No, we’re not talking about agility training or doing cardio (yuck). All kidding aside, tempo and speed may be useful ways to spice up your training protocols at home while waiting for gyms to reopen if you live somewhere where they haven’t opened yet (as I do). While bodyweight training and lifting with limited to […]
Utilizing Tempo and Speed for Home Workouts Read More »
When we’re comparing shoes to squat in, us powerlifters only have two options: flats, and squat shoes (heeled shoes, or weightlifting shoes). This is because most powerlifting competitions don’t allow you to lift barefoot, and because any other kind of shoe is likely an “athletic” shoe with a cushioned sole, which means more give +
Heel or No Heel? Squatting in Flats vs. Squat Shoes Read More »
I love powerlifting. But I will be the first to acknowledge that it can be a dangerous sport. The keyword here being can. Inherently, powerlifting is about as dangerous as similar sports, and less dangerous than most sports kids play. Statistically, it’s also dangerous to cross the street or eat a hot dog. Is powerlifting
Is Powerlifting Good for Your Body? Read More »
The sport of powerlifting is defined by the most weight lifted in three movements. Agility is meaningless to a “powerlifter”. But if someone pursues powerlifting as a leisure activity and is active in other sports, they might seek to find ways to build strength and agility. And that’s fine – powerlifting is a great way
How To Build Strength And Agility Read More »
If you’ve ever watched a powerlifter train or compete, you’ll have noticed that they wear very thick and large belts. These belts are typically 10 cm wide throughout and about 10-13mm thick. They are NOT like your usual gym or weightlifting belts that are up to 15cm wide in the back and feature a tapering
What Are Powerlifting Belts Good For? Read More »
Are powerlifting shoes a thing? Sort of. Powerlifting shoes exist in the context that some shoes are better for powerlifting than others, but for the most part, lifters wear either a.) hard-soled sneakers, b.) weightlifting shoes, or c.) deadlift slippers, which might as well just be repurposed Wushu slippers. There aren’t really any specialized powerlifting
Are Powerlifting Shoes Worth It? Read More »
Shoulder and rotator cuff pain is the most frequent upper body pain a powerlifter can encounter, matched by lower back pain and knee pain for the torso and lower body respectively. Whether you’re currently recovering from a shoulder strain or just want to avoid creating or aggravating a shoulder problem, it definitely pays to learn
How to Bench Press Without Shoulder Pain Read More »
Front squats are a tougher variation of the back squat, with the barbell held in a “front rack” position resting on the lifter’s anterior deltoids. However, for many lifters, it isn’t quite clear why the front squat is tougher. Some presume that it’s the fact that the front rack demands much more of a lifter’s
Why are Front Squats Harder Than Back Squats? Read More »
The deadlift is an exercise that’s explicitly made effective with heavy weight, and there are few true deadlift alternatives. Heavy weight, in this case, is relative. I’m probably not alone when I tell you that the conventional or sumo deadlift is an exercise that makes you exert maximal force and not something done for reps
Deadlift Alternatives at Home Read More »
When it comes to calisthenics training, there’s no shortage of pull and push exercises. Beginners and masters alike can amuse themselves with countless pushup and pull-up variations, as well as a number of horizontal pulls and vertical pushes. While the upper body is heavily featured in every single calisthenics photo shoot or video, there’s very
Leg Calisthenics for Powerlifters Read More »
Despite the pull-up being far removed from the usual heavyweight iron culture of most powerlifting gyms, it’s a staple in nearly any lifter’s program, much more so than the push-up. Pull-ups continue to be a useful exercise for powerlifters who need a movement for the antagonist muscles in the press and bench press, and they
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The pushup is the quintessential resistance exercise. Perhaps not in terms of effectiveness, but certainly in terms of reputation. It’s a dead-simple exercise and can be done on the fly, like many other calisthenics movements. But its simplicity doesn’t diminish its usefulness. While many powerlifting beginners tend to neglect their pushups once they discover the
Pushups for Powerlifting – Progressions at Home Read More »
