For those bodybuilders who are preparing for a powerlifting competition once in a year, I will describe and accessible strength program which takes the maximum performance out of the real training time and from the resting periods between sessions.
In order to perform the warming up and achieving the progressive neuromuscular adaptation in the correct way and to avoid overtraining, use the percentages provided below. The energy reserve you will have on the competition day, as the adrenaline that appears when the moment of truth arrives, will allow you to exert much more strength on the movements. It is easy to calculate a percentage using 10 and 100 kilos as a reference value. For instance, 80% is 8 kilos of 10 or 80 kilos of 100.
STRENGTH AND POWER PROGRAM
In all sessions, try to move five extra kilos in all sets of all exercises. If this increment is not possible, reduce it to a minimum of two kilos. You can follow this cycle the 10 or 12 weeks before a powerlifting competition.
Monday:
* Deadlifts:
1 x 10 (50%)
1 x 8 (70%)
1x 3 (80%)
1 x 3 (90%)
3 x 3 (80%)
Rest four or five minutes between sets. Focus on the technique. Bring the shoulder blades backwards and try to get them together all along the repetitions
* Bar high pulls:
3 x 6 (60%)
Rest three minutes between sets. Lift the weight to the belt with an explosive move and, then, lower it slowly.
* Parallel bars vertical dips:
1 x l0 (30%)
1 x 6 (50%)
Rest three or four minutes between sets. From the inferior point, starting from a stationary position, go up with an explosive move.
3 x 3 (80%)
* Dips only with corporal weight:
1 set until failure
Tuesday:
Workout the neck and the middle section during 20 or 30 minutes with a selection of exercises. You can opt for leg raises hanging, leg shrugs lying or abdominal shrugs and harness moves, stamina workout with a partner and the wrestler bridge for the neck.
Wednesday:
* Parallel squats with the bar on the nape, not on trapezius
Use the same sequence of sets and reps and the same percentages you used for deadlifts.
* Jump squats (body weight):
1 set until failure
* Bar curls (with a slight cheat):
5 x 5
Rest two minutes between sets.
Friday:
* Bar bench press
Use the same scheme of sets and reps and the same percentages as in deadlifts and parallel squats.
* Chin-ups
Use the same scheme of sets and reps and the same percentages as in parallel bar dips. Do this exercise with the palms inwards and then outwards. Switch both positions.
Saturday and Sunday:
* Absolute rest
Every three weeks, after the three repetitions set with the 90% of your maximum weight on deadlifts, parallel squats and bench press, add a set of two repetitions with the 95% of the limit load and four maximum repetitions, resting about five and seven minutes between tries and increasing the weight in two kilos whenever possible. Use this technique only every 21 days.
Three weeks before the powerlifting competition, do only two sets of bar high pulls (60%) and three sets of six repetitions of parallel squats with the bar on the nape (50%). Continue with two sets until failure of jump squats (body weight). Complete three sets of seven repetitions of bar curls (with a slight cheat) and four sets of six repetitions of chin-ups. In this same period (three weeks before the championship) do the deadlifts, parallel squats with the bar on the nape and bench presses with bar and supination this way (look at the difference between this method and the previous one):
1 x 20 repetitions (30%)
2 minutes resting
1 x 10 repetitions (50%)
2 minutes resting
1 x 8 repetitions (60%)
3 minutes resting
1 x 3 repetitions (70%)
5 minutes resting
1 x 3 repetitions (90%)
5 minutes resting
1 x 1 repetition (95%)
Following, try completing other three maximum repetitions increasing the weight in two kilos and with a 5 minutes pause between each. Hold a one-kilo disc in each hand and lift them to prove that the additional weight is quite light before loading it onto the bar and doing the maximum repetitions. If you have spare energy, do one to three maximum repetitions more to beat your record. Rest for five minutes.
1x 15 repetitions (15%)
It's over. Two days after the powerlifting competition, stop training with weights. If you are weight enough to enter the category you expect, eat lot of potatoes (preferably, well roasted) because of its high energetic and potassium content. It is a secret of the Russian athletes. Good luck.
