Full-body powerlifting incorporates your entire body to lift a heavy object off the ground or over your head quickly. This requires your torso and hips to stabilize your body to prevent injury to your hips, knees and spine. Powerlifting also increases muscle mass, improves muscular stamina and boosts your fat-burning potential, says coach Vern Gambetta, author of "Athletic Development."
Ground-Up Concept
Powerlifting requires that you develop a strong and stable lower body before emphasizing lifts with your upper body, because strength and power are derived from your lower body, not your upper body, says physical therapist Gray Cook, author of "Athletic Body in Balance." Your largest and most powerful muscle groups in your body are your buttocks and thighs, while your deep stabilizers in your abs and spine keep your body upright to maintain balance and alignment. These stabilizers should automatically activate without any conscious thought.
Squat Press Combo
The squat press uses your lower body to generate force to assist your upper body to lift a weight over your head. This combo can help you determine if one side of your body is stronger or more coordinated than the other side. Stand with your legs about shoulder width apart and hold a 30-lb. dumbbell in your left hand near your left shoulder. Keep your elbow close to your body. As you inhale and lower your body into a deep squat, keep your torso upright and your knees and feet pointing forward. Exhale and stand straight up, pressing the weight over your head. Your lower body should be doing most of the work to lift the weight, not your shoulder and arm. Hold this position for one second, and lower the weight to your shoulder. Perform two to three sets of five to six reps per arm. You can also incorporate a torso rotation by turning your body to your left or right per rep as you press the weight overhead.
Supersets
In a superset, you perform two powerlifting exercises that train opposing movement patterns with no rest between sets. This improves muscular stamina and saves you time in your training, Cook says. For example, you can perform a kettlebell or barbell deadlift back-to-back with a squat press. After you perform five to six reps of each exercise, rest for no more than two minutes, then repeat the superset two more times.
Power Endurance Training
Power endurance training is performing one strength exercise followed by a power exercise that moves in a similar pattern. Like the superset, it improves muscular stamina, which speeds your recovery time, and saves you time in your workout, says Gambetta. For example, you can perform one set of standing dumbbell shoulder presses, followed by a set of kettlebell push presses. Rest for no more than two minutes and repeat the exercise two more times.
References
- "Athletic Development"; Vern Gambetta; 2006
- "Athletic Body in Balance"; Gray Cook; 2003
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