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The injuries we see most often in people who lift heavy weights. This blog will cover the common mistakes we see in power-lifters or those interested in increasing strength in the squat bench press and deadlift make.

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This article will cover the common mistakes I see power-lifters or those interested in increasing strength in the squat bench press and deadlift make. There will be a cross-over of issues between points.

Going Too Heavy and Training too Close to Failure

Intuitively, lifting heavy makes sense and there are periods when lifting heavy may be required to maximise strength adaptations. Based on the principle of training specificity, if you want to get good at lifting heavy things, you should probably practice lifting heavy.

However, there does come a cost with lifting heavy. As one lifts loads closer to their 1RM, there is generally increased fatigue per repetition. Likewise, as you lift closer to failure, there will also be an increased cost of fatigue as approaching failure.

Between 10 to 5 reps shy of failure, fatigue will be minimal within a set.

Between 5 reps to 3 reps shy of failure, fatigue will be moderate

Between 3-2 reps shy of failure, fatigue will be significant

From 1 rep shy of failure to 0 reps (maximum effort), fatigue will highest

Example

Comparing a set of 10 repetitions to a set of 3 repetitions, both being performed at a 2 RIR (for those who aren't familiar with RIR, a 2 RIR = 2 repetitions shy of failure.

The first 5-6 repetitions of a set of 10 will be minimally fatiguing, and then fatigue will rise per repetition as approaching closer to the 10th rep. During a set of 10 repetitions, volume can be accumulated easily as at least half of the reps within the set will carry very little fatigue.

3 sets x 10 reps x 100kg = 3000kg

For a set of 3 repetitions at a 2 RIR, we're already starting approx. 5 reps shy of failure from the very first rep. As such, fatigue will accumulate from the very first rep.

3 sets x 3 reps x 150kg = 1350kg

To achieve 3000kg of volume using 3 rep sets at 150kg, 6.6 sets would be needed to accomplish the same workload using 10 reps per set. Doing 6 sets of 3 reps will be more tiring than doing 3 sets of 10 reps as the amount of time and mental energy will likely be more significant. If a lifter needs to accumulate training volume for goals such as technique refinement, building work capacity and muscle gain, lifting too heavy is likely not the most efficient way to do so as the fatigue cost will be high relative to adaptation. As such, lifting heavy and close to failure should be periodised within a lifter's training and not performed consistently / all year round.

Doing Too Much Volume

Literature shows that on average, there is a dose-response relationship between volume and muscle size - As one does more volume, more muscle is built (up to a point). The relationship between volume and strength is not as strong. However, multiple sets are better for promoting strength versus single sets.

Although higher training volumes (total sets per muscle group, per week) can promote more adaptations up to a point, there is a volume threshold whereby too much volume can result in a plateau of gains (more volume is not providing more gains). In extreme cases, too much volume can see a regression of gains.

The Reason for these Points is Two-Fold -

1. The muscles are stimulated enough that signals within the body to trigger adaptations are maximised, and further signalling will not provide more adaptation.

1. Fatigue becomes excessive, so a lot of energy is being spent on recovery with little left for adaptation. Additionally, fatigue is bleeding into subsequent sessions; thus, performance is reduced.

More volume isn't always better. The amount of volume optimal for muscle growth and/or strength is individual dependant. For example, beginners need less volume than experienced lifters to see progress. You're likely better off being conservative and doing lower training volume and progressively increasing over time rather than starting too high.

Rushing Load Increases and not Spending Time Learning Technique

One of the most exciting things to a power-lifter is hitting a PB. It's almost like a natural high when hitting a new PB. As such, this can lead people to increase load too quickly and sacrifice technique. Likewise, new lifters may be eager to get stronger, so they might jump straight into heavy loads without learning how to lift efficiently.

The definition of efficiency in a powerlifting context will be using the least amount of energy to complete a competition lift - E.g., moving a barbell from point A to point B in the most efficient path and technique specific to that particular lifter.

One of the bottlenecks I see in power-lifters as to why they're struggling to get stronger is inefficient technique. Lifters are wasting energy that is not being directly transferred into moving a barbell up and down. For example, during a barbell squat, an efficient squat is when the barbell moves directly over the middle of the feet in a vertical path. If the barbell horizontally deviates forward or backward from mid-foot, energy is being used to pull the barbell back to the mid-foot to avoid losing balance and tipping over. As such, energy is being wasted trying to correct balance, adding unnecessary energy cost and fatigue.

Other technique inefficiencies may be placing high stress on a group of muscles whilst underutilising force output from other muscles. This is commonly seen in the deadlift. If someone starts with their hips too high / legs too straight in the initial pull, a lot of force will be used by the hip extensors and lower back to lift the barbell from the floor without much contribution from the leg extensors (quadriceps). Spreading the force output from multiple muscles rather than biasing one muscle group can produce an additive effect whereby the force produced from multiple muscles will be summed together to move the barbell.

Using arbitrary numbers, let's say someone's knees are too straight and hips too high in the initial pull, so a significant portion of force production is used by the hip extensors and less by the knee extensors.
Example A = Hips too high/hip extensor dominant
Hip extensor force production = 2000 Newtons

Knee extensor force production = 1000 Newtons

Total force production available to be transferred into the barbell = 3000 Newtons
Example B = Hips height adequate - Even contribution from hip and knee extensors
Hip extensor force production = 1700 Newtons

Leg extensor force production = 1500 Newtons

Total force production available = 3200 Newtons

Suppose one group of muscles is being stressed more than another area. In that case, fatigue will accumulate quicker in the area being used more, which may lead to a reduced load lifted and/or repetitions performed as the muscle group is too fatigued to continue. Versus if more of that force can be spread over multiple muscles, thus, fatigue is spread and lift failure occurs later than sooner. Spreading force contribution over multiple muscles will minimise certain muscles from fatiguing early to avoid premature failure.

Lifting too heavy too soon and/or quickly can create technique inefficiencies which may in-grain poor lifting technique. This ultimately may lead to someone not reaching their full lifting potential as inefficient technique is a bottleneck in getting further strength improvements.

Competing Too Often

After someone does their first comp, it's common they become very eager in wanting to compete again. What can end up happening is falling into the trap of competing too often. How often may be individual-specific. For example, a beginner may see improvement gains more rapidly. In contrast, someone experienced may need a longer time gap between 1RM maxing to see performance improvements since progress is much slower when getting closer to one's genetic potential. We could also argue the opposite. A beginner may need longer gaps between comps to accumulate time working on technique, building muscle and work capacity. Whereas a highly experienced lifter may be capped out in building muscle and they may gain more from the practice of and skill of competing.
If looking to compete, we need to calculate the cost to reward in doing so. A training block leading into a competition generally involves -
higher training intensities, lower repetitions, high specificity, less focus on building muscle and in some (but not all) cases, putting technique improvements on the back burner, particularly when loads are getting quite heavy. Additionally, high amounts of fatigue can result in technical breakdown to complete the lift. Technique can be challenging to fix when using heavy loads and fatigue is high. For these reasons, improving technique and/or making significant changes to one's technique is generally better using lighter weights so load can progressively increase whilst maintaining lifting technique.

Training blocks leading into competition are great for specificity and peaking strength to display performance. They transfer the gains built in the off-season, such as building muscle, work capacity and technique refinements, to be translated into competition-specific performance (the ability to do one heavy repetition on the competition lifts).

In contrast, offseason blocks are generally characterised by lower intensities, higher training volumes and repetitions and less specificity, which can be efficient for building muscle, improving work capacity and refining technique. Off-season blocks build the base upon which competition blocks build from.

As muscle size is highly associated with powerlifting performance, it's a good idea to spend a significant amount of time trying to build muscle mass, which can later be transferred into specific strength. As building muscle is a slow process, competing too often (for example, every 3-4 months) may not be enough time to spend on training blocks focused on optimising muscle gain. Someone's long-term progress may be significantly limited as they may need a better base to build upon (having large amounts of muscle mass) if not much time is spent in off-season training blocks.

As previously mentioned, what is the cost to benefit in competing? Is someone in a place where they can spend less energy on gaining muscle and optimising technique to peak for a competition? Or is the benefit of building muscle and refining technique worth more than competing? Off-seasons that are too short may lead to longer-term disappointment. E.g - Someone's 1RM / powerlifting total may not increase as much as expected relative to the amount of work put into training due to not spending enough time trying to build muscle.

Trying to Always Stay in a Lighter-Weight Class

As previously mentioned, there appears to be a strong correlation between lean muscle tissue and strength gains. Research comparing stronger to weaker powerlifters shows muscle mass is the strongest variable separating the two.

In many cases, athletes might be sitting with a couple of kilograms higher than their weight class or in between two weight classes and will cut weight before competing to make weight. Lifters will generally want to max out the weight of their weight class as they are usually more competitive. Whereas if moving up to the next weight class, their body weight might be towards the bottom range of the weight class, thus, typically not being as competitive.

As lifters become more advanced, it can be increasingly more challenging to achieve body recomp (losing body fat and building muscle simultaneously). Maintaining body weight or being at energy balance, particularly if a lifter is quite lean, will be difficult to put on lean muscle tissue. To optimise muscle gain, being in a small calorie surplus is ideal so there is energy available not only to fuel recovery, but also to meet the energetic demands of adaptation (build muscle tissue). However, being in a surplus is generally going to increase body weight, which might make it difficult for one to remain in a lighter weight class if they are naturally sitting a little heavier than their weight class already.

The issue with always trying to stay in a lighter weight class is lifters may either get stuck at being at maintenance calories or regularly implement deficits to avoid body weight drifting too far above their weight class. The issue in both scenarios (particularly the latter) is that the opportunity to build muscle mass may be hindered or non-existent. If a lifter wants to improve their strength and is having trouble getting stronger, they will likely need to suck up that they have to get heavier and move up to the next weight class.

Sure, moving up may mean they initially won't be very competitive as they are lighter and have less muscle mass relative to the heavier competitors within the class. However, muscle mass and strength will build over time and eating more can unlock future gains in strength.

If someone wants to see their strength improve progressively, there will likely come the point where they have to commit to eating in a surplus and putting on body weight to create an optimal environment for muscle growth. Otherwise, athletes may make little to no progress due to insufficient food to gain muscle tissue.

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This article will cover the common mistakes I see power-lifters or those interested in increasing strength in the squat bench press and deadlift make. There will be a cross-over of issues between points. Intuitively, lifting heavy makes sense and there are periods when lifting heavy may be required to maximise strength adaptations.

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How To Breathe Correctly During Exercise

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How To Breathe Correctly During Exercise

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Learning to breathe during exercise has benefits, such as preventing dizziness during activity, improving athletic performance and increasing fat burning. Here are some things you need to keep in mind to master your breathing and boost your performance.

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If you want to get the best results in the gym, there are a few basic skills that you need to master. This includes learning how to breathe the right way. Though this might sound basic, here are some things you need to keep in mind to master your breathing and boost your performance.

Why Is Breathing Important During Exercise?

You will need to use oxygen to fuel your body during an intensive exercise session. The more intensive your workout becomes, the more oxygen your body will require, allowing you to deliver a strong performance. Furthermore, oxygen will be used to help you recover after an intensive exercise session.

How To Breathe During Strength Training

There is a simple procedure to follow when breathing during strength training exercises. First, you will need to breathe in through your nose, allowing the air to reach deeply into your lungs. This should be done at the start of the movement. For example, let's imagine that you are doing squats. You would inhale before you start to lower yourself down.

You don't want to hold your breath when you are lifting weights. This can sometimes make you feel nauseous or dizzy. This is because your blood pressure will be elevated.

As you are exerting your muscles, you will need to exhale. It's best to do this through your mouth. For example, you will need to breathe out as you are pushing yourself back up from the squat position. By exhaling as you are lifting the weight, you will be tightening your core muscles. This will allow you to put more power behind the lift.

It might be a good idea to consider personal training Sutherland shire. This will allow you to get personalized advice, so you know the ideal time to take a breath during your workouts. Plus, you'll be able to get advice on your technique, avoiding potential injury.

Breathing During Mobility Exercises

Mobility exercises, like yoga or tai chi, will require longer, deeper breaths. Each breath in and out can take around five seconds. This should help to keep you relaxed and lower body tension, so you can stretch more effectively.

Breathing Techniques During Aerobic Exercise

During aerobic exercises, your breathing priorities will be slightly different. You will still need to breathe in through the nose and exhale through the mouth. But your priority should be establishing a consistent breathing pattern. This ensures that you are getting enough oxygen.

There are a few techniques you use to maintain consistent breaths. One of the best options is to inhale for three seconds and exhale for three seconds. For example, if you are running you might want to breathe in for three strides and breathe out for three strides.

Learning to breathe consistently will allow you to improve your performance. It can help prevent the build-up of nitric oxide within your bloodstream. This is what is responsible for making you feel fatigued.

Conclusion

A little change, like focusing on controlling your breath, can have a big impact on your workout. You will be able to improve your performance and take your results to the next level. So, visit our Sutherland shire gym to try our wide range of strength training devices and get personalized coaching advice.

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How To Breathe Correctly During Exercise

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
If you want to get the best results in the gym, there are a few basic skills that you need to master. This includes learning how to breathe the right way. Though this might sound basic, here are some things you need to keep in mind to master your breathing and boost your performance.

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Powerlifting Strategies to Boost Strength and Recovery

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Powerlifting Strategies to Boost Strength and Recovery

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If you’re struggling to recover from training or improving strength, there likely isn’t ‘one weird trick’ or strategy that will help. So read here powerlifting strategies to boost your strength and recovery.

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Whether you're training for general strength or looking to compete in powerlifting, the training principles for increasing strength are the same. In straightforward terms, a manipulation of training volume, intensity, frequency and exercise selection is modified (the training dose) to get the outcome of adaptation (increased strength, muscle size etc).

To maximise training adaptations, recovery from training sessions needs to be adequate. A simple definition of recovery is the body restoring to its previous strength/performance prior to the exercise bout. When you perform a powerlifting training session and the training stress is significant, performance generally will decrease directly after the training session and extends for some time (eg 24-48 hours), eventually restoring to baseline. Whereby adaptation is when performance increases beyond baseline, and an individual is a little bit stronger compared to where they were before the training session.

If recovery is insufficient, fatigue may accumulate and, thus, reduce training adaptations. In extreme cases, if recovery is very poor, an individual may regress and lose adaptations (they get weaker). As such, individuals may be looking at ways to maximise recovery to maximise adaptations.

Optimising recovery from training is multifactual but not complex. The common-sense variables play the most part in optimising recovery, which are -

Getting enough good quality sleep

Eating a sufficient amount of protein (anywhere between 1.6 - 2.2g per kg of body weight is generally enough for most people)

Consuming enough calories

Managing stress

Being within a healthy body fat range and not being too lean

If all of the above variables appear to be attended to, but recovery from training is still an issue, there might be a problem with the training program. Doing programs that are beyond an individual's capacity, such as too much training volume (total sets per muscle group) and intensity (how heavy and close to failure one is training), or a combination of both, will influence recovery.

Monitoring the above variables and ensuring you're not overtraining will generally be the main rocks affecting recovery. External methods such as massage, foam rolling, stretching, and cold-water immersion/ice baths have been shown to have minimal, if not any effect on recovery. Thinking logically, if someone is undereating, under sleeping and doing too much training volume, having a massage once a week and foam rolling will not significantly improve recovery. Focus on fixing the core issues and avoid wasting time trying to use 'band-aid' recovery methods.

As previously mentioned, if recovery is adequate and the training stimulus is sufficient, we can expect strength to improve gradually over time if consistently following a logically designed training regime. There are no 'special strategies' which are going to improve strength gains significantly. Attending to the core training variables of -

Volume

Intensity

Repetition ranges

Proximity to failure

Exercise selection

Training frequency

Are going to be the main factors that drive strength adaptations. It is beyond the scope of this article to explain each of these variables independently as these all require an article on their own. However, the point trying to get across is that no magic strategies will maximise strength adaptions from training. Specialised strategies are for the most part, only going to be useful for experienced trainees trying to squeeze out that small extra percent of strength progress. For everyone else (even experienced trainees), manipulation and organisation of the previously mentioned 'bread and butter' training variables will mostly have the largest impact on strength adaptations.

If you're struggling to recover from training and/or improving strength, there likely isn't 'one weird trick' or strategy that will help. The core recovery and training variables likely need to be attended to find out where your limiting factors are. Focus on fixing these limiting factors rather than looking for a magic fix. The answer(s) to improve your recovery and training adaptations are probably just fixing the basic fundamentals.

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Powerlifting Strategies to Boost Strength and Recovery

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Whether you're training for general strength or looking to compete in powerlifting, the training principles for increasing strength are the same. In straightforward terms, a manipulation of training volume, intensity, frequency and exercise selection is modified (the training dose) to get the outcome of adaptation (increased strength, muscle size etc).

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Some beginner trainees quantify their workout via the amount of time spent at the gym. The length of time spent at the gym doesn’t tell us much. Read in this blog, how much time is enough for weight lifting at the gym.

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Traditionally, some beginner trainees will quantify their workout via the amount of time spent at the gym. This information may then be used to track the amount of training volume accomplished. Unfortunately, the length of time spent at the gym doesn't tell us much. What was done during that time? How many sets were performed? How heavy did the individual lift? Sure, someone may spend a longer time at the gym, but was it just because their rest times increased and not because of an increased amount of work?

Rather than ask, "is 30 mins of weightlifting enough?" the question should be, what is the minimum amount of training volume required to see gains? Training volume can be calculated via the number of hard sets performed. Hard sets do not include warmup sets. They only include all the sets following the warmup.

A study by Androulakin-Korakakis et al. (1) looked at the minimum amount of training to increase strength. In their analysis, 5 out of 6 studies used 1 set performed 2-3 times per week on the squat and/or bench press. The other study had subjects doing 1 set on the squat and bench press only once a week. The results found that performing just 1 set, 1-3 times per week on the squat and/or bench press resulted in the squat one repetition maximum increasing by 17.48kg on average and the bench press by 8.25kg on average.

Based on this study, it appears that just doing 1 heavy sets 2-3 times per week is enough to get some increase in strength. It obviously is not optimal, and you would gain more from doing multiple sets. But this demonstrates that you do not need a whole lot of training to see improvements in strength as a beginner.

A study by Schoenfeld et al. (2) conducted a review to assess the effects of total weekly weight training volume (number of hard sets) on changes in muscle size. Their study compared programs that did <5 sets, 5-9 sets and 10+ sets per week per muscle group on changes in muscle size. Their results found a dose-response relationship, whereby greater sets resulted in more significant gains in muscle size. They concluded that although muscle gains can be made by doing <4 sets per week per muscle group, doing >10 sets per week results in greater muscle gains.

For those who are time poor, doing 2-4 hard sets per muscle group per week will likely be sufficient to see increases in strength and muscle size. For those looking to increase their rate of gains, performing approx. 10-20 sets per muscle group per week are the current recommendations. If you're a beginner, you can start at the bottom of the set range (10) and slowly work your way up once progress begins to slow down.

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Traditionally, some beginner trainees will quantify their workout via the amount of time spent at the gym. This information may then be used to track the amount of training volume accomplished. Unfortunately, the length of time spent at the gym doesn't tell us much. What was done during that time?