Category: Articles

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

This isn’t an article designed to be inflammatory towards other powerlifting organizations. Everything starts from somewhere, and this subject is no exception. In other sports there are sanctioning organizations outside of those which are internationally recognized. But this article isn’t about other sports; its about powerlifting. This topic has been taken up as a passionate cause by many people across the United States and in many circles it’s the proverbial elephant in the room that Read More

    You’re scared, a little sweaty and super nervous. That first step out on the platform with all eyes on you can be intimidating. However, you have done the training, you have squatted, benched, and deadlifted hundreds of times. Yet, you feel like you don’t know what to do. Here are some simple guidelines for shaking those nerves and letting your hard work shine through! Pre-Meet: Find out your openers about a week before 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

It has become obvious to me over the past couple years of coaching and training that when people hear the words “linear” and “periodization” in concert with one another, they automatically turn-off. I haven’t met a single resistance-trained “athlete” that doesn’t consider themselves well-enough experienced in “the art of the iron-game” (to quote Dr. Randall Strossen) to be beyond this “elementary practice.” I guess I can understand where people can have qualms with this type Read More

INTRODUCTION Central Nervous System (CNS) fatigue is a topic so unexplored by the scientists of today that we still do not know the specific mechanism that causes it [1]. CNS fatigue, also referred to as neuromuscular fatigue, is a subjective state in which one feels tired or exhausted and in which the capacity for normal work or activity is reduced [17]. Muscle fatigue, the decline in voluntary force during sustained maximal efforts, is caused by Read More

Are you ready to think “outside the box”? Whether due to injury, boredom, or sticking point, allowing some creativity in your program design might yield very satisfying results. Most strength coaches and athletes base their programs around a combo of Olympic lifts and/or powerlifts. After all, the competitive lifts evolved into what we have today because they best represent a balance of strength, power, and athleticism. However, there will be times in your athletic career when Read More