Powerlifting For Women Over 40 Years Of Age

Powerlifting for women over 40 is the same as powerlifting for women under 40: you must train hard, with focus, a balanced diet and plenty of rest. Many of the issues you would face as a woman over 40 are going to be compensated for by training for powerlifting. Issues such as the decrease in muscle mass as you age or loss of bone mineral density with the concurrent risk of osteoporosis will, for the most part, be resolved by the heavy training plan that you follow. Consult your physician before beginning any diet or exercise program.

Squatting and Deadlifting

The squat and the deadlift are two of the three lifts that are contested in powerlifting. The squat works the legs, hips, and abdominals, and builds incredible strength and power. The deadlift works the lower back, upper back, legs and abdominals. Both exercises contribute to strong bones, joints and muscles, and assist with daily activities such as maintaining good posture. Do not be in a hurry to add weight, focus on learning good technique. This will reduce your risk of injury and prolong your lifting career.

Bench Press

The barbell bench press is the third lift that is contested in powerlifting, and is a great exercise for developing upper body strength and power. This exercise works the chest, shoulders and triceps, and is one of the best exercises for upper body development. As with squatting and deadlifting, focus on learning good technique to maintain the health of your joints. Do not flare your elbows out away from your body as you lower the bar, keep them tucked in to your sides, this will ease the strain on your shoulder joints.

Periodization

The most common method of training is using what is known as a periodized training plan. This involves starting a training cycle, or period of training, with lighter weights done for higher repetitions and gradually increasing the weight and decreasing the repetitions, with the goal being a new personal record on the lift in question. Example: if you can bench 100 lbs. for ten reps, you could increase the weight by five pounds a week and decrease the number of repetitions by one or two per week.

Competiton

Women compete in powerlifting in the same way that men do, and women over 40 compete in master's divisions, which means in addition to competing in your weight class, you are also competing with women of the same approximate age. Weight classes go up in five or ten year increments, depending on the federation. Women compete in every level of powerlifting, from the local to the world stage, regardless of age, and represent their countries in team competition.