powerlifting the right way

POWERLIFTING THE RIGHT WAY

Tips and Techniques To Start Powerlifting

powerlifting the right way

“Powerlifting is a sporting event that tests maximum strength in a squat, bench press, and deadlift.”

It is because powerlifting mainly focuses on strength training, using the perfect methods. Many people like to go directly into training for special goals but they don't have anything to build off of. They train in circles and never achieve their goals.

If you're thinking of starting powerlifting, you'll need to understand everything from how to frame your program to helpful hints for your competition. It may feel a little challenging, but in this article, I'm going to share essentially what you need to know to be efficient in the power-lifting sport.

HOW DO YOU START POWERLIFTING?

“Powerlifting workout/training includes doing the main competition movements regularly in your workout sessions.”

 

When you decide to start powerlifting, equip yourself with the basics of the lift. This way you exert less effort than you normally would and maximize muscle gain each rep. Knowing this greatly reduces the risk of injury

You really should train on a power-lifting-specific workout program that involves squat, bench press and deadlift repeatedly each week.

Many people prefer powerlifting simply because they want to increase their physical strength. They just like the style of training and the benefit of getting stronger, which is all right. Competing should be the last thing on your mind. But it wouldn’t hurt to set it as a goal once you get the hang of it.

 

All in all, powerlifting is just about using weight training to be stronger. The focus is to improve the strength of your entire body by using the most efficient power lifts and other exercises, instead of muscle-specific machines.

ANY SIZE CAN COMPETE FOR POWERLIFTING

“What makes powerlifting so great is that it's the ideal place for everybody to start!”

In powerlifting, body mass or weight is equally important to gauge your weight class, just like in boxing or mixed martial arts competition. The numbers below show the standard weight classes for both men and women in local, regional, state, national and international. Regional events are accredited by the USA Powerlifting.

MEN

53.0kg class: up to 53.0kg (applies to sub-junior and junior lifters only)
59.0kg class: up to 59.0kg
66.0kg class: from 59.01kg up to 66.0kg
74.0kg class: from 66.01kg up to 74.0kg
83.0kg class: from 74.01kg up to 83.0kg
93.0kg class: from 83.01kg up to 93.0kg
105.0kg class: from 93.01kg up to 105.0kg
120.0kg class: from 105.01kg up to 120.0kg
120.0+kg class: from 120.01kg up to unlimited


WOMEN

43.0 kg class: up to 43.0 kg (applies to junior lifters only)
47.0 kg class: up to 47.0 kg
52.0 kg class: from 47.01 kg up to 52.0 kg
57.0 kg class: from 52.01 kg up to 57.0 kg
63.0 kg class: from 57.01 kg up to 63.0 kg
72.0 kg class: from 63.01 kg up to 72.0 kg
84.0 kg class: from 72.01 kg up to 84.0 kg
84.0+ kg class: from 84.01 kg up to unlimited
See? All sizes are welcome to play here.

POWERLIFTING FOR WOMEN

powerlifting for women


“In a world that continues to discuss beauty standards, along with who gets fit and also what it means exactly, powerlifting is refreshingly unbiased.”

Can you squat just below parallel, touch the bar to your chest while you're benching, and perform a deadlift off the floor? If your answer to that is yes, you can stay competitive in power-lifting.
But how powerful do you have to be? According to the USA Powerlifting Rulebook (the largest power-lifting federation in the United States), the minimum possible amount of weight that a contender needs to be powerful enough to meet in power-lifting is an empty bar plus collars. This is equal to 55 pounds, or 25 kilos respectively.
55 pounds—sounds pretty approachable, right?
It's important to mention that although a 55-pound bench press or squat is easily achievable, it's going to be hard to get in a great position for deadlifts when the bar only has the collars on it. The lightest plates used during competition, each weighing 15 kilos, will bring the bar to a more ideal position—about nine inches off the floor—and a weight of up to a total of 55 kilos or 121 pounds.
So if you'd like to start competing in power-lifting, your first goal would be a 121-pound deadlift.

DETERMINING YOUR POWERLIFTING WEIGHT CLASS

There are four factors to consider when evaluating your power-lift weight class:
⦁ Height
⦁ Natural Weight
⦁ Body Fat Percentage
⦁ Age

 

HEIGHT

Height helps in determining our weight class because it'll be represented when we walk on the scale.
If our height, instead of our muscle mass, brings us to the top of our weight class, we will be at a massive disadvantage to shorter and more muscular individuals.
Not only would we have to work much harder to lift the same weight as a lifter that is shorter than us because of mechanical disadvantages, but we will also get less muscle mass and therefore less strength.
Instead, we should choose a weight division that we can replace with a larger amount of lean tissue in order to get more force-generating capability.

 

NATURAL WEIGHT

Our natural weight refers to the weight that our body will naturally maintain when we're not effectively trying to influence it with food, which is named our "set point."
This is the weight at which we should compete in the initial stages. Once we evaluate what our weight is, we can see which of the power-lifting body weight classifications we fit into and then sign up to keep pace in that category.
When we're at the point that we'd like to alter weight classes, we need to choose a weight class close to where we naturally fall. Heading up or down one weight class is feasible, but multiple weight classes take a lot of time to maintain/reach as much lean mass as possible and avoid increasing body fat.

When modifying weight classes from our natural weight, we must start by moving only one weight class at first, and possibly keeping additional adjustments part of a long-term goal

 

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PERCENTAGE OF BODY FAT

Our body fat level can guide us to choose our weight class as it will assess whether we can drop a weight class and maintain our strength, or whether it's more effective to go up to class and generate muscle mass.
The lowest people can go before seeing negative impacts on the performance is 10-15% body fat for men and 17-20% body fat for women. If this is where you are right now, you should not drop a weight class. But over time, as you build up extra lean mass, you're most likely to have to go up.
If you are presently sitting above 25% body fat for men or 30% for women, you can afford to risk losing some fat mass by dropping a weight class to boost your relative strength. If your body fat percentage is anywhere between these two stages, you must choose on the basis of what makes you more competitive – staying where you are, putting on lean mass, or reducing fat mass.

AGE

Young lifters must never lower the weight class when they're still developing. Research shows that, by doing so, they are jeopardizing the development of strength and power and may actually limit their ability to achieve their full potential later on. Young lifters must compete in the weight category in which they naturally sit and focus on maximizing muscle development.

 

POWERLIFTING TECHNIQUE THAT MAKES YOU STRONGER

Before we get to powerlifting techniques, spend a few minutes to check the infographic below. These are common mistakes that might be causing you unnecessary muscle aches and pain.

Powerlifting proper form


SQUAT TECHNIQUE

⦁ Start practicing a low bar squat position that will recruit more musculature in your glutes

⦁ Find your ideal squat posture based on your individual leverages.

⦁ To perform a squat, bend your knees and hips at the same time.

⦁ Focus on keeping the squat bar path straight over the midfoot, which will enhance your balance and performance.

⦁ Make sure that you're squatting deep down where your hips fall below the plane of your knee.

BENCH PRESS TECHNIQUE

⦁ Know how to do an appropriate bench press arch. This is where you intentionally try to extend your mid-back so that it can reduce the range of motion and trigger the muscle fibers of your lower pec.

⦁ Find your ideal bench press grip.

⦁ Make sure that your elbow position is either directly below the barbell or slightly forward.

⦁ Use your complete body to press the barbell, including your legs, by pressing your legs down to the floor.


DEADLIFT TECHNIQUE


⦁ You can choose between standard or sumo lifting. Both styles are allowed to compete.

⦁ Find the ideal grip width for your deadlift. Please ensure you don't grab the bar too wide because it creates a longer range of motion. Also, ensure to squeeze your hands hard so that you don't lose grip.

⦁ Discover the best deadlift back angle for your height and stature. For some people, they're going to be slightly more bent than others, which is all right.

⦁ Keep your back straight while you're deadlifting. Avoid rounding, especially through the lower and middle back.

⦁ Pull forcefully into the lockout and finish with your hips, shoulders, and knees locked. 

Many lifters find it beneficial for maximum performance and safety to use wrist wraps, lifting straps and a lifting belt while powerlifting.

Sources:

 

Girlsgonestrong.com
Powerliftingtechnique.com
Commonwealthgames.org

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