The key difference between powerlifting and other strength sports is the unconditional priority of strength over other functions of the human body. This raises questions: how to specialize your training to achieve maximum results in strength indicators? What kind of training program is needed for a powerlifter? What diet and rest regime do you need? How to protect yourself from injuries and what sports nutrition works and will really help you achieve good strength performance? This will be discussed in this article.
What is powerlifting
Powerlifting is a sport in which the main goal of the competitors is to lift maximum weights in three exercises, in accordance with established rules. Lifters have no need to develop endurance like CrossFit athletes. Unlike bodybuilding, where an athlete tries to show maximum muscle volume and proportions, powerlifters try to increase strength and at the same time stay in their weight category.
Basic Principles of Strength Training
In powerlifting, training is of a strength nature. This means that the athlete must gradually increase the intensity of the training and increase the tonnage of weights lifted. As for the work regime, unlike bodybuilding, where an athlete tries to work one or several muscle groups during a workout and performs 3-4 working approaches in 10-12 repetitions, a lifter trains one or two competitive movements in 4-5 approaches in each lesson 3-6 repetitions each.
Daily and nutritional regimen in powerlifting
Since training with heavy weights takes a lot of strength and energy, the athlete should take care of adequate nutrition and rest. The basis of a powerlifter’s diet should be “complex” carbohydrates, which replenish the body’s energy reserves and serve as fuel to repair muscle fibers damaged during training. There are enough such carbohydrates in cereals, starchy vegetables, and baked goods. Unlike bodybuilders, lifters should not be afraid of “simple” carbohydrates, which abound in sweets and baked goods, as they serve as a good source for quickly replenishing energy immediately after a workout.
In second place in the diet of a strongman are proteins, which are used as building material for damaged muscle fibers. Protein-rich foods include poultry and fish, eggs, and dairy products.
Fats come in third place in nutrition. They are necessary to maintain immunity, for the normal functioning of ligaments and joints, etc. Monounsaturated fats, which are rich in seafood, nuts, and seeds, are especially useful.
The ratio of carbohydrates, proteins and fats in a powerlifter's daily diet should be approximately 50/35/15%, respectively.
Sleep is also an integral part of a lifter's recovery. Security forces must sleep at least 8-10 hours a day, and it is advisable to allocate at least one hour for daytime sleep. After all, muscles do not grow during training, but during rest from them.
Creating a powerlifting training program
Frequency of classes
The specific nature of strength training requires more rest time, both between sets and between sessions.
If a bodybuilder needs 30-60 seconds to repeat the exercise, then a lifter needs from 2 to 4 minutes.
And before performing the next exercise, you will need up to 5 minutes of rest. As for the number of visits to the gym per week, the optimal number will be 3 or 4.
Selection of exercises
The three pillars of powerlifting are the squat, bench press and deadlift. They are also called basic exercises. Without them, it is impossible to obtain monstrous strength and impressive muscle volumes. A powerlifter's arsenal should also include auxiliary exercises that are designed to eliminate weaknesses when performing competitive movements. These include hyperextensions, leg presses, barbell bends, pull-ups, dips, etc.
Periodization of loads
In powerlifting, you cannot linearly increase the weight on the bar from workout to workout; this method will certainly lead to a state of overtraining and can discourage any desire to train further. It is worth using the technique of load periodization. The method consists of alternating loads, that is, heavy workouts are replaced by light ones, and those in turn are replaced by medium ones. This periodization can be used both weekly and monthly. For example, in the first week an athlete squats 100 kg in five sets of 6 repetitions, in the second - 60 kg in three sets of 8 repetitions, in the third 80 kg in four sets of 5 repetitions.
Examples of Powerlifting Training Programs
An example of a training program with periodization in a weekly cycle, with three workouts per week:
Monday
1. Squats with a barbell on the shoulders 20 kg * 10 times, 40 kg * 10 times, 60 kg * 8 times, 80 kg * 3 reps * 8 times.
2. Close-grip bench press 20 kg * 10 rubles, 40 kg * 10 rubles, 50 kg * 3 sts * 10 rubles.
3. Bend-overs with a barbell on the shoulders 50 kg * 3 p. * 8 r.
4. Hyperextension without weights 4 p. * 15 r.
Wednesday
1. Deadlift 20 kg * 10 r., 40 kg * 10 r., 60 kg * 8 r., 80 kg * 8 r., 100 kg * 3 p. * 8 r.
2. Barbell row on straight legs 60 kg * 3 p. * 8 r.
3. Pull-ups 50 reps in any number of sets
4. Roman chair crunches 50 reps
Friday
1. Bench press 20 kg * 10 r., 40 kg * 10 r., 60 kg * 8 r., 80 kg * 3 p. * 8 r.
2. Dips without weights 50 reps
3. Squats with a barbell on the front 20 kg * 10 rub., 40 kg * 10 rub., 55 kg * 8 rub., 75 kg * 3 p. * 8 rub.
4. Hyperextension without weights 4p. * 15 rub.
Injury Prevention in Powerlifting
To avoid injuries, you should not try to master the technique of a new exercise on your own, but ask for help from a coach or an experienced athlete in the gym. If the technique is followed, the risk of injury is very small. You shouldn’t try to increase the weight on the barbell too quickly; everything needs to be done correctly and in a timely manner. To protect your lower back, you should use a weightlifting or powerlifting belt. To protect your knees, you can use special or medical knee pads. To protect the hands, there are hand bandages.
TOP 5 nutritional supplements for powerlifting
In fourth place were protein complexes. They should be used depending on the type of protein used in them. It can be casein, whey, soy isolate or concentrate. But in any case, protein is a building material for your muscles.
The third place is occupied by complex amino acids (BCAA). Unlike protein, they directly enter the bloodstream, thereby protecting your muscles from destruction after hard training. Amino acids should be consumed immediately after exercise and before bed, in capsule or powder form.
Second place belongs to gainers. Due to the combination of complex carbohydrates and protein, this nutritional supplement will give the athlete energy for training and maintain strength until the end. The gainer is also indispensable for athletes who cannot gain weight or want to move up to a higher weight category.
And creatine deservedly takes first place among the most used supplements by powerlifters. With the help of creatine, an athlete can significantly increase their strength performance. It is advisable to consume creatine after training in an amount of 5 grams, dissolving it in juice or water with the addition of honey.
And remember, the most important thing in any sport is willpower! Set yourself a goal and steadily move towards achieving it!
Training principles from one of the most titled strongmen:
If you want to develop muscle strength and bench heavy weights, welcome to the world of powerlifting. This sports discipline allows you to methodically increase strength indicators by lifting more and more weight. What is powerlifting, how to build a training program and train correctly?
What is powerlifting
Powerlifting is a strength sport, the essence of which is to develop the athlete’s strength, and the result is lifting the maximum possible weight. Thus, the achievements of a powerlifter are measured in the number of kilograms lifted.
Unlike regular bodybuilding, powerlifting does not involve the pursuit of beautiful body lines.
An athlete's qualifications are determined by performing basic multi-joint exercises. Performance is assessed according to three parameters:
- correct execution technique;
- total weight taken;
- number of repetitions.
All three factors are taken into account in competitions. Moreover, with the same weight taken by two athletes, victory will go to the one whose body weight is less.
Powerlifting Principles
The key goal of powerlifting training is to gradually increase the weight lifted to the maximum possible, while there is no emphasis on developing endurance. Also, the athlete does not strive to gain weight or gain relief.
But for the effect to be truly impressive, you need to strive for results by observing the following principles:
- Variability of training. This means that the intensity of training should alternate. For example, after a high-intensity workout, there is a low-intensity workout with light weight, and then again with a heavy weight and high-intensity workout. This is necessary so that the muscles have time to recover.
- Do not increase the weight unplanned, even if it seems that the current one is easy to lift. It is important to strictly follow the selected training program. The working weight should remain at the same level for at least two weeks. This will allow the muscles to maintain and increase their strength.
- No need for forced repetitions. Forced repetitions are those very last presses that are done through force. Since powerlifting doesn't require endurance and the weight used is so heavy, forced reps not only won't help, but can also lead to injury. There is no point in doing them.
- No additional exercises and strict adherence to the program.
Daily and nutritional regimen in powerlifting
To develop muscle strength, it is important to devote a lot of time to muscle growth and recovery. As you know, muscles recover effectively during sleep and rest. Therefore, an athlete’s sleep should be complete and amount to at least eight hours.
Huge strong muscles also require special nutrition. Therefore, when creating a powerlifting program, coaches advise taking into account the following points:
- Eat only natural products, excluding synthetic semi-finished products.
- Avoid constant consumption of unhealthy drinks and overly sweet foods. This results in elevated insulin levels, which is not desirable for a powerlifter.
- You need to eat every two or three hours. It is this food intake schedule that will ensure maximum muscle mass gain in the shortest possible time without increased formation of fat in the body.
- You need to eat enough protein at every meal. This can be lean meat, as well as eggs, cottage cheese, cheese, legumes, milk, protein supplements.
- Combine the consumption of plant and animal proteins throughout the day.
- Enrich every meal with raw vegetables. This helps speed up metabolism, eliminate toxins and improve overall performance, which ultimately leads to increased strength.
- Consume fast carbohydrates only after training.
- Avoid trans fats.
- Eat healthy fats such as virgin vegetable oils, red fish, and nuts. You can also add fatty acid supplements to your diet.
By following all these rules, you will indirectly affect your strength performance.
Powerlifting Exercises
Exercises in powerlifting do not differ in variety. The most important thing is a gradual increase in weight and very clear and competent adherence to technique. The technique must be honed to perfection, because the work is carried out with a lot of weight, and violations in the execution of exercises can lead to serious injuries.
Squats with a barbell on your shoulders, how to do it correctly
This exercise is a basic exercise for lifters. It engages the muscles of the entire body, but mostly the legs, buttocks, core and abs.
Technique:
- Grasp the bar with both hands, bring your shoulder blades together, place the bar on your middle trapezius and rear deltoids. Stand under the barbell, distributing your weight evenly on both legs. Remove the barbell from the bar and take two steps back with your feet approximately shoulder-width apart or slightly wider. This will be the starting position.
- As you inhale, bending your knees, we squat. We keep the back straight, without bending, only the natural lordosis in the lower back remains. We direct our gaze straight ahead. We concentrate on the tension in the leg muscles. The body leans forward slightly, the knees do not go beyond the line of the toes. The legs stand firmly on the entire foot.
- At the exit, we straighten our legs and stand in the starting position.
- Repeat the required number of times.
A variation of the exercise is the front squat. The technique is the same, only we place the barbell on the upper part of the chest and deltas. In this case, the emphasis is on working the quadriceps.
Video: Squats with a barbell on the shoulders - strength training
Close grip bench press
The exercise targets the shoulders, forearms and trapezius.
Technique:
- We lie down on the bench, grab the barbell with an overhand grip, placing our hands slightly narrower than our shoulders (at a distance of about 20–30 centimeters from each other).
- We remove the barbell from the bar and smoothly lower it to the chest.
- Slowly raise the barbell up as you exhale, fully straightening your arms.
- As you inhale, lower the barbell to your chest again.
This exercise perfectly works the back muscles, gluteus maximus, spinal extensor muscles, and abdominal muscles.
Technique:
- We stand straight, legs slightly wider than shoulders, slightly bent to the knees, toes slightly turned away from each other.
- We take a barbell and place it on the upper trapezius and rear deltoids.
- As you inhale, moving your pelvis back, bend down with the barbell. Movement occurs only in the hip joints. Ideally, you should bend over at a 90-degree angle until your torso is parallel to the floor.
- We return to the starting position as we exhale.
- Repeat as many times as necessary.
This exercise can be quite traumatic; beginners are advised to exclude it or perform it with an empty bar.
Video: Forward Bends with a Barbell on the Shoulders
A classic exercise for bodybuilding and powerlifting. It is a basic exercise and works muscles such as:
- spinal extensors;
- latissimus dorsi muscles;
- upper back muscles;
- buttocks;
- thigh muscles;
- quadriceps;
- muscles of the forearms.
Technique:
- Starting position: feet shoulder-width apart, parallel to each other, toes on the bar of the barbell lying on the floor. We grab the bar with an overhand grip, with our wrists slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, our arms perpendicular to the floor, and our shoulders positioned directly above the bar.
- As you exhale, we lift the barbell smoothly and evenly, the bar sliding along the legs. Raising the barbell above the knees, straighten the torso as much as possible and bring the shoulder blades together, concentrating on working the back muscles.
- Moving the pelvis back, we gradually lower ourselves to the starting position, also sliding the bar along the legs.
- Once the pancakes touch the floor, repeat the required number of times.
During the exercise, the lower back should be slightly arched at all times, and the gaze should be directed upward. There is no need to make sudden jerks; we work extremely smoothly and calmly.
Video: Deadlift
This exercise works great on the back muscles and the back of the thighs. It is performed in a special simulator.
Technique:
- We customize the simulator to suit your height. It is important that your feet rest comfortably on the bolsters. We take the starting position: straightened up in the simulator, hands behind the head.
- We lower the body down at a right angle to the legs while inhaling. The back remains straight.
- As you exhale, raise your body to the starting position, tensing the muscles of your legs and buttocks.
- Repeat as many times as necessary.
Video: Hyperextension technique
An exercise that trains the gluteal muscles and hamstrings, as well as the back extensors and lower back.
Technique:
- Starting position: stand straight, grab the bar with a straight grip, palms shoulder-width apart.
- Keeping your back straight, bend forward as low as possible while inhaling. If it turns out with a straight back until the body is parallel to the floor, it’s good; if the back begins to round, we linger in an accessible position.
- As you inhale, we return to the starting position.
- We repeat the required number of times.
Training programs for powerlifters
You need to train every other day. The optimal schedule would be three times a week. During training, you need to increase the working weight according to a given plan and adhere to the general principles of powerlifting, which we discussed above.
Weekly program for beginners
The first day:
- Squats with a barbell on your shoulders. The weight should be taken depending on your physical fitness - from 20 kg and above. Perform slowly 10 times, 3 approaches.
- Bench press with a narrow grip - 3 sets of 10 times, starting from 20 kg and above.
- Bent-overs with a barbell on your shoulders - 10 times, 3 sets.
- Hyperextension without weight - 20 times, 3 sets.
Second day:
- Deadlift - 3 sets of 10 reps.
- Barbell rows on straight legs - 10 times 3 sets.
- Pull-ups - 30 times without additional weight.
- Straight crunches without weight.
Day three:
- Bench press - 3 sets of 10 reps.
- Dips without weights - 30 times.
- Squats with a barbell on the chest according to the same scheme - 3 sets of 10–15 times.
- Hyperextension without weight - 4 sets of 15 reps.
Advanced program
The first day:
- Hanging leg raises - 15 times, 3 approaches. You can make your legs heavier.
- Squats with a barbell on the shoulders - 10 times, 3 approaches, with each approach increase the weight by 10–20 kg.
- Bench press - 4 sets of 10 reps.
- Bent-overs with a barbell - 4 sets of 10 times.
- Front squats - 4 sets of 8 reps.
Second day:
- Incline crunches - 3 sets of 15 reps.
- Bench press with a narrow grip - 10 times, 4 sets.
- Reverse push-ups from a bench without weights - 20 times, 2 sets.
- Reverse grip pull-ups - 4 sets of 8-10 reps.
- Standing barbell curls - 10 times, 4 sets.
- Pullover with a dumbbell lying on a bench - 15 times, 3 approaches.
Day three:
- Deadlift - 10 times, 4 sets.
- Straight grip pull-ups - 8 reps, 4 sets.
- Bench press - 10 times, 4 sets.
- Barbell rows on straight legs - 8 times, 4 sets.
- Hyperextension without weight - 15 times, 4 sets.
Tips and recommendations for powerlifting, contraindications for beginners
In terms of weights to use in training, most new guys start with 50kg for squats and deadlifts and 30kg for benches. But you should focus on your comfort and capabilities; it is quite acceptable to start with 20 kg. During the training process, each week the weight should be increased by 3 kg for squats and deadlifts, and by 2.5 kg for bench presses. There is no need to rush and try to immediately squeeze 10–15 kg more than last time. The strength will increase gradually. And even if you squeeze more weight, it’s not a fact that you will be able to repeat and consolidate the result in the next workout. Perhaps, by overtraining, you will even roll back in your achievements. Do not hurry.
Powerlifting at home is not recommended, even if the exercises are performed correctly. There are also strict contraindications for powerlifting. You should absolutely not engage in this discipline if you:
- arterial hypertension (high intracranial pressure);
- vertebral hernia or hernia of internal organs;
- oncological diseases;
- haemorrhoids.
You should approach training with caution if you have:
- osteochondrosis;
- scoliosis;
- joint diseases - in this case, you should first consult a doctor;
- retinal diseases also require prior consultation.
The most important thing in powerlifting is strict execution of exercise technique and adequate weight gain. This will help avoid injuries and health problems. Moreover, regular exercise helps increase overall physical performance and can even relieve some diseases, such as pulmonary diseases.
Powerlifting is an interesting sports discipline for strong men and women. These are training programs with a clear plan and systematic work on your body. When engaging in this sport, many, in addition to changes in physical performance, also note an increase in willpower and ability to concentrate.
Powerlifting where to start: basic principles of training, nutrition, technique. How to start powerlifting without a coach, advice from champions.
You can start powerlifting at any age. This sport has no age restrictions, unlike artistic gymnastics or acrobatics. First of all, you need to decide on your goals. Correct goal setting, coupled with competent analysis of results, will help achieve the desired result.
Initial goals: mastering technique, gaining muscle mass.
Mastering the technique of basic movements
Where to start in powerlifting? First of all, you need to decide on the technique of basic movements: squats with a barbell on your shoulders, bench press, deadlift. These exercises involve all major muscle groups, unlike single-joint exercises.
Chasing weights coupled with mediocre technique will soon lead you to stagnation of results, and there is a high risk of injury. Therefore, try to follow all the rules of execution.
Champions not only maintain a consistently high level of technology, they constantly improve it, which allows them to regularly occupy the highest.
The most common mistakes in technique are bringing the knees together in squats, as well as rounding the back in the deadlift. The first mistake can lead to a meniscal injury, the second - to a protusion or herniated disc. Therefore, it is so important to observe the correct technique for performing movements.
The technique of basic movements is described in detail in the following articles:
- Barbell squat technique
- Bench press technique
- Deadlift technique
Basic principles of nutrition in powerlifting
There are 2 extremes in nutrition:
- Eat everything, as much as possible
- Undernourishment while trying to stay in your weight class
If you follow the first principle, you will quickly gain not only muscle mass, but also fat. An unbalanced diet will lead to you having to go dry.
The second principle will not allow you to achieve the desired result. The body will not have enough nutrients. Naturally, you can only dream about the result.
How to start powerlifting? You need to plan your diet. It should contain only healthy products.
Yuri Fomin, MSMK in powerlifting, advises choosing the following products: fish, meat, eggs, cereals, pasta, milk, kefir, cottage cheese. You need to eat at least 3 times a day. It is worth adding sports nutrition to your diet. Gainer, protein, creatine work well here. Help your body grow!
Basic principles of training
Since your body is not yet strong, you first need to gain the necessary muscle mass. That is why the work will be carried out in a multi-repetitive mode. The number of repetitions in this scheme is from 7 to 14 in 3-4 approaches. You will also need to get used to increased pauses between approaches: the muscles need to recover.
Yuri Fomin believes that the psychological attitude before the approach plays a huge role. It is primarily the head that lifts, not the muscles. This is difficult to understand at the beginning. Also, do not forget about quality rest: you need to sleep at least 8 hours.
Powerlifting where to start? You can start with the following training program:
Monday
Squats with a barbell on the shoulders 3-4 sets of 10 lifts
Front squats 3 sets of 10 reps
Leg extensions on the machine 3 sets of 10 times
Wednesday
Wide grip bench press 3 sets of 13 reps
Seated chest press 4 sets of 14 reps
Dumbbell flyes 3 sets of 10 reps
Standing biceps curl with a straight bar, 4 sets of 12 reps
Friday
Deadlift 3 sets of 9 reps
T bar row 4 sets of 14 reps
Abdominal rows on a block to the chest 3 sets of 12 reps
They represent strength training with the aim of developing fast muscle fibers and strength indicators. Strength indicators mean the athlete’s ability to perform basic exercises in one approach for one repetition. Basic exercises are: deadlift, squats and bench press. The military press was once a competitive lift, but due to the high incidence of injuries associated with this exercise, it was removed from the competitive powerlifting program. However, the exercise develops strength well, so this should be taken into account when creating a training program.
During powerlifting training, the athlete purposefully develops energy supply due to the breakdown of creatine phosphate, as well as fast muscle fibers. This method of energy supply is very costly in terms of energy efficiency, so the body uses it only in extreme cases when other methods of energy supply do not cope with the task. In general, there are three methods of energy supply, two of which are anaerobic and one aerobic. Anaerobic include glycolysis, that is, energy supply from glycogen, which is used in bodybuilding, since it best promotes hypertrophy of muscle fibers, and energy supply through the breakdown of creatine phosphate, which allows you to release a lot of energy in the shortest possible time. Aerobic methods of energy supply are designed to perform not very heavy monotonous work; during such energy supply, lactic acid is formed in the muscles, therefore this method is not suitable for increasing strength indicators or growing muscle mass.
The creatine phosphate reserve is depleted very quickly, literally within 10-15 seconds of intense exercise, after which energy supply occurs due to glycolysis for about another 20-30 seconds, and then energy reserves are depleted, and energy supply occurs due to the formation of lactic acid. In this regard, powerlifting training involves low-volume training schemes, during which the athlete is under load for 10-15 seconds per set, and in order for the supply of creatine phosphate to be restored before the next approach, the powerlifter is forced to rest between sets of 2- 3 minutes, and during heavy exercises such as deadlifts and squats with a barbell up to 5 minutes. As a result, during training the athlete performs a large number of approaches in a small repetition range - from one to six.
It goes without saying that a powerlifter’s training does not only consist of competitive exercises, which, nevertheless, always remain the basis of the training program. A powerlifter must necessarily include “auxiliary” exercises in his training program, that is, formative exercises and basic exercises designed for the targeted development of certain muscle groups. For example, such exercises include the Romanian deadlift, which specifically targets the hamstrings. The hamstring biceps does not have a very strong effect on an athlete’s strength, since larger and stronger muscle groups develop better during squats and deadlifts, but the hamstring biceps is attached to the knee joint, so this muscle helps to avoid injury.
Powerlifting Training: Recovery
You may be wondering why athletes have different opinions about the effectiveness of using exercises other than the “basic” ones. Some say that you only need to do bench presses, squats and deadlifts, others argue that you must definitely use the “auxiliary”. What's the point, because you can do both! But the point is that powerlifting training is very difficult, and the possibilities for restoring creatine phosphate are not endless, and the athlete is training strength, not endurance! In addition, after an hour of training in the gym, testosterone levels drop, so training becomes pointless. In this regard, it turns out that there may simply not be enough time to perform squats with a barbell in 5 working approaches and also do an assist!
Professionals solve this issue more simply; they train six times a week. Three workouts are “basic”, during which the athlete performs exclusively competitive movements, and another three workouts the athlete works the muscles “auxiliary”. As you understand, the recovery capabilities of professionals are much higher, this includes training, and the absence of other activities, the need to go to work, as well as the use of anabolic steroids. But professionals use many specific techniques during their powerlifting training. A professional program necessarily includes push-ups, squats with ropes, bench press with chains and much more, while such exercises do not replace the basis of training, but only complement it.
For amateurs, and especially for amateurs who do not use anabolic steroids, we can recommend a three-day split, during which each workout the amateur will perform 3-4 exercises, 1-2 of which will be basic, and another 2-3 auxiliary. If you overdo it, you will simply drive yourself into overtraining, progress will stop, and you will mark time, or a rollback will occur. But in powerlifting, progression of loads is not just the only way to build muscle mass, but, in general, the goal of all powerlifting training! Therefore, do not overestimate your recovery capabilities, try to progress gradually. The quieter you go, the further you'll get!
A powerlifter's nutrition should also be specific. One way or another, the progression of loads occurs due to the growth of organic tissues, namely the strengthening of myofibrils. During training, a powerlifter does not pump up slow muscle fibers, does not train the body's ability to accumulate glycogen, but it injures the fibers of fast muscle tissues, so an excess of calories is needed to restore them. In this case, protein is not as important as for a bodybuilder, but it is just as necessary to satisfy the daily requirement for it. However, carbohydrates are the basis of nutrition, so your daily diet should include cereals, potatoes, legumes and other complex carbohydrates.
The specific amount of products should be selected empirically, since the energy consumption of each person is individual. On average, the daily caloric intake is about 3500 calories, so the count should be made from this figure. In the future, the amount of carbohydrates can be changed up or down. If you have time to recover and your strength indicators are increasing, then the amount of carbohydrates can be slightly reduced so that the level of subcutaneous fat remains unchanged. If you do not have time to recover, then you need to add one meal to your diet. Here it is very important to eat systematically, that is, stick to the same menu every day, which will allow you to easily manipulate the calorie intake.
Powerlifter diet menu
Before breakfast– a glass of chilled boiled water with honey
Breakfast– rolled oats porridge with milk with walnuts and two sandwiches with cheese
Lunch– 5 boiled chicken eggs and buckwheat porridge with pork and tomato juice
Dinner– lean borscht with sour cream and durum pasta with cheese or feta cheese along with veal
Afternoon snack– steamed sea fish with rice and seaweed
Dinner– cottage cheese with honey, prunes and walnuts
Walking in powerlifting
Powerlifting training involves designing a program in which the lifter calculates a percentage of his or her maximum weight per repetition for each major exercise. As a rule, light and heavy workouts are then planned, gradually increasing the weights during the training program, which allows you to develop different muscle qualities. The fact is that different muscle fibers have different recovery rates, so in order for an athlete to show the best results when performing exercises with 100% weights, he prepares in such a way that absolutely all muscles at this moment have time to achieve supercompensation, that is such a moment when the muscle became a little stronger.
Powerlifting walks can be performed on all muscle groups in one day. So you do barbell squats, bench presses and deadlifts. Sometimes deadlifts are done separately, but then you should warm up very well beforehand. The pass must be performed with a partner who can correctly feed the barbell to you and help you pull it out, since the purpose of the pass is to find the maximum weight, that is, the weight in the last approach should be such that you cannot “pull”. You should start walking with your usual weights, performing the exercise for 2-3 repetitions, with a long rest between approaches. Therefore, it is better to eat something sweet during training so that you have the strength to finish it. The increment between sets ranges from 5-10kg in the beginning to 2.5kg in the last approaches.