You will find pull ups in many powerlifting programs. Pull ups are an easy and universal way to train the muscles of the back, as well as the stabilizers in the shoulders. They don’t replace rows (do both), but they’re still a great exercise. What can you do to make pull ups more challenging and […]
Powerlifting Progressions for Pull Ups Read More »
If you’re new to the sport of powerlifting, you might have noticed that a lot of top powerlifters aren’t exactly “in shape”. Top-level powerlifters are big. This isn’t unique to the world of powerlifting – you’ve also got people like Brian Shaw, Eddie Hall, and Hafþór Björnsson, who generally compete at a bodyweight and fat
Why Are Powerlifters So Big? Read More »
Nearly every athlete can benefit from powerlifting. Not only does a stronger body last longer and prevent injury, but it lets you take tasks in stride. It improves your energy economy – and helps you endure better. We’re not just talking about carrying heavy things or curling a lot of weight – everything that requires
How Athletes Can Benefit from Powerlifting Read More »
A powerlifting total is the best and simplest measurement of a lifter’s performance. To those who take this sport seriously, the ultimate goal of every training session and every pre-meet prep is to hit the highest possible total (hopefully without injury). Because powerlifting is a rather small sport, coefficients like the Wilks score are used
What is a Respectable Powerlifting Total? Read More »
The powerlifting weight class you should be in corresponds to the heaviest you can be while being as lean as you can comfortably get. Most of the time, staying above 12% and under 15% body fat will do the trick. There are many factors that go into how strong you are, including technique, leverages, muscle
What Powerlifting Weight Class Should I Be In? Read More »
I’ll be honest, I think body types are pretty stupid. The three major “somatotypes” are based on the outdated musings of a 1940s American psychologist and have no real basis in fact or evidence. You can’t roughly categorize people into three basic shapes and doing so ignores the fact that outside of generally having two
Powerlifting for Ectomorphs and Hard Gainers Read More »
Our capacity to build muscle tissue is, in terms of its potential for remodeling, adaptation, and change, endlessly fascinating. Our muscles adapt to resistance training almost immediately, albeit slowly, and these gains manifest themselves not only temporarily but permanently. Yes, the progress you make through strength training is permanent – to a degree. More on
How Long Does It Take to Build Muscle? Read More »
If you’re interested in the sport of powerlifting and want to start powerlifting, it helps to make some friends in the weight room. The first piece of advice that I can think of is to find someone at your gym who regularly trains and befriend them. Don’t just hit them up in the middle of
Here’s How You Start Powerlifting Read More »
At first, you’d be led to believe that the key to be a great powerlifter is strength alone. But most powerlifters can tell you that it’s not enough to have the talent and/or capacity to lift heavy – you need to make the most of that talent, as well. Given the rule of specificity, then,
Picking a Powerlifting Program for Mass Read More »
Let’s get the rivalry out of the way. Yes, bodybuilders are big while powerlifters are strong. But have you noticed that many bodybuilders are strong, and many powerlifters are big? While the two like to make fun of each other (and it’s usually all good-natured), most experienced powerlifters and bodybuilders understand that bodybuilding and powerlifting
Bodybuilding and Powerlifting Differences Read More »
Powerlifting is a sport that relies on a 20kg barbell, at least 2.20m in length, with a diameter of 28-29mm. Some federations use longer and/or thinner bars, but barbells are central to the sport, as they are in weightlifting. As such, you cannot do powerlifting with dumbbells. You cannot compete in powerlifting with dumbbells. But
Can You Do Powerlifting with Dumbbells? Read More »
It’s an age-old question that many beginners ask themselves – if part of getting stronger is having bigger muscles, why is it that powerlifters are stronger than bodybuilders while usually being less muscular? Is it the drugs they take? Are bodybuilders really just bloated up? Are powerlifters even big? And are bodybuilders even strong? Bodybuilders
Are Powerlifters Stronger Than Bodybuilders? Read More »
