Friday, November 25, 2005

Weight Training For The Powerlifter, Power Lifting And Body Building Are Different Kinds Of Weight Training


Body builders lift weights for size and shape. Powerlifters weight train for power and strength. When you weight train your goals have to be determined before you begin your weight-training program. Bodybuilders and powerlifters train quite differently because of their different goals.

Powerlifting in competitions involves 3 lifts; bench, squat, and deadlift. Today I will look at a training program for the completive bencher.

I am not a world-class bencher nor have helped anyone obtain that status so what I will do is tell you what I know about the best benchers in the world and what they do. I wish I could take credit for the powerlifting bench routine but it belongs to the people at West Side Barbell and there mentor Louie Simmons. At 50 Louie has squatted 920, benched 600, and dead lifted 722. Those numbers are from a man who knows what he is doing. He not only can make the big lifts himself but he can teach others too:
* 25 World and National champions
* 27 lifters who have totaled over 2000 lbs
* a world record in the 400m dash by Butch Reynolds
* 33 550 lb benchers
* 18 600 lb benchers
* 5 700 lb benchers
* 28 800 lb plus squatters
* 10 900 lb plus squatters
* 3 1000 lb plus squatters

They have s key components to there powerlifting training:
1. Maximal Effort - maximum load for 1-3 reps for an all out effort. This method will improve neuromuscular coordination by increased motor unit recruiting, increased rate coding and motor unit synchronization.

2. Repeated Effort - lift non-maximal loads to failure with five minutes of rest between sets.

3. Dynamic Effort Method - lifting sub-maximal weights with maimum effort and acceleration. Multiple sets with lower reps and 45-60 second rests between sets.

Bench routine for powerlifters:

- Close Grip Board Press: warm up doing sets of three reps until you feel that you can no longer perform three reps. At this point drop the reps to one and continuing working up to a one rep max.
- Decline Barbell Tricep Extensions: 4 sets of 5 reps
- One Arm Reverse Pushdowns: 3 sets of 10reps
- Dumbbell Upright Rows: 3 sets of 8 reps
- Rear Delt Dumbbell Raises: 4 sets of 10reps
- Reverse Hypers: 2 sets of 15 reps

Board Press: This is a special max effort exercise designed to help strengthen the lockout of the bench press. It is also very effective in increasing tricep strength. This exercise is performed exactly the same as the bench press except you pause the barbell on a board that is placed on your chest. The board for this work out will be two 2 by 4 boards about 12 inches in length. Make sure to pause the barbell on the boards before the accent.


48 Hours later

dynamic effort bench day
- Bench Press: 10 sets of 3 reps with 60% of 1RM; use three different grips; (45 to 60 sec rest between sets)
- Skull Crushers on Swiss ball: 4 sets of 10 reps
- Dumbbell Side Raises: 3 sets of 12 reps
- Front Plate Raises: 3 sets of 10 reps
- Reverse Hypers: 2 sets of 15 reps


This is just a taste of what they do at Westside barbell club. Give it a try and watch your bench press numbers climb.


All the best in your weight training programs
Jason


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