Conversely, training cessation durations that are too short (e.g., ≤1 day) may also disallow optimum biological and psychological restoration to take place. For instance, Weiss et al. have shown that within 2, 3, 4, and 5 days of training cessation, bench press 1RM can improve, but isometric bench press measurements may decrease. Interestingly, days 2 and 3 of training cessation were the only days where isometric peak force diminished similarly but provided the highest bench press 1RM outcomes. However, Weiss et al. also showed that 1RM bench press performance improved to the greatest extent with as little as 2 days of complete rest. Similarly, over 2, 5, and 7 days of training cessation, Anderson and Cattanach observed a 5% average improvement in 1RM back squat and bench press.
Therefore, 2–7 days of training cessation appear to be sufficient to maintain, or possibly improve, powerlifting performance. Reports from strongman competitors appear to agree with this duration for back squat and bench press, but deadlift training may cease over a slightly longer period of time . For national- and international-level powerlifters, longer durations of training cessation specifically for the deadlift appear to be common practice .
The deadlift may be completely removed and not trained for 1–2 weeks leading into a competition . While recent studies suggest that recovery times are similar between back squat, bench press, and deadlift , the actual tapering practices of high-level strength athletes disagree . The general recommendation for tapering is to increase or maintain intensity .
However, to peak maximal strength for powerlifting performance, it appears that intensity can be increased during the taper, but during the final days, intensity is either maintained or decreased to promote recovery. For powerlifting, increasing the intensity can only be done by a small margin (≤15%) considering that normal training is typically ≥85% 1RM. Reducing volumes to a large extent and increasing high-intensity work could lead to negative performance outcomes, or could inhibit the athlete from improving performance as demonstrated by Pritchard et al. Although some aspects of powerlifting performance improved with increased intensity , maintaining intensity may be a safer option when constructing a taper for maximal strength. The national powerlifters of Croatia reported performing a similar taper , but the duration typically spanned 18 days. The tapering parameters reported by the New Zealand national powerlifting team were similar in duration , but suggested that intensity is typically reduced by 5%.
Studies that maintained intensity appeared to produce performance improvements of 1–6% , whereas those that decreased intensity appeared to produce performance improvements of 2–10% . The studies that reported increased intensity elicited either no performance change or an unspecified overall performance improvement. Drastic intensity reductions were also noted by Godawa et al. during the final training week leading into a competition with collegiate powerlifters. Increasing volume is typically seen through intensified training or planned overreaching and not tapering . Thus, this unconventional method of tapering needs further investigation.
The purpose of this study was to review the literature on tapering and training cessation practices for powerlifting performance. By only including studies from homogenous samples, we negated the dissolution of drawing inferences from samples that do not align with powerlifters (e.g., soccer players, basketball players). Thus, implications may be more accurately applied when sport scientists and coaches incorporate these tapering and peaking strategies with powerlifters or to enhance powerlifting performance. Additionally, the studies highlighted in this review incorporated male and female athletes ranging from local to international level competition as well as well-trained strength-trained males.
Based on our findings, tapering and short-term training cessation both appear to be effective for improving powerlifting performance. The tapering protocols included in this review agree with the current literature and also provide novel insights into some unconventional tapering practices. Prior to major competitions, athletes often use a peaking protocol such as tapering or training cessation to improve performance.
However, evidence regarding peaking protocols for strength and power athletes is lacking. Current limitations for peaking maximal strength is that many studies do not provide sufficient details for practitioners to use. More specifically, determining how to peak maximal strength using data derived from strength and power athletes has not been established. Thus, the purpose of this study was to review the literature on tapering and training cessation practices relative to peaking powerlifting performance. Considering the lack of tapering studies performed on powerlifters, Table 5 provides evidence from the available literature implementing various tapers in an attempt to peak powerlifting performance with powerlifters. Häkkinen et al. investigated the effectiveness of reducing the volume by 50% with competitive national Finnish powerlifters.
It was suggested that performance can be brought to a peak when volume is cut in half over 1 week. While this study implemented a 1-week step-wise reduction in volume of 50%, Grgic and Mikulic, and Pritchard et. Al. reported similar reductions (51–59%) over 17–18 days with national and international level powerlifters, although no performance data were included. Williams also showed that a 1-week step-wise taper with an average reduction of 50% was sufficient to improve bench press 1RM by an average of 5% with US powerlifters. While Godawa et al. noted statistically significant changes for back squat, deadlift, powerlifting total, and Wilks Score improvements, there were no significant improvements on bench press. Godawa et al. did report, however, smaller bench press 1RM performance improvements (2% for equipped lifters, 2% for classic raw lifters) compared to Williams and a 5% average improvement.
Nevertheless, these performance discrepancies may be attributed to the sex, age, or level of competition between lifters in each study. Short-term periodized programs over 6–10 weeks in duration with competitive and non-competitive powerlifters have been shown to elicit powerlifting performance improvements ranging between 2–11% . Unfortunately, most studies only attribute performance changes to the effectiveness of the overall program being implemented and do not address pre-competition or pre-testing practices during the final week. However, it is possible that the training performed during the final week and days of training is what promotes or hinders performance outcomes .
Expect your reps to drop whenever you increase the weight. For example, suppose you've been doing 10 reps of bench presses with 175 pounds and you increase the weight to 190 pounds. Because the weight is heavier, you will lift fewer reps, but as your muscles accommodate over time, you will again be able to lift more reps. When strength is your priority, you can experiment with heavy days. Heavy days are when you lift as much as you can one time. This is called a one-repetition maximum (a 10-rep maximum would be the weight you can lift 10 times to fatigue).
Heavy days are challenging, and caution must be used to avoid strain or injury to the muscles, so I don't recommend them more than once a week. The snatch, clean and jerk are more complex than the powerlifting squat, bench and deadlift by orders of magnitude; the degrees of technical skill involved in the two pursuits are not even comparable. I don't say this to disparage powerlifting or powerlifters in any way, but it's an unavoidable truth, and it plays a role in training differences. This being the case, it's obvious that in order to master the competitive lifts, far more time and far more quality reps must be performed by the weightlifter than the powerlifter. Weightlifting is a unique sport in that the lifts inextricably link the motor qualities of precise movement and timing with strength and speed.
Powerlifting has a huge strength component, but minimal skill; something like pitching a baseball has a huge skill component, but minimal strength. People are not usually resistant to the idea of a baseball pitcher throwing a lot of balls in a day, week, month or year, because the need to practice the skill is obvious. The skill of weightlifting is not as obvious because most people are viewing it from a perspective largely shaped by history with bodybuilding and powerlifting training.
They are broken up by muscle group and are three days per week. You can experiment with splits, exercises, and the number of days per week. I suggest repetitions and one to three sets per exercise for beginners . I've included more than one exercise for each muscle group. You can stick with one exercise if you like, or experiment with more than one.
How Much Volume Is Too Much Use the principle of progressive overload and increase the weight when you can perform 15 reps easily. If you're using elastic tubing, start with the tube that you can lift times to fatigue, and then increase when you get stronger. The effectiveness of the taper may be determined by the distribution of work followed by complete rest leading up to a competition.
However, some athletes may need modifications outside the recommended ranges to achieve their desired performance outcomes. Future studies investigating tapering for maximal strength should include detailed information regarding the construction and implementation of the taper. Additionally, a limitation of this study is that we cannot account for the potential use of anabolic steroids nor other performance-enhancing drugs that are commonly used in strength and power sports . It is possible that athletes who use such substances require different recovery periods, and therefore, different tapering parameters prior to competition. Lastly, we cannot account for any activities that subjects were involved in outside the strength training interventions. This review provides an evidence-based approach for powerlifters aiming to peak for competition.
While powerlifting and bodybuilding both use weight training principles, their end goals are different. Powerlifters aim to increase their 1 rep max in the squat, bench press and deadlift. Bodybuilders aim to increase muscle mass and muscular symmetry. As a result, everything from their exercise technique to programming will differ. The amount of time you rest between sets can significantly affect your results. Rest up to three minutes between sets if pure strength development is your priority, and one to two minutes if muscular endurance and tone is your priority.
Three minutes permits the muscles to recover from fatigue so that you can generate enough energy to perform another maximal lift on the next set. More than that and you may end up spending more time chatting with others in the gym than getting down to what you're lifting for in the first place, that is, getting stronger. You can see that the more work you do the more benefit there is. If you take a lot more time resting than lifting, then you minimize your benefits. Take breaks between sets for sure, but get back to work as soon as the muscles are rested.
Ultimately, that's up to you and what your goals are. I think the most efficient, safe training method for most people that maximizes form and function lies somewhere in the middle. My strength training philosophy can be summarized by completing short, intense workouts with moderate volume and minimal rest between sets, focusing on compound exercises. I love interval training like the strength guys, but I also love lifting slow and controlled like bodybuilders, which is much safer in my opinion. You can check out my Efficient Strength Training article series along with 8 Weight Training Tips to Never Forget to learn more about my personal strength training philosophy and tips. Volume is key for muscle growth as well as muscular endurance.
It's one of the best ways to progress and keep seeing results in your hypertrophy goals. While performing many reps with lighter weight is good for endurance, adding additional sets and reps to your current training increases volume and progress. Add more sets or repetitions of different exercises to see further muscle growth. Scientific studies aimed at improving maximal strength often use short-term periodized programs (i.e., 1–4 months) to plan and implement training rather than long-term training programs (i.e., 1 year) . In sport science, long-term training studies are often cut short due to limitations such as athlete availability, coach cooperation, and conflicting holiday and competition schedules. In a survey that included 32 elite national British powerlifters, nearly all the athletes stated that variations of periodized training models were used to organize training over a competition year .
In the absence of investigations on long-term training programs, short-term periodized programs can inform the best training practices for maximal strength. Similar to single joint and unilateral movements, machines are a great way to increase muscle mass without having to place additional stress on supportive muscle groups. While that is generally a benefit for overall fitness, training in an isolated manner after compound strength lifts can help target a muscle group without weaker supportive muscles holding you back.
Let's say for example, you want to grow your quadriceps more, so you attack 4 sets of squats for strength. Afterwards, you could train higher rep back squats, however you may find your lower back fatigues out or you simply feel drained. Instead, performing machine hack squats may be a solid option as it can take pressure off your lower back and allow you to isolate the quads more and provide more stimulus for growth. Consider two powerlifters who have exactly the same angles and technique, but one is 20 centimeters taller. Doing the same exercises, sets, reps, and weight, the bigger lifter would have lifted more volume after a training session than the smaller, because the lifter's moment arm in the lift would be longer.
Just as a forklift truck can have a greater load farther into the forks, the shorter lifter manages to handle more weight than the larger lifter just because of the shorter levers they have. You have probably done some chest flyes at some point, and therefore you know that you get more stress on your chest muscles with flyes than at a regular dumbbell press, which causes you to train with less weight. Often you can see bodybuilders start by training dumbbells flyes, and when you start to get exhausted, you can continue in a regular dumbbell press. The reason for this is that the weight becomes heavier (i.e. gives a bigger load on the muscle insertion) in flyes than in a dumbbell press.
It does not depend on the elbow being straight, but on the lever getting longer. If the lever is longer, a greater force on the muscle occurs. The ideal training volume for building muscle is around 9–18 sets per muscle per week. And if you're choosing good lifts, doing 6–20 reps per set, and bringing those sets within 1–2 reps of failure, the bottom end of that range is often enough to maximize muscle growth.
So in order to maximize muscle growth, you want to train over your MEV but below your MRV. The amount of volume that each individual should be performing is highly individual andimpossible to predictby anyone who hasn't been training you for some period of time. That being said, a great starting point for most people would be to train each muscle group with a minimum of 10 sets per week. From there you can slowly add sets over a period of weeks to get a better feel for how much volume you need as an individual. It's important to note that this recommendation is more for hypertrophy focused goals -- you can get away with less volume when your goals are strength focused. Master the basics, something that people just don't do nowadays.
Having been in the fitness industry long enough, I am over most of what is sold out there by trainers. That and it seems mainstream media loves to promote complicated and isolated movements, when most people need to use their body in movements, not by muscles. I would say the deadlift is the most important exercise for anyone to do (as I have had 65+ yr old grandmothers lifting DB off the floor). High reps,…low reps…high volume…all that can be played with but the movements of deadlift, clean , squat, bench are the keys to muscle growth on a hormonal level. Powerlifting can be thought of similarly to any sport in which there are weight classes. You should be able to redistribute your weight without increasing significantly using powerlifting as your strength training.
When I started powerbuilding, I put on 20 lbs gaster than I wanted to because I wasn't paying attention to my diet. I won't do any bulking/cutting cycles because my only concern is performance/not looks. I do feel my healthiest at 200 lbs so my diet will be focused on staying close to that weight. If you looks at the powerlifting totals for even your average competitive 200 lbs powerlifter, you will see that smaller lifters are significantly stronger than your average 250 lbs gym rat. In the Campos study, the light loads did not produce as much hypertrophy as the heavier loads.
However, the light load group also did fewer sets than the groups with heavier loads in an attempt to match volume-load. Assuming the loads don't make a difference , this seems to indicate that number of sets might be what determines hypertrophy. However, in the Schoenfeld 2014 study, one group did exercises for 3 sets of ~10 reps and the other group did exercises for 7 sets of ~3 reps (again, matching volume-load). If number of sets is what matters, the 7×3 group should have had more hypertrophy, but they didn't. Digging deeper, though, the lighter load group actually did 9 sets to failure per week per body part, and the heavier group did 21 sets to failure per body part per week. A taper is a reduction in intensity and volume of physical activity, and the purpose of it is to allow the body to recover from the training it has undergone in the previous Mesocycle.
The 5 Factor Theory of Fitness tells us that performance is a combination of various aspects of fitness and fatigue in the body, and our current state of mind. We are trying to maximize fitness while minimizing fatigue. Keep in mind your body is always playing catch up with your training. As you sit here, reading this, your body is still responding to the workout you did yesterday, 2 days ago, and last week.
Most people know they should not train super intensely the day before a competition, but the question becomes how much do I do, when do I do it, and how hard should I go? Both powerlifters and bodybuilders use weight training to increase muscle mass, strength, mobility/flexibility, and overall performance. However, the exact exercises within each training program will differ drastically. Powerlifters, (aka "strength guys", or "function guys") love lifting really heavy weight, performing compound movements like bench presses, squats, and dead lifts with lower rep ranges and lower volume.
