Welcome to our new weekly Powerlifting Tip page.
Each week we will bring you a new topic
From some of the Finest Lifters from around the World.
Mike Womelsdorf suggests:
Ever try going through the Airport TSA with
your weightlifting bag as a carry on luggage? Ever have TSA stare at your lever
belt and look at it as a weapon? Well one way to help out is to have some
pictures of you lifting in competition with the belt on, no sense trying to
explain to a 300 lb over weight TSA agent what exercise is let alone
Powerlifting.
Bob Evans suggests:
Many lifters train with weights that are
too light to make real progress in the Bench Press. I use a three week wave
starting with 3 board presses the first week then 2 board presses the second
week and then 1 board presses with chains the third week. The 3 board weights I
use are 50 - 80 pounds over my best Bench Press off my chest. The 2 board
weights I use are 40 - 60 pounds over my best Bench Press off my chest. Try this
routine for a few months and watch your Bench Press numbers go up!
Mike Womelsdorf suggests:
Like to try something different
after a bench work out, well
click on the above photo link and
try some "ROLLING DUMBELL PRESSES" if done in a smooth rolling motion both
forward and reverse you can really help those stabilizer muscles get a good work
out.
Jim Merlino
suggests: When Benching many lifters
don't realize that if they don't take a lift off they can be hurting their form
why? Well a lifter should get into the best possible tight position, lats tucked
in, shoulders pushed into the bench, etc. but if you lift that bar off by
yourself then you tend to break that tightness that you just achieved, so having
a good lift off man can be beneficial to you.
Mike Womelsdorf
suggests: Looking to know when to lift your best either
for today's workout or for a future contest check out
your BIORYTHMS first. Well what are Biorythms? Well some of the top athletes
from around the World have been using these calculations for decades, knowing
when to give it 100% or back off. Check out this website for more details, and
don't be a skeptic, follow your bio curves for a couple of months and see how
close they are to being accurate.
Check
out your BioRythms at this site! Know when to lift at your best!
Shawn Cain suggests:
Number one my list is to keep lifting and competing for fun. If you allow
it to become a pain to do, your career will be over before you reach your goals.
Don't over train. You need to lift hard, but you also need recovery time to
benefit from that training. When setting up your training, keep in mind (both)
weight used and volume of the work out.
Mike Womelsdorf
suggests: If you plan to buy a new
set of knee wraps at a contest and plan to wear them the same day do yourself a
favor. Take the wraps and throw them over a power rack or a chin up bar if
available then grab each end and stretch them out a bit, otherwise you will kill
yourself trying to wrap the first time with a brand new set that has never been
used and it might hurt your performance. Also remember chalk your knees before
your wrap and your hands so you get a good grip on the fabric.
Gordon Santee suggests:
When planning your lifting attempts,
remember that no one really cares what you open with, it is what you finish with
that counts. Don't let your ego get you in a bind. Your opener should be
something that you could triple in the gym any day of the week. Get in the meet
with your opener, then go for it!
Johnny Graham suggests:
This is what I tell every new lifter
that wants to train with us. Come into the gym with a sense of humor, and leave
the ego outside. When it comes to the point when you are not having fun during
your training, then it's time to stop. You can train hard and enjoy it. Every
lifter has a funny story to tell about what goes on in the gym, and keep those
in mind. What is it all about, if we can't enjoy the fun times!
Sam Alduenda
suggests: Before you leave to
your meet have a card ready to go with all your personnel meet information on
it. Have all your warm-ups written down both in Lbs and Kilos along with a
colored bar code chart and with your attempts for each lift. Make sure your
coach or buddy has a copy along with an extra card.
David
Foster from IRELAND Suggests: If you
have messed up your warm up and you have one last warm up but you up
next to lift, don't be afraid to skip your
first attempt its better to be fully warmed up then to be rushing from the warm
up straight to the platform were you will be so exhausted you wont recover and
will lose confidence, also I find it best to keep you mouth shut before a comp,
don't go round bragging on what your going to lift, keep it to yourself and
concentrate on lifting not bragging before hand, I have started doing this and I
am much better for it.
Bob Evans Suggests:
If you compete using a Bench Press shirt then you
need to train in your shirt EVERY WEEK. Many lifters think they can put a Bench
shirt on two or three weeks before a contest and get great results. There are
many ways to adjust a shirt once you have it on. The collar can move up or down,
the lifting belt can be tighten or loosen, the sleeves can be twisted or you can
wet the seams....etc. Train in your shirt every week for best results
Mike Bridges
Suggests: To gauge your strength, if your appetite decreases and/or you
have trouble sleeping, your strength will suffer. This is the first sign of over
training; too many reps/sets. If your appetite increases and you sleep well your
strength increases. For good sleeping habits provide 8-10 hours even more if
possible, (but of course, most of us have day jobs). Monitoring these two
barometers are a simple way to keep your strength on the rise.
Dr. David Foster Suggests: When wrapping your knees always wrap from the outside to inside. Because the bulk of the quadriceps muscle is on the outside of the femur this pulls the knee cap out of it's normal groove. Wrapping outside to in will counter this force and prevent knee damage.
Dr. Larry Maile
Suggests: The Deadlift is a lift of
passion. If you think about it you won't do it. Address the bar and then pull it
for all your worth!
Mike Womelsdorf
Suggests: Do yourself a big favor
when your off season, get away from your favorite gym and find another one to
train at for a change of pace, Yea I know those fancy "Corporate Gyms" don't have
decent power racks and lousy benches and chalk is forbidden, but getting out of
your same old rut and using different equipment and a different atmosphere can get
you from being stale.
Steve Denison Suggests:
There is no magic strength
template to getting strong. Find a strength program you like; Sheiko,
Westside, Periodization etc.
The main thing is to be consistent in your training to obtain the best results.
Any lifter that applies their best efforts in any one of these programs will
achieve some decent results. Some better than others. Experiment with all of
them and find which one works for you. Then stay consistent with that
program and don't miss training in order to achieve your strength goals.