal fashion? Or, are
you severely altering your lifestyle in anticipation of the
meet? Try to maintain as similar a schedule to your
normal one as possible.
Do not fraternize excessively with your fellow lifters
before the meet, as this will cause you to dwell on the
meet and waste precious energy thinking about it. There’s
plenty of time to visit after the last deadlift is put back on
the platform.
Do you have a valid U.S. Powerlifting Federation card?
You need one to be allowed to compete.
Do you have your rules manual with you? (There is a
complete rules section in the Appendix of this book.)
WARMUP
If you have followed a strict program during your peaking cycle, you have an excellent
insight into how much you should open with in each lift. You need not warm up to this
weight, as it will rob you of precious energy. Only those lifters who do not know
themselves find it necessary to see if I can do it first. Your warmup should consist of the
following steps:
1
2).
Light stretching of all joints (use PNF as described in Chapter
2
Stay warm, wearing a suit between warmups and replacing lost
fluids (about ten ounces of water every fifteen minutes is the maximum
possible).
3
Begin about fifteen lifts before you are up (this is the job of
your coach or second).
4
Space warmups about four minutes apart, and finishing
about five minutes before you are up.
5
Warmup #1: 30 percent of your starting weight-5 reps.
6
Warmup #2: 45 percent of your starting weight-4 reps.
7
Warmup #3: 60 percent of your starting weight-3 reps.
8
Warmup #4: 75 percent of your starting weight-2 reps.
9
Final warmup: 90 percent of your starting weight-l rep.
10
Wear your warmup suit between warmups, and your belt,
knee wraps, and lifting suit during each warmup.
11
Between competitive attempts, stay warm, and if more than
five or six minutes are spent waiting, take another warmup with about 30
percent of your starting attempt for one rep or two at the most.
The most important aspect of a warmup is to warm up. Never to see what you can do
beforehand or beat yourself into the ground as you might during a workout. Warmup is not
a workout.
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
Most powerlifters are now using thick belts, supportive lifting suits, and highly elastic
knee wraps. These apparatuses are designed to assist the lifter in the lift, and especially to
prevent injury. They are not under any circumstances supposed to be used as training aids
during workout! Knee wraps, super suits, and thick belts are crutches that tend to prevent
you from developing strong supportive muscles. The meet and final stages of a peaking
cycle are the only times they are necessary or called for.
The notion that these devices assist in allowing the lifter to move more weight brings up
many interesting side issues. For example, if you are training without these aids, can you
not expect to lift more in the contest with them? Also, what happens to the carefully
plotted percentages if this is true?
Most estimates from users of these devices range from an additional twenty pounds on the
squat from the super suit, to an extra twenty pounds on the squat for the belt. It is doubtful
that these devices assist much if at all in the bench press or deadlift. It is also extremely
doubtful that there would be an additional forty pounds added to the squat. There have
been numerous experiences recounted where the lifter, in the heat of competition, failed to
remember his belt or wraps. Once on the lifting platform, it was too late to go get them,
and the lift was made au natural. The point is that the lift was made.
So, while a feeling of support and comfort may be achieved with these devices, and while
a few extra pounds may be hoisted as well, their usefulness is limited and percentages will
not fluctuate so dramatically as to warrant a total change in anticipated starting poundages.
Besides, only the squat will be affected, if at all. Whatever changes in total there may be
from the use of these supportive devices, they will be minimal. You can expect no more
than a cumulative addition to the squat of twenty pounds or less from the belt, suit, and
wraps combined.
STRATEGIES OF COMPETITION
If you plan your attempts carefully, you will emerge from the meet having lifted as much
as you possibly could have in each of the three lifts. This is the most successful strategy of
all-knowing yourself and planning your attempts wisely. Over your career as a powerlifter,
you will win more meets this way than any other.
However, some situations call for scheming. Such devilry may sometimes win the meet,
provided that your unwary opponent is gullible enough to fall for such tactics. There are
many hilarious stories to tell about lifters falling prey to schemers. Also, there are many
occasions that border on the cheating end of the spectrum. It is a fine line between
scheming and cheating. The strategies most acceptable relate to choosing your attempts on
the basis of what your opponent is doing. Making your opponent chase you, rather than
vice versa is the most commonly employed technique since it often forces the opponent to
make unwarranted jumps in attempts. Of course, it doesn’t work if your opponent is far
stronger than you. It can work, however, if the difference in strength is small.
Playing the clock wisely is also important and requires a thorough knowledge of the rules
of competition. If, for example, you missed your opening attempt in the squat, and must
follow yourself, what do you do? You know you will be extremely tired if you have to go
again right away, and will undoubtedly miss the weight again from sheer exhaustion. The
tactic is to play the clock. You have:
1
30 seconds to get off the platform
2
60 seconds to report your next attempt
3
3 minutes to begin the next attempt
4
an additional 3 minutes if you wish to skip the 2nd attempt and
go right to the 3rd
Take all the time you have coming to you in a case like this.
You missed the first attempt, which means the weight is very heavy. You would not be
starting with the weight if you were not capable of lifting it, so you do have a good chance
of making the weight. The idea is not to stack the deck against yourself by rushing. Take
the full four minutes allotted to you, inform the judges that you wish to skip your second
attempt, and the clock will begin again. One minute later you tell the judges the amount of
weight you wish to attempt, and again the clock is reset. Three minutes later you must
have begun the lift. This gives you a total of nearly ten minutes rest to gather yourself
together for one supreme effort, and stay in the contest rather than bombing out like a
novice.
Weighing in at one-tenth of a kilogram less than your opponent is another ploy that’s used,
particularly when your opponent is as good as you are. If you both total the same amount
of weight in the contest, you will win since you are the lighter man. It requires a thorough
knowledge of your body, how you react to weight loss, and, of course, the time necessary
to accomplish it prior to the weigh-in.
Again, the most successful strategy-which cannot be stressed too much-is to lift as much
as you can on the third attempt in each of the three lifts. Only careful planning, complete
record keeping of all workouts, a good coach with you, and a thorough self-knowledge
allows a lifter to do that.
EPILOGUE
The sport of powerlifting is the greatest sport in the world. Ask any powerlifter. Many
people find themselves loving and caring for something in their lives that hurt them.
Powerlifting can and often does hurt people. It hurts to sustain an injury, but the pain is
much deeper than physical. The real pain is from the mental aspect-being deprived of
competing or working out because of the injury-rather than from the physical pain.
It seems strange that someone would measure the strength of their love for powerlifting by
the degree of pain they are willing to endure. And it seems strange that there can be such
love without an equal amount of love for competition. For winning. For some, the price of
pain is worth it only if success can be had in the bargain. But it’s okay if all you aspire to
is to lift and feel good. In that case, feel free to join the ranks of the millions of iron
pumpers across the U.S.A. who do it for fun. Stand aside, however, for a powerlifter
passing by. It has been that way down through the ages. And so it should be.
APPENDIXES
A. THE OFFICIAL RULES OF POWERLIFTING
A. SPECIFICATIONS
1. The International Powerlifting Federation recognizes the following lifts and registers
World Records of the same. The lifts contested are:
Squat;
Bench Press; and the
Deadlift.
2. Competition in open or team powerlifting shall be restricted to competitors 14 years of
age or older.
3. Age categories for powerlifting shall be 14 years through 19 years, 20 years and over,
40 years and over, 50 years and over. Women-all ages.
4. The use of oil, grease, and all other lubricants is strictly prohibited. Powder only may be
used. Powder includes chalk, talc, resin, and magnesium carbonate. No foreign substance
may be applied by the lifter to the platform area or equipment.
5. Apparel for all competitors taking part in any sanctioned contest for all categories shall
be of one ply only.
1. Lifting Costume-which shall consist of a full-length lifting
suit of stretch material. Lifting suit straps shall be worn over
the shoulders at all times while lifting. Length of leg may not
exceed 15 cm. from middle of the crotch. The suit may not
have any additional reinforcement or padding. The lifting
suit must consist of only one basic color, the only exceptions
shall be acceptable emblems and insignificant contrasting
edgings.
2. Vest-A vest or T-shirt with short sleeves, made of cloth may
be worn by the lifter. In team competition such apparel shall
be uniform and display only the national, state, or club
insignia. Ribbed vests or vests made of any material having
any rubberized or similar stretch material shall be forbidden.
The short sleeve shirt must consist of only one basic color.
The only exceptions shall be acceptable emblems and
insignificant contrasting edgings.
3. Athletic Support-An athletic supporter or standard cotton or
nylon commercial brief shall be worn under the lifting
costume. Swim trunks or any other garment which may be of
rubberized or similar stretch material shall be forbidden.
4. Belt-A competitor may wear a belt. It shall be a leather belt
not exceeding 10 cm. in width and with a thickness not
exceeding 13 mm. It shall have no additional padding,
bracing, or supports, leather or metal, either interior or
exterior. The buckle shall be the only nonleather entity. The
buckle shall not exceed 10 cm. in width (inside
measurement) and shall be attached to the belt at one end by
either studs or stitching, with no leather underlay extending
under the buckle other than the tongue of the belt when it is
fitted around the lifter’s waist. The belt may be laminated
provided that each section of leather is of the same width
and extends the full length of the belt. The tongue loop shall
be fitted close to the buckle. No other loop shall be fitted to
the belt. In all contests, the name of the nation or club may
appear on the belt.
5. Shoes-Proper lifting costume shall include shoes. The heel
must not extend laterally.
6. In national or local level competition only the emblem of the lifter’s state or club may
be worn. In lieu of a state or club emblem, a lifter may wear an emblem of his nation or
association or that of a powerlifting championship. The only badges or emblems to be
worn on the lifter’s costume in international competition are those of his country or
national association.
7. Bandages:
1. Rubber-Bandages of rubber or supports of rubber or rubber
substitute are forbidden.
2. Wrist-Bandage of gauze or medical crepe with a maximum
width of 8 cm. and a maximum length of one meter may be
worn. Wrist bands may be used provided that they are not
over 10 cm. in width.
3. Knee-Bandage of gauze or medical crepe may be worn with
a maximum width of 8 cm. and a maximum length of two
meters. Alternatively, an elastic knee cap may be worn with
a maximum length of 20 cm. A combination of the two is
forbidden.
4. Body-Bandages around the torso are forbidden. Spot plasters
to muscle injuries may be applied by the official IPF doctor
or qualified paramedical person on duty.
5. Hands-Plasters on the fingers or inside of the hands are
forbidden. If there are injuries to the hand, plasters may be
applied by the official doctor or qualified para-medical
person on duty. If a strip plaster is applied to the inside of the
hand, it must not continue around the back of the hand.
6. Thumbs-Plasters may be worn on the thumbs, but shall not
exceed two layers. Cloth or gauze bandages must not be
worn on the thumbs.
7. The IPF doctor or qualified paramedical person on duty must
immediately inform the chief referee and the president of the
jury which lifters have been given additional plasters. Use of
additional bandages/ plasters should be restricted. However,
they may be recommended by the IPF doctor or qualified
paramedical person but it is for the jury to decide if they may
be used.
8. Elbows-Bandages of any form on elbows are forbidden.
8. The following are correct dimensions of the bar and discs.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Distance between collars: lm31cm at a minimum.
Total length outside the sleeves: 2m20 at a maximum.
Diameter of the bar: 28mm minimum, 29mm maximum.
Diameter of the largest disc: 45 cm. No disc shall exceed 5
cm. in thickness. Maximum thickness for the 45-kg. disc is 5
cm.; for the 20 and 25-kg. discs, 3 cm.
Weight of the largest disc: 45 kg. or 50 kg.
Weight of the bar and collars: 25 kg.
The discs must be in the following range: 45 kg. or 50 kg.,
25 kg., 20 kg., 15 kg., 10 kg., 5 kg., 2 ½ kg., 1 ¼ kg.
For record purposes, smaller discs may be added to the bar
on a fourth attempt to give a weight of at least ½ kg. more
than the existing world record.
The 20-kg. plates shall be colored blue, the 25-kg. plates red,
the 45-kg. plates shall be gold, and the 50-kg. plates will be
green.
The bar(s) used in the warm-up room must be similar to the
one(s) used on platform.
9. For all powerlifting contests organized under the rules of the IPF, only disc barbells are
authorized. The use of short bars or ordinary weight will invalidate the contest. World
records broken with equipment whose weights or dimensions are less or greater than those
prescribed by the technical rules cannot be ratified.
10. A lift must be declared NO LIFT and the lifter may be disqualified if the weights are
dropped intentionally.
11. Before the beginning of competitions, the recognized officials must check the weight
of the bar and discs so that the total weight may be identical with that announced. All
discs must have a clear indication of their weight.
12. Any lifter succeeding in an attempt for a world record will present himself
immediately after the lift, backstage for inspection for illegal wraps and clothing. The
inspection is to be done by the three referees of the body-weight class competing, before
the meet continues. If he has illegal wraps or clothing, the lift shall be declared invalid,
and the lifter must be disqualified.
13. One hour prior to the scheduled weigh-in for a particular division or section or at a
time fixed by the jury, all lifters shall submit for inspection of all apparel, including
bandages or any other item to be used during the course of the sanctioned contest. The
jury shall appoint two or three referees to examine such apparel. Approved apparel,
bandages, etc. shall be duly stamped or marked. Bandages over length shall be rejected;
the examining referees shall not cut bandages to length. The lifter’s coach may resubmit
the bandages cut to the required length within the specified time for inspection. Referees
shall reject any apparel considered unclean. The referees shall record inspection of each
approved item of apparel, bandages, etc. on the prescribed form which shall be handed to
the chairman of the jury immediately upon completion of the examination. If a lifter, after
the referee’s inspection, changes part of his costume, belt, or bandages or puts on anything
which is contrary to the rules, he shall be immediately disqualified from the competition.
B. CATEGORIES OF WEIGHT CLASSES
There are eleven categories of competition, at world championships and regional games
and those of a particular continent. Each country is allowed a maximum of ten competitors
spread over the different categories, with a maximum of two lifters per category.
Replacements are optional prior to the start of the first weigh-in. Two alternates are
allowed. EXAMPLES: A country may have one lifter in the 52-kg. class, one in the 56-kg.
class, one in the 60-kg. class, two lifters in the 82.5-kg. class, one in the 9O-kg. class, and
two in the 100-kg. class.
There are eleven categories of competition. However, a team may not be represented by
more than ten lifters.
The categories are as follows:
Up to 52 kg.
Up to 56 kg.
Up to 60 kg.
Up to 67 ½ kg.
Up to 75 kg.
Up to 82 ½ kg.
Up to 90 kg.
Up to 100 kg.
Up to 110 kg.
Up to 125 kg.
Over 125 kg.
C. WEIGHING IN
1. Weighing in of competitors must take place obligatorily no more than two hours before
the beginning of the competition for a particular category. All the lifters in the category
must attend the weigh-in, which shall be carried out in the presence of the three referees
appointed for the category. The weigh-in period shall be one and one-half hours. The
remaining half-hour shall be final meet preparation.
2. Weighing in will be in secret and the lifters will be allowed in one at a time. The weighin room will be locked, and the persons allowed in it are the referees for the body-weight
class, the lifter, and his coach or trainer. The weigh-in results will not be made known
until after the total weigh-in is finished.
3. Lifters shall be weighed nude. In meets in which women compete, adjustments in the
weigh-in procedure may be made so as to ensure that all lifters are weighed by officials of
their own sex. Additional female officials may be appointed for this purpose. One of the
three referees shall measure the belts and shoes and inspect the costumes and bandages of
the lifters and shall record the details on the referees inspection form. All items to be worn
by the lifter must be approved and marked accordingly. The assigned official shall see that
the items worn during lifting correspond directly with the details on the inspection form.
Lots shall be drawn to determine the order of weigh-in sequence. Once established, this
order shall continue throughout the lifting. In large competitions, the drawing of lots and
checking of lifter’s equipment may be commenced one hour prior to the start of the weighins.
4. Each competitor can only be weighed once. Only those greater or lighter than the
category limit are allowed to return to the scales. They are allowed one and one-half hours
at a maximum from the beginning of the weigh-in session to make the proper weight.
After this time they will be eliminated from the appropriate class. The lifter in question
must wait until all lifters have been weighed once and then those reweighing may have as
many opportunities to reweigh as time allows in orderly fashion with the consideration
given to lot numbers. Only one reweigh will be allowed if the time limit has expired.
5. A lifter who is too heavy may move into the next higher category if not more than one
lifter from his country or team is entered in this category and provided that he has
accomplished the required minimum qualifying total in this category if a qualifying total
has been set for the contest. When a lifter enters a weight class, for example the 75-kg.
class division, and for whatever reason fails to weigh as much as the lower limit of that
class he may drop into the 67 ½ -kg. class division, provided he has the sufficient
qualifying total required and that total was achieved in the 67 ½ -kg. class. A total
achieved in the 75-kg. class division will not fulfill the requirements.
6. At tournaments, galas, festivals, or friendly internationals, the weigh-in if desired may
be arranged earlier than two hours before the competition by mutual agreement between
the countries concerned, but if a lifter wishes to attempt a world record, he shall be
reweighed two hours before the competition.
7. When two lifters register the same weight at the weigh-in preceding a competition and
they reach the same total, they shall be reweighed to determine the winner. If again, they
weigh the same after the competition, they shall be classified equal and shall each receive
an award. The next place in line will not be awarded and the next best competitor shall be
ranked after that. The same procedure shall be used should a record be set under the same
conditions.
D. COMPETITIVE LIFTS
SQUAT
1. The lifter must assume an upright position with the top of the bar not more than 3 cm.
below the top of the anterior deltoids, the bar across the shoulders in a horizontal position,
hands gripping the bar, feet flat on the platform.
The use of a wedge at the heels or toes shall be forbidden. Upon removing the bar from
the racks, the lifter must move backward to establish his position.
He shall wait in this position for the referee’s signal, which shall be given as soon as the
lifter is motionless and the bar is properly positioned. The referee’s signal shall consist of
a downward motion of the hand and the word “squat.”
2. After the referee’s signal, the lifter shall bend the knees and lower the body until the
surface of the legs at the hip joint is lower than the tops of the knees. The lifter shall
recover at will, without double bouncing, to an upright position. Knees locked, wait for
the referee’s signal to replace the bar, which shall be given when the lifter is absolutely
motionless. The bar shall have no downward movement during the recovery. The referee’s
signal consists of a hand motion and the word “rack.” The lifter must make a bonafide
attempt to return the bar to the rack.
3. The lifter must face the front of the platform.
4. The lifter may not hold the collars, sleeves, or the plates at any time during the
performance of the lift. However, the side of the hand may contact the inside of the inner
collars.
5. A maximum of five and a minimum of two spotter-loaders shall be mandatory. The
lifter may enlist one or more of the official spotter-loaders to assist him in removing the
bar from the racks.
6. In the event of a spotter error, a new attempt may be given the lifter.
Causes for Disqualification of the Squat
1. During the lift, failure to wait for the referee’s signals.
2. Any change of the position of the hands on the bar.
3. More than one recovery attempt or double bouncing.
4. Failure to assume an upright position at the start and completion of the lift.
5. Failure to bend the knees and lower the body until the surface of the legs at the hip joint
are lower than the tops of the knees.
6. Any shifting of the feet during the performance of the lift.
7. Any shifting of the bar on the body during the performance of the lift.
8. Any touching of the bar by the spotters before the referee’s signal.
9. Any touching of the legs with the elbows or upper arms.
10. Failure to make a bonafide attempt to return the bar to the rack.
BENCH PRESS
1. The lifter must assume the following position on the bench, which must be maintained
during the lift: with head and trunk (including buttocks) extended on the bench, lifting
shoes flat on the floor.
2. The referee’s signal shall be given when the bar is absolutely motionless at the chest.
3. After the referee’s signal, the bar is pressed vertically to straight-arm’s length and held
motionless for the referee’s signal to replace the bar.
4. The width of the bench shall be 30 cm. The height shall be 45 cm. The length shall be
not less than 1 meter 22 cm. and shall be flat and level. The height of the bench uprights
on nonadjustable benches shall be 87-92 cm. from the floor to the bar rest positions.
5. The spacing of the hands shall not exceed 81 cm. measured between the forefingers.
6. If the lifter’s costume and the bench top are not of a sufficient color contrast to enable
the officials to detect a possible raising of the buttocks, the bench top may be covered
accordingly.
7. For those lifters whose feet do not touch the floor, the platform may be built up to
provide firm footing.
8. A maximum of four and minimum of two spotter loaders shall be mandatory; however,
the lifter may enlist one or more of the official spotter-loaders to assist him in removing
the bar from the racks. The lift-off may only be given to the lifter at arm’s length and not
down at the chest.
9. In the event of a spotter error, a new attempt may be given the lifter.
Causes for Disqualification for the Bench Press
1. During the uplifting, any change of the elected lifting position.
2. Any raising or shifting of the lifter’s head, shoulders, buttocks, or legs from the bench
or movement of the feet.
3. Any heaving or bouncing of the bar from the chest.
4. Allowing the bar to sink after the referee’s signal.
5. Any uneven extension of the arms.
6. Stopping of the bar during the press proper.
7. Any touching of the bar by the spotters before the referee’s signal to replace the bar.
8. Failure to wait for the referee’s signal.
9. Touching against the uprights of the bench with the feet.
10. Touching the shoulders against the uprights of the bench.
11. Allowing the bar to touch the uprights of the bench during the lift.
DEADLIFT
1. The bar must be laid horizontally in front of the lifter’s feet, gripped with an optional
grip with both hands, and uplifted with one continuous motion until the lifter is standing
erect. The lifter must face the front of the platform. At the completion of the lift, the knees
must be locked and the shoulders thrust back. The referee’s signal shall indicate the time
when the bar is held motionless in the apparent finishing position.
2. Any raising of the bar or any deliberate attempt to do so shall count as an attempt.
Causes for Disqualification for the Deadlift
1. Any stopping of the bar before it reaches the final position.
2. Failure to stand erect.
3. Failure to lock the knees.
4. Supporting the bar on the thighs.
5. Any shifting of the feet during the performance of the lift.
6. Lowering the bar before the referee’s signal to do so.
7. Allowing the bar to return to the platform without maintaining control with both hands.
E. ORDER OF COMPETITION
1. The platform for powerlifting shall measure a minimum of 2.5 m x 2.5 m. However, if
the platform is smaller than the maximum size (4 m x 4 m) its height from the floor must
not exceed 4 cm.
2. The chief referee shall be seated in front of the platform. The three referees may seat
themselves according to the best points of vantage.
3. Under normal circumstances, the bar is loaded progressively, the lifter taking the lowest
weight lifting first. In no case can the bar be reduced to a lighter weight when the lifter has
performed a lift with the weight announced. The lifters or their coaches must therefore
observe the progressive loading and be ready to make their attempt at the weight they have
chosen.
4. In an international match between two individuals or two nations, contested in separate
categories, the lifters may lift in alternate succession. The lifter taking the lighter weight
shall lift first and that order shall be maintained throughout that particular lift.
5. One or more officials shall be appointed by the organizers. The organizer shall appoint
the following officials for any sanctioned contest:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Marshalls
Scorers
Spotter-loaders
Speaker/Announcer
5. Timekeeper (preferably having referee status) plus any other
official considered necessary for the efficient conduct of the
contest.
6. When several lifters declare their wish to take their first attempt or any one lift with a
bar of the same weight, they shall lift in the order determined by the drawing of lots at the
weigh-in. The lifter whose name is drawn first must consequently lift first until the last
attempt on this lift, if the progression of these lifters remains the same. If, during the
following lift, the same lifters want to take the bar of the same weight, the lifter who went
first in the preceding lift must this time go last. If the same case is repeated for the
following lift, the same procedure will follow as before.
7. A lifter taking his first attempt must precede lifters taking their second or third attempts
with the same weight. Similarly, a lifter taking his second attempt must precede any lifter
wanting to take his third attempt with the same weight.
8. In IPF recognized competitions (except for a record attempt made outside the
competition) the weight of the bars used must always be a multiple of 2.5 kg. The
progression is by at least 5 kg. at a time, and a request for 2.5 kg. only indicates the last
attempt. The weight shall be announced in kilograms. In the event of a record attempt
outside the competition, the attempt shall be taken in its normal order as if it were a lift in
the competition. It shall not be held and performed after the completion of the lifting.
9. The weights announced by the speaker must be immediately displayed on an easily
visible scoreboard.
10. A delay of one minute shall be allowed to competitors from the calling of their name
to the starting of the attempt. If the delay exceeds one minute, it shall eliminate the
attempt. The clock shall stop when the lifter starts the lift proper. On the squat and bench
press, the lift proper shall begin at the referee’s signal. On the deadlift, it shall be the point
that the lifter starts a deliberate attempt to lift the bar. A lifter taking the second and third
attempts following himself, will be given three minutes to start the lift, with a warning at
the end of two minutes. In the squat, the clock will not be started until the bar is loaded
and the height adjusted. If the lifter or coach does not appear to check the height at the
completion of the preceding lift, the height will be assumed correct when the bar is loaded,
and the clock will be started. A lifter shall have one minute at the completion of his
attempt to submit his subsequent attempt to the Marshall.
Upon starting the clock after the lifter has been officially announced, the lifter is
committed to the attempt. It shall be an official attempt. The clock shall not be stopped.
11. During any competition organized on a platform or stage, nobody other than the
members of the jury, the officiating referees, the managers, and the lifters engaged in the
category being contested shall be allowed around the platform or on the stage.
12. The chief referee is the sole judge of the decision to take in the case of an error in the
loading of the bar or of incorrect announcing by the speaker.
EXAMPLES
If the bar is loaded to a lighter weight than that requested by the lifter, the lifter may elect
to accept a successful attempt or to have it cancelled and accept a further attempt at the
weight actually chosen. If the attempt at a lighter weight than is requested is unsuccessful,
the attempt must be cancelled and a further attempt granted to the lifter at the weight
actually chosen by him.
a) If the bar is loaded to a heavier weight than that stated and requested by
the lifter and the lift is good, the chief referee shall grant this attempt at the
weight just succeeded and shall reduce the weight if other lifters have asked to
lift with a lower weight. If the attempt is unsuccessful, the chief referee shall
cause the weight to be reduced to that originally chosen by the lifter and shall
grant him a further attempt at this weight.
b) If the loading is not the same on each side of the bar or any change in the
bar or discs happen during the execution of a lift or the platform is disarranged,
the chief referee shall cancel the attempt missed because of this and shall grant
a further attempt. If the attempt is successful, the appropriate portions of
examples a. or b. shall apply.
c) When the loading error happens during the second attempt of a lift and the
progression, because of this error, is only 2.5 kg., the attempt, if recognized as
a good lift shall be granted to the lifter if he wants it but shall cancel the third
attempt. If, on the contrary, the lifter wants to take advantage of his third
attempt, the second attempt, because of the error, will be cancelled, and a
further attempt shall be granted to the lifter at the weight originally chosen by
him. EXAMPLE: First attempt 80 kg. Second attempt requested 85 kg.; the bar
is loaded in error to 82.5 kg. The decision is either to cancel the third attempt if
the lifter agrees or to grant another attempt at 85 kg.
d) If the speaker makes a mistake in announcing a weight lighter or heavier
than that requested by a competitor, the chief referee must make the same
decisions as for errors in loading.
e) In a certain contest where the lifters are not obliged to remain near the
platform, therefore finding it impossible to follow the progress of the attempts
of the other competitors, the weight must be similarly reduced in a case where
the speaker has omitted to call the lifter at the time when the latter would
normally have taken his attempt.
13. These decisions must be given to the speaker who will then make an appropriate
announcement.
14. Zero in one of the lifts eliminates the lifter from the contest.
15. There shall be no wrapping and adjustment of costume, except the belt, in the
designated lifting perimeter.
16. In international competition a team manager may make a complaint at any time, on
any matter to the jury. Should such complaint be against any member of an opposing team,
then such complaint must be accompanied by a fee of $50 (or equivalent currency).
Should the com-plaint be found frivolous and not in the best interest of the competition,
then the whole or part of the $50 can be confiscated into the IPF treasury at the discretion
of the jury.
17. Under no circumstances is anyone allowed on the platform other than the spotterloaders, the lifter, and the referees during the performance of the lift.
18. The lifter at all times must position himself ready for the lift, without any help
whatsoever from the spotter-loaders. At the completion of the lift, he shall remove himself
from the platform within 30 seconds at the risk of having the lift disqualified by the
referees.
19. Coaches shall not be allowed at the rear or side of the platform during the performance
of the lift.
20. During the competition, in the case of an injury to a lifter, the doctor or qualified
paramedical person shall have the right to examine the said lifter, and if in his opinion the
lifter is unable to continue, he shall, in conjunction with decision of the jury, take the
necessary steps to retire the lifter. Any such decision shall in the first place be given to the
team manager.
21. Any lifter who by his conduct on the platform can be said to be bringing the sport of
powerlifting into disrepute may be disqualified by the jury, provided he has been warned
in that respect first. Such warning is to be conveyed to his team manager. In the absence of
a jury, the referees would govern this situation.
F. REFEREES
1. The referees are three in number.
2. One of them, called the chief referee, gives the signals required in all three lifts. He
must give an audible and visible signal at the completion of each lift. In addition he must
give an audible signal at the beginning of the bench press and a visible and audible signal
at the start of the squat. The audible signals shall be thus:
1. Squat-two commands: at the beginning of the lift “Squat”
and at the completion of the lift “Rack.”
2. Bench Press-clap, at the chest. At the completion of the lift,
the command shall be “Rack.”
3. Deadlift-one command “Down” at the completion of the lift.
3. When the lifter has replaced the bar on the platform, it is the chief referee who will
make known the referees’ decision. This will be done with a system of lights. These lights
must only light up when all switches are pressed by the three referees and not separately.
4. The chief referee shall be seated in front of the platform. The three referees may seat
themselves according to the best points of vantage.
5. Before the contest the referees must ascertain:
1. The platform and equipment are according to the rules.
2. That the scales work accurately and correctly.
3. That all competitors weigh in within the limit of their
category during the one and one-half hours permitted.
4. That the costume of the lifters is correct as well as the belts,
bandages, etc. and marked/stamped.
6. During the contest the referees must ascertain:
1. That the weight of the bar agrees with that announced by the
speaker. A loading chart shall be available to each referee.
2. That nobody but the lifter handles the bar during the
execution of the lift.
3. If a referee has reason to suspect that a lifter is wearing any
apparel which has not been approved, the chief referee may
instruct that the lifter be re-examined by the three referees
after completion of the lift. If the lifter is wearing illegal
apparel he will be immediately disqualified from the contest.
7. If one of the side referees sees a serious fault during the performance of a lift, he must
raise his hand to call attention to the fault. If there is agreement from the other side or
from the chief referee himself, the chief referee shall stop the lift at a discretionary safe
point and signal the lifter to replace the bar. The same procedure shall apply if incorrect
bar placement is seen in the squat lift before the referees signal to squat.
8. During the contests they are called upon to adjudicate the referees must not receive any
document concerning the progress of the championship. They must abstain from any
commentary. The chief referee, however, may consult with others as needed to expedite or
enhance the benefit of the competition.
9. The referees shall be selected by the technical committee. They must have proved their
competence at international meetings and national championships.
10. Drawing of lots must decide which category they shall referee. Two referees of the
same nation cannot be selected to adjudicate in the same category in a contest of more
than two nations.
11. The selection of a referee to a position of chief referee does not prevent his selection as
a side referee in another category, in the case of insufficient Category I referees.
12. Each country may nominate a maximum of three referees to serve at World
Championships. All referees must be of international standards approved by the IPF.
13. Referees and members of the jury shall wear uniform dress which shall consist of:
1. Winter dress consisting of dark blue blazer and grey trousers
with the appropriate IPF category referee’s badge worn on
the left breast pocket of the blazer. Only the badge of the
highest category shall be worn.
2. Summer dress consisting of white shirt and grey trousers.
Ties shall be optional. Because of climatic conditions of the
respective countries, the jury shall determine whether winter
or summer dress shall be worn.
14. A candidate for Category II must be a national referee in good standing in his own
country and be recommended by his National Secretary. He must take the Category II
written exam at a World Championship, continental championships, regional games,
international tournaments, national championships, or national clinics. The test must be
given only after a complete comprehensive rules clinic, and the applicant must make a
passing score of 90 percent or more. The exam must be monitored by a Category I referee
approved by the IPF for such duties. In the event a nation does not have an active
Category I referee, the IPF may recognize a Category II referee for such duty until one is
available. A Chief Examiner must be approved by the IPF.
15. A candidate for Category I referee must be a Category II referee in good standing for a
period of at least two years. In addition, he must have had experience in adjudication in at
least two international or national championships. He must take the Category I practical at
a world’s championship, continental championship, regional games, or international
tournament. The applicant is to be scrutinized by the jury, which must consist of three
Category I referees. The applicant must be scrutinized while serving as chief referee and
must adjudicate over at least 100 attempts during his exam. He must make a score of 90
percent in all of his decisions. His decisions will be compared to those of the jury
members and not those of his fellow referees. Test score sheets shall be scored by the
General Secretary and credentials issued accordingly through the submitting federation.
Candidates must be nominated to the IPF secretary prior to examination by the national
federation. The candidate’s nomination should be based on his competence, priority
ranking as a Category II referee, and his effective activity in his own nation, as well as his
availability for future international activity. The candidate’s selection to be examined by
the IPF will be made based on the quantity of nominations, the number of available
examination positions, and the IPF’s effort to gain equality among all of the nations
seeking Category I certifications.
16.
1. The examiners shall mark with a (I) every attempt correctly
refereed by the candidate.
2. The examiners shall mark with an (X) every attempt
incorrectly refereed by the candidate. They shall indicate by
a number which fault the candidate has failed to observe.
3. The examiner shall mark with an (0) every attempt that is
not completed by the lifter and therefore is not adjudicated.
4. When a candidate gives an incorrect signal (i.e. too early, too
late), the examiner must mark this with an (X) and the letter
(S) below to indicate incorrect signal. A candidate can
therefore commit two faults during one attempt. Both these
faults shall be shown on the score-sheet. When a signal is
5.
6.
7.
8.
necessary and given in an incomplete lift, shown as (0),
which counts as an attempt.
The original marked sheets without any alterations or
additions will be sent to the IPF secretary. The jury in
scrutinization shall determine the candidate’s success or
failure and notify him accordingly.
The secretary shall certify the candidate of the result of the
examination through the secretary of the candidate’s national
federation.
The date of the promotion shall be the date of the
examination.
Candidates who fail must wait at least six months before
taking the exam again.
All referees must reregister with the IPF in order to keep their credentials current and of
acceptable standard. The registration will take place during each Olympic year and it will
be the responsibility of the referee to send the $8.00 reregistration fee to the IPF secretary
along with a brief resume of his international and national judging experience during the
previous registration period. A referee who has been inactive for a four-year period or fails
to reregister will forfeit his credentials. A card which is initially issued within the twelve
months prior to the Olympics need not be renewed until the following Olympic year. The
IPF secretary will provide each national federation with its list of referees, and it will
solicit the reregistrations.
The experience requirements for reregistration are as follows:
For Category I: to be in attendance and available for judging in at least one or more
international championships combined with national championships for a total of at least
three.
For Category II: to be in attendance and available for judging in at least three international
or national champion-ships.
G. WORLD RECORDS
1. At all IPF sanctioned and recognized championships world records will be accepted
without weighing the barbell or the lifter, provided that the lifter has weighed in correctly
before the competition according to the IPF rules for the competition and provided that the
referees or the chairman of the Technical Committee have checked the weight of the
barbell before the competition.
2. The lifter shall present himself backstage for inspection by the three referees judging his
category.
3. The conditions to be fulfilled for the registration of a record are as follows:
a. The only records that shall be recognized are those which have been set at a competition
in a member nation recognized by the IPF and accepted by three referees, all of whom
must hold an IPF international referee’s card.
b. The decisions of the judges will be in the affirmative as long as at least two of the
referees have displayed white lights or a positive signal.
c. The good faith and competence of referees of all member nations cannot be doubted so
the recognition of a world record can be assured by referees of the same nation.
4. The conditions to be fulfilled for registration of a record are as follows:
a. If the record is not set in one of the official competitions listed above, the three referees
must weigh the barbell immediately after the record lift.
b. The three referees must sign a written report affirming on their honor:
(1) The validity of the lift.
(2) The name and nation of the lifter.
(3) The lifter’s body weight.
(4) The absolutely precise weight of the barbell.
(5) The place of the performance.
(6) The date and title of the competition during which the record was broken.
(7) In the case of lifters between the ages of 14 and 19, their date of birth must also be
given.
(8) Proof that the scales were certified to accuracy by the proper authority.
(9) This report must be signed by the three referees and the chairman of the jury or the
secretary of the national federation.
5. The report must be sent to the General Secretary of the IPF within one calendar month
of the date of record. The record will only be ratified after the General Secretary has
received the written report within the specified time limit.
6. When during an IPF recognized competition, a lifter succeeds with a lift that is within
20 kg. of a world record, he may be granted a fourth attempt outside the competition if the
jury permits it. In no case will a lifter be granted a further attempt.
7. A lifter who wishes to attempt a world record that is not a multiple of 2.5 kg. can only
do so as a fourth attempt outside the competition. There is no need to weigh the barbell or
the lifter again if the lift accords with other rules for world records.
8. Only those lifters actually competing in the competition may attempt records outside
the competition. Additional lifters shall not be brought in specially for the purpose of
attempting records on individual lifts. When two lifters break the same record, either on an
individual lift or on the total, during the course of the competition, it is the lighter lifter
who will be the new record holder. A national or international record will only be valid if
it exceeds by at least 500 grams the previous record. Fractions of less than 500 grams must
be ignored. EXAMPLE: 87.700 is registered as 87.500.
9. There is an official world record for the total of three lifts. It is only recognized if it is
set during national, international, or matches under the IPF rules and in a member nation.
The bar and the lifter will not be weighed after the competition, but a written report
similar to the one required for individual records must be drawn up and signed by the
three referees. The record will only be valid for the category corresponding to the official
weigh-in and without taking into account any extra attempts. Not only world records, but
also continental and regional games records broken under the same conditions as world
records shall be recognized and confirmed in the same manner.
10. Only lifters registered with IPF member nations are eligible to set world records. In
addition, world records may only be set at competitions in member nations in good
standing.
H. TEAM SCORING
1. Point scoring for all world, continental, and national championships shall be: 12, 9, 8, 7,
6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Point scoring for all other competitions shall be optional at the discretion of
the National Federation.
2. Only member national affiliates of the IPF may score points in sanctioned competition.
3. The maximum number of team members in a contest is ten.
4. Teams shall be nominated to the secretary of the IPF at least twenty-one days before the
date of the competition.
5. Team awards shall be given for the first three places.
6. In the case of a tie, the same procedure used to determine placing of lifters shall be used
in determining team points.
7. In the case of a tie in the classification of teams or countries, the team having the largest
number of first places shall be ranked first. In the case of two countries having the same
number of first places, the one having the most second places shall be classified first, and
so on through ten places.
SECTION I, JURY
At world championships and continental games, a jury shall be appointed to act each
lifting session.
The IPF President shall preside in the jury and the Chairman of the Technical Committee
shall also be a member; three other members plus a reserve shall be elected for each jury.
The members of the jury shall all be Category I International Referees.
The members of the jury shall be from different countries.
The function of the juries is to ensure that the technical rules are being applied.
During the competition, the jury may, by a majority vote, replace any referee whose
decisions prove him to be incompetent, provided that such referee shall first have been
warned in that regard.
The impartiality of referees cannot be doubted, but a mistake in refereeing can be
committed in good faith. In such a case the referee must be allowed to give his
explanation, reference to his decision, which is the subject of his warning.
Each member of the jury shall have three red protest cards, marked respectively 1, 2, 3. If
he wishes to query a decision of any of the referees, he shall place the card with the
corresponding number on the table in front of the president of the jury. The president must
consult all members of the jury and take appropriate action according to the majority
decision.
When a serious mistake occurs in the refereeing, which is contrary to the technical rules,
the jury can take appropriate action to correct the mistake, including the right to grant the
lifter another attempt.
NEW SECTION … WOMEN’S COMPETITION ADDENDUM (ONLY
DIFFERENCE FROM MEN’S RULES)
A. Technical Rules
Lifters must appear in correct and tidy dress, which shall be defined as either a shortsleeved vest and a full-length, one-piece lifting suit of stretch material or a one-piece suit
which will be comparable to the suit and vest indicated above. Lifting-suit straps shall be
worn over the shoulders at all times while lifting. The lifter may wear a bra which shall
not contain any wire supports. The bra cup shall not maintain its shape when placed
upright on a flat surface. The lifter may wear briefs (underpants) which shall not be
deemed to be supportive in any way. Full-length leg stockings, tights, or hose shall not be
permitted.
B. Categories of Weight Classes There are nine categories of competition at all contests.
Each team is allowed a maximum of two lifters per category. The nine categories are as
follows:
Up to 44 kg.
Up to 48 kg.
Up to 52 kg.
Up to 56 kg.
Up to 60 kg.
Up to 6711z kg.
Up to 75 kg.
Up to 82 112 kg.
Over 82 11z kg.
C. WEIGHING IN
1. Weighing in of competitors must take place obligatorily two hours before the beginning
of the competition for a particular cate-gory. All the lifters in the category must attend the
weigh-in, which shall be carried out in the presence of three female officials who may be
referees for that category or responsible women appointed by the chief of referees.[2]
B THE SCHWARTZ FORMULA FOR DETERMINING MERITS OF
POWERLIFTING ACCOMPLISHMENTS
The Schwartz Formula (SF)[3] is presented as a table of coefficients. Each lifter has a
coefficient determined by body weight (BW). Since the table is graduated in one tenth
kilogram intervals, it may be necessary to interpolate. For example, the coefficients for
lifters with body weights of 74.5 and 74.6 are 0.6680 and 0.6673 from the table. Then for
a lifter with body weight 74.55 the coefficient is interpolated as 0.66765. The table
terminates at 125 kg. To determine the coefficient for heavier lifters use the following
procedure:
For BW between 126 and 135, subtract .0012 from .5210 for each kg. greater than 125.
For BW between 136 and 145, subtract .0011 from .5090 for each kg. greater than 135.
For BW between 146 and 155, subtract .0010 from .4980 for each kg. greater than 145.
For BW between 156 and 165, subtract .0009 from .488 for each kg. greater than 155.
1. To determine the “best lifter”: Multiply each lifter’s coefficient by his total. The
resulting factor is his Schwartz Formula Total (SFT). The lifter with the highest SFT is
considered the “best lifter.”
2. To determine the winner in a contest between teams of unequal body weights:
Determine the Schwartz Formula Total for each member of each team. The team with the
highest average SFT is the winner.
KILOS/POUNDS CONVERSION TABLE
To convert kilos to pounds multiply kilos by 2.2046. AAU weight-lifting rules state that
poundages shall be rounded off by reducing to the nearest quarter. An example: 107.5
kilos multiplied by 2.2046 equals 236.99450. The poundage then becomes 236.75 rather
than 237.
[1] Portions of this chapter were adapted from Hatfield, F.C. The Science of Powerlifting, Powerlifting USA,
Camarillo, CA, 1981. Used with permission.
[2] Reprinted with permission.
[3] Revised October, 1978. by Lyle Schwartz, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering. Northwestern
University, U.S.A. Earlier forms are obsolete after that date.