Written by: Kevin Cann We all know that volume is important to get stronger.  Too little volume and progress can stall and even slide backwards.  Too much volume and we run the risk of overtraining and injury. So how do we know how much volume is appropriate for each lifter? This is where the acute chronic work ratio (ACWR) comes into play.  The ACWR analyzes the athlete’s current training and allows the coach to know what Read More

Written by: Kevin Cann The month of April was huge for PPS.  We had 2 competitions that saw 13 of us compete.  The first one was on April 8thand it was our beginners’ meet (plus Grace). I am proud of everyone that had the guts to step on the platform for the first time and lift. Val, Kelly, Amanda, Evan, and Kevin you guys did PPS well.  I don’t care what people hit in the gym, Read More

Written by: Kevin Cann I coach quite a few other coaches/personal trainers.  Many of them voice their uncertainty with where they want their careers to go in the future.  Many are currently unhappy in their current positions and they look for advice on what to do.  Because of this, I decided to write this article. I have been doing some type of personal training/coaching for over 10 years.  I didn’t always know what I wanted Read More

Written by: Kevin Cann I have been coaching athletes for a long time, but powerlifters for only 2 and a half years. As I learn more and gain more experience, the more adjustments I make to our programs to make sure that we are putting our best foot forward. One thing that I have changed is how often we take heavy singles.  By heavy singles I am talking 90% or higher.  At one point we very Read More

Written by: Kevin Cann “Just not today.” These are words I have heard from my coach, Boris Sheiko, a few times over the last two and a half years.  This was always on the heels of a missed lift during a test or competition. My response in my head was always “No shit.”  I know it wasn’t happening today as I just experienced it.  I would be pissed off and want all kinds of answers as Read More

Written by: Kevin Cann I am writing this article as a person who makes a full time living as a powerlifting coach.  I do not own a gym, I am not a personal trainer, all I coach are competitive powerlifters.  With that said, many will get upset with the words written in this article.  I am not writing this to upset anyone but stating my opinions on this matter as it pertains to the growth Read More

Written by: Kevin Cann My Instagram feed is constantly filled with lifters hitting personal records (PR).  Most of these PRs that I see are actually hit in the gym.  Now, the goal of powerlifting as a sport is to be hitting your best lifts at the most important competitions of the year. If you are not hitting your best lifts on the platform at the most important competitions, then something is going wrong with your Read More

Written by: Kevin Cann I wrote extensively about my failed RPE experiment not too long ago.  I was pretty confident that I could combine an RPE system with a Sheiko program.  The problem was that it did not work. The RPEs were too light for some days and too heavy for others.  You see, there is a nice flow with a Sheiko program.  There are some hard days that force the body to adapt, medium Read More

Written by: Kevin Cann Zatsiorsky states in The Science and Practice of Strength Training That the maximal effort method is the act of lifting a maximal load against maximal resistance.  This method, according to Zatsiorsky, is best for improving the intramuscular and intermuscular coordination to improve maximal strength. He is basically saying that lifting heavy is best to lift heavy due to the adaptations of the muscles and the central nervous system.  Any lift taken between 90% Read More

Written by: Kevin Cann That title is part click bait and part truth.  For those of you that know me, know that I feel that Westside style training is very inadequate for the raw powerlifter.  Multiply and raw are vastly different sports. Best way I have heard it explained is through this analogy.  Racquetball and tennis are both racquet sports, but vastly different in how they are played.  The same goes for raw and multiply. Read More