Every human should be able to do one pull-up. If you can’t, you’re either too fat, weak, or both. Pull-up ability is largely a function of strength to bodyweight ratio. This explains why some men can deadlift 700+ pounds while some women are well into the 400s and beyond, but neither is able perform a single pull-up. While deadlifting may be the truest test of total body strength with a barbell, pull-ups demand greater balance Read More
How many times has some curious onlooker at your gym come over to and asked, “So, how much can you lift?” My stock reply is, “I can deadlift 639 pounds.” (see picture to the right). For a powerlifter, the deadlift is the purest test of total body strength. This is true for a myriad of reasons. Firstly, the deadlift recruits and utilizes as many muscles as any other exercise. The only exercise that rivals the Read More
Own your performance and take responsibility for your actions. That was the mandate issued in Upholding the Standard in March 2012 and while the more things change, the more they stay the same. I measure individual powerlifting performances by the number of successful lifts, personal records (PR) achieved, and placing within a weight class and/or age group. I also grade novices or intermediates on technical improvements and becoming more acclimated to the competitive experience. Six Read More
Own your performance and take responsibility for your actions. That was the mandate issued in Upholding the Standard in March 2012 and while the more things change, the more they stay the same. I measure individual powerlifting performances by the number of successful lifts, personal records (PR) achieved, and placing within a weight class and/or age group. I also grade novices or intermediates on technical improvements and becoming more acclimated to the competitive experience. Six Read More
Exercise selection is the foundation of any strength training program. One question I’m frequently asked is, “What exercises do you recommend?” My stock reply is, “Choose a compound movement that targets the muscle groups you want to improve.” A compound movement involves two or more joints in motion simultaneously. Four lower body multi joint exercises are squats, deadlifts, lunges, and step ups. Each exercise requires the use of the hip and knee joints and to Read More
My wife and I are both active members of the USAPL (USA Powerlifting) as competitors, coaches, and national referees. Sioux-z (pictured left) was also recently voted to serve on the USAPL Women’s Committee, which is designed to promote, protect, and serve the interests of women’s powerlifting. Together we have 27 years of competitive powerlifting experience under our belts. With experience comes wisdom. Experience and wisdom are far more precious than strength. In powerlifting, experience and wisdom often Read More
Success in athletics is easily quantifiable in a myriad of ways including PRs, scores, and winning. Success is neither an accident nor a coincidence. Achieving success is a process and the direct result of a set course of action. It doesn’t just happen. The past three months have been some of the most exhilarating of my entire life. In June 2012, I was as an assistant coach on the USA teams at the inaugural IPF Read More
There’s a definite line representing winning and losing. Accordingly, one’s performance is either above the line (winning performance) or below the line (losing performance). As Coach Tomlin advocates for the standard, he characterizes performances as being above or below that line. Since 1969 the Pittsburgh Steelers have had three head coaches. This is fewer than any other team in the NFL during that timeframe. The Steelers pride themselves on consistency and stability. These two constants Read More
Show me a person who doesn’t want to be strong and I’ll show you someone who doesn’t get off the couch very often. The ability to move heavy objects and perform physically demanding tasks is just plain cool. When you’re strong, you don’t have to walk around thumping your chest like an idiot, people will stand up and take notice. Since most of us don’t go around lifting cars or chopping down trees with our Read More
Navigating the tortuous road to athletic achievement requires a comprehensive roadmap. Motivated trainees are constantly searching for the latest protocol that will transport their performance to the next level. They will scour the Internet for the most recent training methodology. Athletes will dive into the pool of printed media including articles, journals, periodicals, and texts in an effort to find the missing link that will take them from novice to elite. Some will even travel Read More